7 hours ago
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Kia's smallest electric car yet in Australia is around the corner, with an RRP that could start with a four.
Electric Cars
Order books are due to open for the 2025 Kia EV3 electric small SUV this week – and it could be considerably cheaper than the larger Chinese-made EV5.
Kia Australia general manager of product planning Roland Rivero told Drive the EV3 "will be positioned below EV5."
Asked how far below the EV5 – which starts from $56,770, both before on-road costs and drive-away – it could be priced, he said: "As you would expect it to be when you're comparing a small SUV relative to a medium SUV."
There is a $4000 to $5000 difference between equivalent variants of Kia's petrol-powered small and mid-size SUVs, the Seltos and Sportage.
Given the base EV3 is expected to use a smaller battery than the cheapest EV5 – 58.3kWh vs 64.2kWh – and to sit closer to the positioning of its competitors, the EV3's entry price could slide below the $50,000 mark in a local Kia electric-car first.
It would be dearer than key Chinese rivals – such as the BYD Atto 3 Premium ($44,990 plus on-roads) – but cheaper than the Hyundai Kona Electric ($54,000 plus on-roads).
Unlike the Kona Electric – which shares its underpinnings with petrol and hybrid versions – the EV3 is based on a version of the Hyundai-Kia group's E-GMP electric-vehicle platform.
It has been switched front-wheel drive from rear-wheel drive, and runs its battery at closer to 400 volts, not 800V, to save cost.
Australian government documents point to three model grades – the entry-level Air Standard Range, mid-grade Earth Long Range, and flagship GT-Line Long Range.
It is a strategy that would mirror other Kia models – such as the EV5 and EV9 – with front-wheel drive and a 150kW electric motor across the range.
In Europe, the smaller 58.3kWh battery is rated to deliver 414km to 436km of driving range in WLTP lab testing, depending on specification, while the larger 81.4kWh battery ups the official estimate to between 563km and 605km.
Electric Cars Guide
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
