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| Expert Rating: 7/10 | Quick Specs | |
| Cars.com says: The 2027 Kia EV3 finally makes it to our shores and quickly proves itself one of the most well-rounded electric vehicles in its class. | Test vehicle: | 2027 Kia EV3 |
| Base price (including destination): | $31,385 | |
| Horsepower: | 201-288 hp | |
| EPA-estimated range: | 221-321 miles | |
| All-wheel drive? | Available | |
Let’s start this review strong: If you’re in the market for an all-electric compact SUV, the new 2027 Kia EV3 is the clear choice. Not that you’re exactly spoiled with variety here, considering the segment comprises just the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt, Nissan Leaf, Toyota C-HR and Subaru Uncharted.
Related: See 2027 Kia EV3 Inventory Near Me
Good, solid EVs one and all, but Kia’s freshest is roundly the best pick when considering affordability, range, packaging and driving experience. It also offers one of the segment’s most well-rounded model lineups, with enough trims and packages to please budgets of a pauper to those of a prince — or even middle management.
Expert Rating: 7/10
- Powertrain: 7/10
- Ride quality: 7/10
- Driver comfort: 7/10
- Passenger comfort: 7/10
- Interior quality: 7/10
- User interface: 8/10
- Cargo space: 7/10
- Value: 8/10
- Overall appeal: 6/10
- Driving range: 7/10
- Charging speed: 6/10
- Efficiency: 7/10
Let’s break it down — here are four things I dug about the 2027 Kia EV3 and three things I didn’t.
What Do We Like About the 2027 Kia EV3?
1. Well-Rounded Lineup
The EV3’s got range. Well, it being an EV, sure — but I mean it offers variety. There are five distinct trims to choose from and three powertrain configurations, with a mighty $16,000 spread between the least and most expensive. I suspect most will fall for the one-from-bottom Wind and its bigger battery or the kitted-out GT-Line that’s second only to the performance-focused GT.
Efficient transportation first, luxuries second. Few will likely stick with the base, base Light trim, as Kia clearly went to great lengths to deliver it at its $31,385 starting price (all prices include destination). Dual-zone automatic climate control, heated side mirrors, rear passenger vents, and twin 12.3-inch displays for infotainment and the driver’s cluster are the only niceties, with even the next-up $36,485 Wind trim primarily sticking to drivetrain upgrades with heated front seats and a power-adjustable driver’s seat as its primary creature-comfort additions.
Meanwhile, my $45,000-ish GT-Line test car dripped with coddling tech like ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a Harman Kardon sound system, a moonroof and wireless device charging, among others.
2. Usable Range
All but the base EV3 Light trim feature the larger 81.4-kilowatt-hour battery pack that gets between an EPA-rated 280 and 321 miles of range, depending on drivetrain, while the 58.3-kWh single-motor Light is (officially) out of juice after 221 miles. Not stunning figures, but enough to be both competitive and genuinely usable in most urban-to-exurban environments.
With 321 miles of range, the single-motor, front-wheel-drive EV3 with the big battery packs the best range in the segment, ahead of the runner-up Uncharted and its 308-mile rating.
| Vehicle | Range (Miles) | Battery Size (kWh) |
| 2027 Kia EV3 | 221-321 | 58.3-81.4 |
| 2027 Chevrolet Bolt | 262 | 65 |
| 2026 Nissan Leaf | 259-303 | 75 |
| 2027 Toyota C-HR | 273-287 | 74.7 |
| 2027 Subaru Uncharted | 273-308 | 74.7 |
3. Comforting Conventionality
I like a quirky EV, but I generally prefer those that operate and present as a standard vehicle with all the undeniable benefits of an electric drivetrain. It’s one of the reasons we dig Hyundai’s and Kia’s EV efforts, as they offer electric crossovers that are easy to get accustomed to.
In the EV3, there’s nothing remarkably different in interior packaging from the all-new gas-powered Kia Seltos aside from shedding the latter’s internal-combustion accoutrement like transmission tunnel and gear selector. And once you’re in motion, you’ll note scaled-down similarities to other EVs from Kia and Hyundai; the EV3 drives like the Kia EV6 drives like the Kia EV9 drives like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 drives like the Hyundai Ioniq 6. It’s familiar, approachable and is an excellent choice for a first-ever EV, especially for someone on a budget.
4. Composed, Quiet, Comfortable
Kia held the media launch of the U.S.-spec EV3 in and outside Victoria, British Columbia, where I pushed the unassuming compact SUV some 100 miles deep into the wilds of Vancouver Island. The route wound through a paved logging road for some 35 miles, a cut of rain-slicked tarmac smeared through the center of thick, impenetrable woods.
Vancouver Island’s winters are mild by Canadian standards, but surprise dips and bucking frost heaves threaten to send unprepared leadfoots either into the trees or to the alignment shop. Things are refreshingly less dramatic in the EV3; excellent chassis tuning admirably muffled these imperfections and undulations far better than expected.
When not shaking fillings loose and testing the limits of suspension travel, the smooth, speedy sections revealed impressive powertrain tuning. Even after an extended stint in the 261-hp, dual-motor AWD GT-Line, the 201-hp, single-motor EV3 demonstrated acceleration that was more than strong enough for merging and passing, let alone hauling folks and fodder.
What Do We Dislike About the 2027 Kia EV3?
1. Funky Drive Selector
Now, we’ve had a few model years to acclimate to Hyundai/Kia’s twist-actuation column drive selector, but there were a handful of times where brake pressure wasn’t firm enough or accelerator engagement occurred too soon to engage the desired drive setting, effectively “stalling” us until we quickly tried again.
Hardly the con-est con, but I wouldn’t bet on the EV3 winning any three-point-turn speed competitions.
2. Base Range
I’m generally a big fan of the EV3’s bargain basement pricing, but it sure makes you “pay” to not pay. Its 221 miles of base range is just this side of passable.
3. Laughable Frunk
Look, I love a frunk. It’s one of my favorite things about the Porsche 911 — it’s all your stuff, just in front of you! What a concept. I’m too often disappointed when a new EV doesn’t offer said frontal storage, but really? A 0.9-cubic-foot tray, Kia? Less than a cubic foot of volume? That’s roughly the capacity of a 25-liter hiking daypack, and I nearly ran out of PB&Js on my last alpine summit. I would rather have it than not, but that’s some silly frunkage.
How Does the 2027 Kia EV3 Compare to the 2026 Kia Niro EV?
The 2026 model year is the final one for the Kia Niro EV, and this presents a brief, odd overlap between the models. As Kia offers the Niro EV only with a relatively healthy standard feature set (and it exists from a different era of EV lineup strategy), the base EV3 undercuts the base Niro EV by a whopping $9,810.
So, it’s less about which you should buy and more about what you’re gaining (or losing) with the EV3. As it turns out, the Niro is a step longer than the new crossover, and it has a bit better standard range and a larger standard battery. Of course, the single-motor EV3 Wind and its 321 miles of range is $4,710 less than the base Niro EV, so you’re better off with Kia’s latest. Don’t get too tripped up on the dimensional differences, either; the EV3 does more with less, offering generally more cargo space with its underfloor rear cargo storage area and an expectedly spacious luggage area with the second row folded.
| 2027 Kia EV3 | 2026 Kia Niro EV | |
| Pricing | $31,385-$47,385 | $41,195-$46,195 |
| Range (miles) | 221-321 | 253 |
| Battery size (kWh) | 58.3-81.4 | 64.8 |
| Horsepower | 201-288 | 201 |
| Length (inches) | 169.3-169.7 | 174 |
| Width (inches) | 72.8 | 71.9 |
| Height (inches) | 62-63 | 61.8 |
| Available AWD? | Yes | No |
2027 Kia EV3 Versus the Competition
Looking at the segment, the EV3 is top of the class for its max range, but its least long-legged variant lags. Check out that pricing spread below, too! It’s important to note both the C-HR and Uncharted arrive generally better equipped than the base EV3, with features absolutely more comparable as the price gap between models narrows with uplevel EV3 grades.
| 2027 Kia EV3 | 2027 Chevrolet Bolt | 2026 Nissan Leaf | 2027 Toyota C-HR | 2027 Subaru Uncharted | |
| Starting Pricing | $31,385-$47,385 | $28,995-$32,995 | $31,565-$40,565 | $38,675-$40,675 | $36,470-$45,270 |
| Battery size (kWh) | 58.3-81.4 | 65 | 75 | 74.7 | 74.7 |
| Range (miles) | 221-321 | 262 | 259-303 | 273-287 | 273-308 |
| Horsepower | 201-288 | 210 | 214 | 338 | 221-338 |
| AWD available? | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Official 10%-80% charge time (minutes) | 29-31 | 25 | 35 | ~30 | 28 |
| Cargo, seats up (cubic feet) | 26.1 | 16.2 | 20 | 25.3 | 23 |
| Cargo, seats folded (cubic feet) | 56.5 | 56.3 | 55.5 | 59.5 | 59.5 |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- What’s the 2027 Kia EV3’s price? Depending on trim, the EV3 spans a range of $31,385 to $47,385, including destination fee.
- How far does it go? It is rated for 221 to 321 miles, depending on trim and drivetrain, with the single-motor, FWD versions with the 81.4-kWh battery offering the max range.
- How fast does it charge? The EV3 can DC fast-charge from 10%-80% in as little as 29 minutes, according to Kia.
- Is it available now? The 2027 EV3 is in production and on sale now.
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More Kia EV3 News From Cars.com:
- How Much Is the 2027 Kia EV3?
- Up Close With the All-New 2027 Kia EV3: Remarkably Comfortable
- Kia Introduces Entry-Level EV3 Electric SUV With Up to 320 Miles of Range
- The 2025 Kia EV3 Won World Car of the Year, But What Is It?
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