2027 kia ev3 review first driveSince it entered the North American market Kia has been a value player. But over the decades, with solid reliability and fantastic styling, the brand charted its own path. In fact, many models are downright luxury rivals. Now, however, it might just be getting back to its roots with the new EV3.Now I don't mean this is a critique of the EV3. It is designed to be budget conscious. It's the brand's entry level electric offering and as life gets more expensive and incentives are intermittent at best, this is an attractive and critically important product for Kia to grab EV buyers who are starting their journey on 4 wheels. Or for those who are simply fed up over-paying.As one Kia rep commented during the press launch for the car, there can be restrictions to buying an EV (from range anxiety to charging time) but if you can't afford it, none of that matters. So let's take a closer look.Related VideoQuick TakeA bit of a copy-paste from other Kia EVs, the new EV3 is the brand's most affordable electric car and offers great functionality and features, a pleasant drive and lots of range in a package you can actually afford.Boxy But StylishOn the style front, well, it's kind of a box. The press materials talk about short overhangs and use a lot of design tropes. I'm just glad they didn't use the cliché of saying it looks like it's moving fast even when it's standing still. Because that's really not true. It looks like a box no matter what it's doing.In some ways it's an electric resurrection of the much loved Kia Soul. And it certainly has some uniqueness about it, from the funky rim designs to the hidden rear door handles. To keep it sleek looking (and aerodynamic) it also features those pop out front door handles, which always feel a bit awkward. We have Elon to thank for making those popular…Overall, its handsome enough. I'm not passionate about the styling, but there's certainly nothing to hate.Kia EV3 PerformanceNow let's get into the specs. I hate when a review just becomes a spec sheet but they are important and with EVs, there's a whole other level of data to consider.For starters, there are two battery packs. A smaller 58.3 kWh pack offered only on the base model and larger 81.4 kWh on all the rest. That base pack clearly exists only so Kia can advertise a cheaper entry-level price. And I don't fault them for that. Every automaker has a version of this "trick."Power comes in several formats. Front drive models make 201 hp and 209 lb-ft of torque while dual-motor AWD versions increase that to 261 hp and 285 lb-ft. Those looking to hustle some more can opt for the high-performance GT model with 288 hp and 345 lb-ft. We didn't get to test this one and while I'm sure it's loads of fun, it also breaks with the affordability story. But more on that later.Kia EV3 ChargingPerhaps more important is charging.With a 48 amp level 2 charger that base battery will recharge in five hours and 10 minutes or seven hours for the larger pack.On a level 3 charger those numbers are 55 or 79 minutes, while a 10-80% charge takes "just" 29 to 31 minutes. I'm not saying that's bad for an EV… because it's not, it's just still kind of a long time to wait.Speaking of a long time. If you're one of those crazy people who buys an EV and doesn't get a level 2 charger (there are a lot more of them out there than you'd think), it will take 48 hrs or 67 hrs for a full charge on a conventional household outlet.Of note, the EV3 does offer Plug and Charge capability with certain partners where you just plug it in, it charges and you drive away. There's no fiddling with payment, it just happens automatically. Hopefully this becomes the norm in the future.2027 kia ev3 review first driveKia EV3 InteriorScreens always seem high-tech and therefore expensive, but they mustn't cost as much as I think because Kia has dual 12.3-inch displays plus a 5-inch climate display. In total, that's roughly 30-inches of screen. And it helps make the cabin look plenty premium and high-tech.Dual-zone climate control is standard as are driver seat pre-sets, while options include things like heated and ventilated front seats, multicolor ambient mood lighting, a 360° Surround-View Monitor and a heads-up display. For Canadian readers, the base trim gets both heated seats and a heated steering wheel in Canada.All the cars we experienced on our drive route featured the GT-Line trim which includes a three-spoke steering wheel, metal pedals, and off-white 2-tone seats. It looks sharp!The rear seats don't get a lot but there are vents back there and seats that reclined 39 degrees – which is more than enough for a comfy nap. Rear seat space is actually quite good and two real-sized adults will fit not problem. Unfortunately, the rear doors are quite small and getting into the back seats is the bigger issue.A wireless charging pad is optional, which seems like something that should be standard. On the flip side, you do get three USB-C ports in the front and two in the rear!One gotta-love-it feature is the standard Digital Key to open doors and start the vehicle with your phone. You can even text your "key" to people. Now if only you could have your driver's license on your phone as well, then your phone would really do everything!2027 kia ev3 review first driveKia EV3 Cargo RoomOne of the distinct advantages to the EV3's boxy design is its functionality. It should surprise no one to learn that boxes are rather practical for carrying things in.Cargo room is rated at 21.5 cu-ft or 26.1 cu-ft (740 liters) behind the rear seats, depending on if you raise or lower the drop-floor of the cargo area – a nice little feature. It's quite a solid amount of space for a smaller vehicle. Drop the rear seats and those numbers expand to 51.9 or 56.5 cu-ft.Of note, there is a power liftgate, but it's optional.2027 kia ev3 review first driveKia EV3 Test DriveBehind the wheel your number one concern probably isn't steering feel or road noise in a car like the EV3 (more on that in a second), it's range.It's 221 miles base, 321 mile for front drive larger pack and drops to 280 miles for dual motor AWD models with the larger pack. For our Canadian friends that's 356 km for the base and jumps 517 km for the larger battery pack in FWD or 451 km for AWD.To emphasize how much range this is, Kia's planned drive route has us going from Campbell River on the Northern-ish part of Vancouver Island to Victoria in the South. The lower speed coastal route was both charming and in no way taxing on the battery which still had loads of range left when we dropped it off at the end of the day.As for those impressions, driving the EV3 is perfectly pleasant. It's quiet and comfortable. Almost all trim levels (like our well-equipped tester) come with foam-insulated tries to help damper road noise. Regardless, even if there was slightly more noise, you likely wouldn't notice.The seating position is quite upright and you sort of feel perched atop the car, which actually makes it feel like you're driving a vehicle that's larger than it is. Plus, the cabin layout has an airiness to it that further amplifies that feeling.The denim-y gray material on the dash is a great aesthetic addition that adds just enough warming texture to the tech-forward cabin to make it feel welcoming.It soaks up bumps without issue, though we never really came across any overly poor roads. The steering is a little imprecise, but that's the sort of thing an auto journalist complains about and buyers couldn't care less for.Everyone will enjoy the electric torque. The slowest models will hit 60 mph in 7.0-7.5 seconds while the dual motor versions hustle to the mark in 6. 3 seconds. That's really more than anyone needs and it always feels peppy.One unique trick to the EV3's drive is one pedal operation where you just lift off the throttle and the regenerative brakes slow the car completely to a stop.2027 kia ev3 review first driveKia EV3 SafetyOn the safety front, there's the usual suite of features including forward and reverse collision avoidance. Of note for this system it can both warn and intervene when making a left turn at an intersection and when going straight through an intersection. It will watch the side traffic and alert you or auto brake if some moron didn't see their red light or is just blowing through a stop sign.2027 kia ev3 review first driveWorth NotingSome other features of the EV3 worth pointing out related to the fact that it's an EV. The car offers Vehicle to Load capability where it can power laptops or charge e-bikes. Plus, it also has Vehicle to Home capability (if you have the right hardware) where you can send power from the car to your home in case of an emergency.2027 kia ev3 review first driveKia EV3 PricingSo for all that the Kia EV3 has to offer, from range to charging times, to features and cargo room, none of it matters much if the price isn't right. Thankfully for both Kia and its customers, this is an attractive product.To get into an EV3 you'll need to shell out just $29,890 + $1,495 for the destination charge. Most customers will be looking for the larger battery pack and that will cost around $35,000 while AWD models start from roughly $39,000.Hop the border to Canada and pricing starts at $36,995 plus delivery. The larger battery pack comes in at around $41,000 and around 43,500 for AWD. The GT is an insane $56 grand.2027 kia ev3 review first driveThe VerdictA recent JD Power APEAL study that showed the gap for consumer sentiment between luxury brands and mainstream brands is narrowing. When they surveyed new owners they found there's now an overlap in terms of new vehicle satisfaction with two luxury brands (Acura and Infiniti) falling below two mainstream brands (Kia and Hyundai).And with products like the EV3 its not surprising to see why.Now, this is no luxury car. Don't get me wrong. Kia has, however, managed to take some of its modern strong suits like features/tech and combine them into a practical and affordable package. And they're doing so in an EV, bringing the best parts of Kia to a new era of automotive buyers.PROSCONSImpressive rangeTame stylingAttractive pricingCharging times are still a thingPlenty of features and techTight access to rear seatsSpecificationsBattery Pack58.3 kWh / 81.4 kWhOutputs:201 hp 209 lb-ft / 261 hp 285 lb-ft / 288 hp 345 lb-ftDrivetrain:FWD / AWDTransmission:1ATRange:221/ 321 / 280 miles (356 / 517 / 451 km)Starting Price (USD):$29,890 (plus dest.)Starting Price (CAD):$36,995 (plus dest.)