2027 Kia EV3 First Look: EV9-Inspired Design, Up to 320 Miles of Range

Kia’s been on an EV tear lately, and it’s not stopping with the EV6 and EV9. First shown as a design preview in Europe two years ago, the all-new 2027 Kia EV3 is finally set to arrive at Kia’s U.S. dealerships late this year. For a market that’s relatively starved for small and (hopefully) affordable EVs, this is (potentially) a big deal!

We first laid eyes on two EV3 concept vehicles at Italy’s Milan Design Week back in 2024, where we got up close and personal with the base (known here as the Light) and GT-Line models. After seeing the production vehicles, unveiled Wednesday, April 1, at the 2026 New York International Auto Show, we now know those concepts were basically production-ready from a styling standpoint. Plus, we finally have some detailed technical specs to share.

The Good: Design Is Unchanged

As soon as the three-row electric EV9 made its debut, we had a feeling that its looks were going to be too good not to share, and the EV3 is the first new Kia to mimic its style and proportions. Predictably, it translates well to the far smaller EV3. Rolling on a surprisingly long wheelbase with short overhangs, the spunky new Kia is sized between a subcompact and a compact SUV and occupies a footprint similar to that of the Ford Bronco Sport.

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Kia’s head of global design, Karim Habib, told us that the EV3 is a crossover in its overall concept, but he and his team wanted to do something more geometric. As such, there are a lot of upright lines designed to help provide visual bulk. It all works and results in a fun little package that presents visually as bigger than it is.

The EV3’s ground clearance isn’t as high as, say, a Subaru Crosstrek, but Kia says this is to improve its aerodynamic flow and therefore efficiency. The EV3 uses a full underbody cover, an active air flap integrated into the front bumper, lightweight body materials, and aerodynamic wheels. The resulting drag coefficient is 0.275 Cd—slightly higher than the 2026 Nissan Leaf’s 0.26 Cd.

Either 17- or 19-inch alloy wheels will be offered wrapped in all-season tires. Above the Light, Wind, and Land base trims sit the GT-Line and GT grades that offer some extra visual dressing. For example, the GT gets green brake caliper covers to match its other exterior features, unique 19-inch wheels, and neon green accents in the cabin. Kia will also introduce a Nightfall package, which, if you’re familiar with Kia parlance, means a black appearance package for certain grades.

We’re not super sold on the EV3’s floating roof design, as it feels like a trend from 2015, but, overall, we find it to be a very modern and cool take for the subcompact segment. It’s especially striking when viewed in profile, where you can really see how close to the corners the wheels have been pushed and how long its doors truly are.

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An Airy Interior

As its boxy, upright exterior suggests, the cabin of the 2027 EV3 is spacious and offers abundant headroom. The flat floors mean you have more freedom to spread out, despite Kia admitting that it raised the passenger floor height to accommodate its battery and electronics packaging. There’s an open layout for the driver and front passenger, and the retractable cupholders in the center console offer some storage flexibility.

The panoramic display consisting of dual 12.3-inch screens from the EV9 appears in the EV3, as do physical buttons and knobs for volume and climate controls. It’s all powered by Kia’s ccNC operating system, which is further augmented by an AI voice assistant.

GT-Line models get off-white two-tone seats, metal pedals, and a three-spoke steering wheel. GT models receive sporty front bucket seats, along with seatbelts, a steering wheel, and interior trim highlighted with neon green accents.

Dual-zone climate control for front passengers is standard, while heated and ventilated front seats are optional. Back passengers get climate vents of their own, as well as reclining seat backs of up to 39 degrees. Other features such as a head-up display, 360-degree camera, and multicolor ambient lighting are nice to have, especially in this segment.

Storage options include a tiny front trunk and a reasonably sized rear cargo space that has a two-step floor that can be repositioned for extra room or to hide items below. This feature—while not revolutionary to car design—is not widely implemented but always handy.

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Two Battery Sizes

Riding on the Hyundai Group’s versatile, 400-volt E-GMP EV platform, the EV3 comes with two battery options. The first is the standard 58.3-kWh battery for Light-grade cars that will only power the front wheels. It’ll reportedly produce a Kia-estimated 220 miles of range.

The second is the bigger and longer-range 81.4-kWh battery for Wind, Land, GT-Line, and GT cars—up from the 77.4-kWh battery found in recent Hyundai/Kia models. The bigger battery powers the EV3’s dual-motor, all-wheel-drive GT-Line and GT models (AWD is optional on Wind and Land), and allows for up to 320 miles of range for front-wheel-drive only variants, per Kia’s estimates.

Overall power and torque figures weren't provided at this time, but Kia says the GT will make 288 hp, up from the 261 hp of other AWD EV3 models. DC fast-charging rates are pegged at 29 minutes from 10 to 80 percent charge for the 58.3-kWh battery and 31 minutes for the 81.4-kWh battery.

The EV3 will also be the first Kia production car to use the automaker’s new i-Pedal 3.0 tech that lets you change the aggressiveness of the regenerative braking during one-pedal driving and while reversing as well. You’ll be able to bring the car to a complete stop while using it. And (bonus!) there’s a memory function that keeps the pedal setting at the last one used when you turn the car back on.

Kia also claims Vehicle to Load, or V2L, capabilities that will allow for the powering up of small electrical appliances like “a coffee machine or hairdryer” when the car is parked.

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EV3 Competitors and Price?

When it comes to market late this year, the EV3 will compete with the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Bolt EV. But seeing as the Bolt has only one year left to live, the real competitor will be the Leaf, which is also brand-new and in its third generation.

No pricing accompanied Wednesday’s announcement, but in the past, Kia spoke about a target price range in the U.S. of between $35,000 and $50,000. We’ll see if it’s able to stick to that target, what with the new tariffs. Two years ago, the goal was to sell up to 80,000 units a year in the U.S. alongside the Niro. But as of this writing, the Niro EV has been discontinued, leaving the EV3 as Kia’s only small EV SUV. That number seems mighty ambitious at this point.

Having said that, there are already toomanytoo-expensiveEVs but not enough small and affordable ones, so it’s a segment that definitely needs broadening. Kia was the first to bring a non-luxury three-row EV to market with the EV9. It’s on track to perform a similar trick at the other end of the EV spectrum with the EV3.

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