In a sea of egg-shaped crossovers, the brand new Kia EV3 appears like a breath of contemporary air. Regardless of its boxy proportions, Kia claims the EV3 can be extremely environment friendly, delivering greater than 320 miles of vary with the bigger battery pack and front-wheel drive. On the New York Worldwide Auto Present, firm officers instructed InsideEVs precisely the way it plans to drag that off.
The relentless pursuit of effectivity has pushed some automakers towards teardrop EV designs that slice via the air to realize the lengthy driving vary that clients demand. That has led them to generally go too far with designs that appear like a compromise—suppose the Mercedes-Benz EQS, with its jellybean silhouette, and even Kia’s personal EV6.
Now, with smarter packaging, extra energy-dense batteries, and aerodynamic workarounds, automakers can electrify boxier, extra conventional shapes with out sacrificing significant vary. The Rivian R2 is a good instance of that, and the EV3 seems to be Kia’s reply to the identical problem. They’re nonetheless no match to aerodynamic sedans, however are pushing the boundaries of what is doable with stubby SUVs.
Picture by: Suvrat Kothari
“Regardless of its boxy form it’s totally aerodynamic,” Joshua Kim, supervisor of product planning and technique at Kia America, instructed me on the auto present.
The EV3 appears to be like friendlier and extra welcoming than the bigger EV6, whose swoopy, offbeat design is usually a little polarizing. The smaller sibling, against this, has the type of clear, sensible two-box form that Individuals have traditionally liked.
Regardless of that squarer stance, Kia is claiming 320 miles of vary with the bigger 81.4 kilowatt-hour battery, and 220 miles with the smaller 58.3 kWh pack. The automaker additionally mentioned the EV3 achieves a drag coefficient of 0.275.
Whereas it is not fairly in the identical league as a Lucid Air or a Tesla Mannequin Y, it’s fairly nice for a crossover of this form. For context, that places it in the identical ballpark because the Porsche Cayenne Electrical (0.25 Cd) and the Hyundai Ioniq 9 (0.26 Cd), each of that are a lot bigger and costlier. They seemingly have bigger frontal areas, nonetheless, which ought to make the EV3 extra environment friendly.
Picture by: Suvrat Kothari
On the battery facet, Kim mentioned each the small and enormous packs use “the most recent era of NMC batteries.” Kia declined to be particular about what had modified within the nickel-manganese-cobalt chemistry.
Kia additionally packed in a collection of design particulars that, collectively, add as much as one thing significant. Up entrance, lively aero flaps open when the battery wants cooling and snap shut throughout freeway cruising to scale back drag. Aero wheels and low-rolling-resistance tires will easy airflow alongside the edges. A big roof spoiler tapers downward on the rear, contributing to that 0.275 Cd determine. And a completely flat underbody retains air flowing cleanly from nostril to tail, which will be fairly essential for freeway effectivity.
That’s quite a lot of aerodynamic work for what is anticipated to be the most cost effective Kia when it goes on sale later this yr. “We’re actually attempting to take our confirmed EV know-how you have seen on the EV6 and EV9 and distill it right into a smaller and extra inexpensive bundle,” Kim mentioned.
Picture by: Suvrat Kothari
The EV3 will even arrive at a time when Kia’s EV lineup in America is not doing all that nicely. The EV6 has been a gross sales dud in recent times, whereas the mechanically comparable Hyundai Ioniq 5—which additionally has a extra squared-off, retro-modern design—continues to fare a lot better.
The Niro EV isn’t anticipated to return for one more mannequin yr. That can depart loads of room for the EV3 to turn into Kia’s entry-level and probably the most inexpensive mannequin within the U.S. The value and manufacturing location for the U.S. market model are but to be decided, Kia mentioned.
We already reviewed the EV3 in Seoul again in 2024 and got here away impressed. The way it fares in American situations stays to be seen.
Contact the creator: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com
