The first-ever Kia EV3 all-electric crossover slots in as the most affordable model in Kia’s lineup of electric crossovers, with prices starting at 39.95 million won (around $33,000). While it is the most affordable of Kia’s electric crossovers, it’s still not cheap. After factoring in additional costs like taxes and registration, the price of an EV3 will likely be closer to $40,000. That’s still a solid value for an all-electric crossover from a reputable automaker.
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| 2025 Kia EV3 |
A concept turned reality, the EV3 takes over the void left by the Soul when it was gutted off from the lineup three years ago, moments after the new Kia logo's unveiling.
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| 2025 Kia EV3 |
The EV3 is a concept car turned reality. It fills the gap left by the Soul crossover, which was discontinued three years ago. The EV3 has nearly identical styling to the concept car it was inspired by, and it's sized like the defunct Soul. This compact size makes it easy to live with, though it's obviously also a "mini-me" EV9. The cubic-styled wheel designs add a nice touch and give the vehicle a distinctive and futuristic look. It looks like something straight out of Tetris.
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| 2025 Kia EV3 interior |
The Kia EV3 also features a minimalist interior. The materials used to construct the cabin are also recycled. It’s a great look that makes sense for an electric vehicle. Plus, you’ll feel good about reducing waste every time you get behind the wheel.
While drivers are greeted by its 30-inch screen on the driver's side with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, and a five-inch air-conditioning touch panel, there's one annoying feature that will ruin someone from his or her sweet spot; the Kia EV-first AI assistant that works just like the Amazon Alexa nonsense.
Of course, being a five-seater crossover, the EV3's rear seats can be folded down for added space. It even comes with a rear hidden compartment to store some more. Having a compact crossover with a 25-litre frunk and a 460-litre boot really means business, especially if it's a Kia.
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| 2025 Kia EV3 |
Built on the Hyundai Motor Group's E-GMP, the EV3's electric powertrain runs on a 400V architecture and an 81.4-kWh NMC battery for the Long Range variant while Standard Range variants run on a 58.3-kWh NMC battery. Both variants run on a front-mounted electric motor that produces 204PS of power and 283Nm of torque. It does 0-100kph in 7.5 seconds and a top speed of 170 km/h. Fair enough.
The Long Range variant is good for up to 501km of driving range in one full charge and it will take around 30 minutes to reach from 10% to 80% while charging at a public charging station.
Being front-wheel-drive only, the EV3 features eDTVC for better traction for moderate reasons. It even comes with the new i-Pedal 3.0 regenerative braking with one-pedal operation just like the Nissan Leaf. As for safety, the EV3 is prepped with notable features such as Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Highway Driving Assist, Reverse Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist, and Remote Smart Parking Assist, among others.
The Kia EV3 crossover is the baby of the Kia EV lineup. There's also the recently facelifted EV6 and the king-sized EV9. The EV3 looks like the concept car it was inspired by, and it's sized like the discontinued Soul crossover. It's a compact size that's easy to handle in the city. I'm not sure how I feel about the AI assistant. It's kind of annoying and might be hard for people to fall asleep in the back seat.
However, if you find the Kia EV3 too expensive or too annoying because of the AI assistant injected inside, there is a cheaper and simpler alternative: the Hyundai Casper Electric.
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| 2025 Hyundai Casper Electric |
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| 2025 Hyundai Casper Electric interior |
Priced at 31,493,670 Korean Won plus additional costs, the simple-looking Casper Electric brings everything Koreans loved about the Casper, now with the all-electric powertrain to back it up.
Although it looks and feels just like its petrol-powered equivalent, the Casper Electric features specifically-made front lamps, tail lights, and a new interior featuring a new digital instrumental cluster and touchscreen that are longer than the one from the normal Casper. Asked about the boot space, it's good for up to 351 liters with the rear seats folded down. It's offered only in one variant with five seats.
Bolted to a front-mounted electric motor and a 49 kWh battery, the Casper Electric produces 115PS of power and 147Nm of torque. It does 0-100kph in 10.7 seconds and a top speed of 150kph. As for driving range, it's good for up to 315km on one full charge.
The Casper Electric features a wide array of safety techs such as lane keeping assist, lane following assist, blind spot collision avoidance assist, forward collision-avoidance assist 1.5, and parking collision avoidance assist rear. It even comes with rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist, safety exit warning, smart cruise control with stop-and-go, highway driving assist 1.5 (HDA 1.5), intelligent speed limit assist, driver attention warning, high beam assist, leading vehicle departure alert, and rear occupant alert.
To sum things up, the Kia EV3 is the more expensive and feature-rich of the two, and it's also a larger car. The Hyundai Casper Electric, on the other hand, is more affordable and simpler. Both are fun to drive, but I would recommend the Casper Electric to people who are on a budget or who don't need all the bells and whistles.
The more you know...
Photo: Kia, Hyundai
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