Since its launch just over a year ago, the Kia EV3 has taken out some of the highest awards in Australia and from around the world. These include being crowned the 2025 World Car of the Year and News Corp Australia Car of the Year 2025. Most recently the EV3 was named the 2026 Critics’ Choice Award determined by a secret ballot of all Newspress-registered journalists in Australia.
Air, Earth, and GT-Line are the three available EV3 trimlines. Air is offered with a choice between Standard Range and Long Range battery systems, while Earth and GT-Line are both Long Range. I spent a week in the GT-Line earlier this year and spoiler alert, I couldn’t agree more with the accolades that this small electric SUV has received.
The EV3 uses the 400V version of the E-GMP EV platform, with both Standard Range and Long Range batteries using lithium-ion technology. The Standard Range battery is rated at 58.3 kWh, while the Long Range steps up to 81.4 kWh. All variants are equipped with a 150kW/283Nm electric motor, which integrates with an inverter and reduction gearbox to form a single unit mounted at the front of the vehicle.
Optimising driving range is the EV3’s introduction of the new iPedal 3.0 adjustable regenerative braking system. iPedal 3.0 enables one-pedal driving that adjusts the level of regenerative braking according to your preference to maximise efficiency using the steering wheel mounted paddles. The drive modes available of the GT-Line EV3 include Eco, Normal, Sport, My Drive (allows you to configure the motor and steering feel), and Snow. I spent the week in Normal mode with the regen set on three and used 17.2kWh/100km, giving me a real-world range of 474kms with the claimed range of the GT-Line being 563km.
Charging is via a Type 2 port located on the driver’s side front of the EV3, with DC charging from 10-80 per cent possible in as little as 29 minutes for the EV3 Air’s 58.3kWh Standard Range battery when using a 350kW fast charger. The EV3 Earth and GT-Line’s 81.4kWh Long Range Battery can charge from 10-80 per cent in 31 minutes using a 350kW fast charger. The EV3 displays multiple brands of charging stations on the sat nav and comes standard with a Mode 2 charging cord. When you plug the EV3 in the car says “start charging” and the light next to the plug illuminates green.
The EV3 underwent a ride and handling tuning program which resulted in a unique combination of hardware and shock absorber settings designed specifically for Australian road conditions and driving tastes. Kia have nailed this, with the ride of the EV3 being very good and acceleration is also good with the feature-laden Earth and GT-Line Long Range variants both able to complete 0-100km/h in 7.9 seconds.
EV3 Air models feature cloth trim, while Earth and GT-Line step up to artificial leather. The Earth grade goes a step further in providing a choice between Subtle Grey and Light Warm Grey artificial leather. This Matcha Green EV3 had over 10,000kms on the odometer and was still feeling quite solid. One downside though is the light-coloured material on the arm rests of the door and centre console may show signs of discolouration over time.
The GT-Line has keyless entry on the front doors and keyless start with the button located on the steering column mounted gear selector. Across all Kia EV3 grades, the touchscreens are comprised of 12.3-inch Digital Driver Cluster, 5-inch Climate Monitor, and 12.3-inch Touch Screen Infotainment display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which worked well for me. Praise be, there are still physical buttons for the excellent climate control system, infotainment functions, and the volume control.
Features exclusive to the top of the range EV3 GT-Line include a Head-Up Display, wide sunroof with safety function, and an eight-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system. The voice control worked first go when I asked it to change the radio station, make a phone call, and set a destination in the sat nav.
The GT-Line also features an extendable tabletop within the centre console to enable an instant workspace or in-car dining convenience while out on the road. There’s a lot to like in the centre console area of the EV3 with retractable cup holders in the lower section, a wireless charger for your phone and the key fob and above two USB-C ports and one 12V socket. My handbag nicely fitted under the floating console and I liked that the drink bottle storage cubbies in all four doors were a good size.
Premium relaxation seats are another GT-Line exclusive, which recline into a comfortable rest position with one touch for breaks during long-distance drives or while waiting at a charge station. Both front seats have powered adjustment for recline, forward/back, seat height/tilt front and rear, and two-way lumbar support with the driver’s seat getting two memory positions. The EV3 has excellent heated seats and a heated steering wheel, but by far my favourite feature, being a woman of a certain age, were the cooled seats, which were the best of any vehicle that I have EVER reviewed!
The rear seats had a good amount of head and leg room for me, but I could do with some more under thigh support. There are two ISOFix/three rear tether child seat restraint points and the centre seat folds down as an arm rest with two rigid cup holders in it. The two central air vents have individual direction and on/off controls and the storage cubby below these makes a perfect rubbish bin. You get one USB-C on the inner side of each front seat with a large hook to hang a device over and one 250V/16A plug at the front of the centre rear seat. The rear floor is flat with one carpet mat across it that has a grippy base so it doesn’t move.
The EV3 GT-Line has a powered boot with a button on the tailgate, in the cabin and on the key fob to open and close it. The boot is a good size and coped with my weekly shop and would fit a pram and a small shop. There’s also extra storage under the boot floor and storage under the bonnet for the tyre repair kit and the vehicle to load plug that allows you to plug home electrical items into your car to run them.
There are four substantial tie down points and one light in the boot space, which can be enlarged by lowering the 40:60 split fold rear seats with the manual release located on the rear seat shoulders and the seats almost lie completely flat. The only downside I noted in the boot was if you needed to remove the cargo cover for some reason, it would have to be stored on top of the boot floor taking up boot space.
Safety features of all EV3 trims include Highway Driving Assist 2 (HDA 2) and Driver Attention Warning with sensors built into the steering wheel. I found that the driver attention warning was a little annoying, but no where near the worst that I have experienced. The EV3 GT-Line also has auto lights and high beam assist and auto rain-sensing wipers and the standard rear-view camera has front and rear parking sensors.
The Kia EV3 has a 5-star ANCAP (2025) safety rating with an Adult Occupant Protection score of 83% and a Child Occupant Protection score of 86%. Dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting airbags are standard. A centre airbag, which provides added protection to front seat occupants in side impact crashes, is also standard.
Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) (Car-to-Car, Vulnerable Road User, Junction & Crossing, and Head-On) as well as a lane support system with lane keep assist, lane departure warning and emergency lane keeping, and an advanced speed assistance system (SAS) with a speed sign recognition system are standard across the range.
ANCAP tests of the AEB (Car-to-Car) system showed GOOD performance with collisions avoided or mitigated in most test scenarios, including in the AEB Junction and some of the AEB Crossing scenarios, where the test vehicle can autonomously brake to avoid crashes when crossing the path of an oncoming vehicle. GOOD performance was shown in AEB Head-On scenarios. ANCAP tests of lane support system functionality showed GOOD performance, including in the more critical emergency lane keeping test scenarios, with the overall Safety Assist score being 81%.
All new Kias come with a 7-Year Unlimited Kilometre Warranty and one year of complimentary Roadside Assist. The High Voltage Electrical Vehicle Systems Components have a seven year/150,000km warranty (whichever occurs first) against defects arising in materials or manufacture. Owners can renew their Roadside Assistance package yearly, for up to eight years, by simply returning their vehicle to an Authorised Kia Dealer for its annual scheduled service. For the EV3, service intervals are 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first, and a prepaid service plan can be purchased up front for three years ($688), five years ($1,308) or seven years ($1,929).
This is an excellent around town vehicle, ideal for the commute to work and school drop offs and makes a lot of sense for families looking to break away from the bowser. The Kia EV3 is available in eight exterior colours across the line-up, spanning Clear White, Snow White Pearl, Ivory Silver, Aurora Black Pearl, Shale Grey, Frost Blue, Matcha Green, and Terracotta ($550 for Premium Paint applies to all but Clear White). Pricing for the Kia EV3 GT-Line starts at $63,950 before on-road costs. You can Build & Order your new Kia EV3 on-line or visit your preferred Kia dealer for more information.
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| Pros | Cons |
| The best cooled seats of ANY vehicle I have ever reviewed | The driver attention warning system was a little annoying |
| Physical buttons for the climate controls | The light-coloured trim on areas frequently touched |
| Easily worked with my family’s lifestyle | The cargo cover has to be stored in the boot space when not in use |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.