2 hours ago
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All-wheel drive may not come to Kia's smallest electric car in Australia after all – nor its top-selling EV – amid concerns over a lack of demand, and where the latter is built.
Electric Cars
The Kia GT range of high-performance, all-wheel-drive electric cars may be limited to just two models in Australia – both priced in excess of $100,000 drive-away – cutting the small EV3 GT off from local showrooms.
The flagship EV3 GT was previously all but confirmed for Australia – alongside a second, less powerful dual-motor grade – but it now appears to be on the backburner, amid a lack of demand for all-wheel-drive small SUVs.
Also seemingly set to miss Australia are two other small- to mid-size Kia GT models, based on the new EV4 hatch/sedan and EV5 mid-size SUV.
It would leave Kia Australia with only two GT performance models – the EV6 and EV9 – both slated to be priced well over $100,000 drive-away in their latest forms, due in local showrooms next year.
"I think from a GT perspective, expect to see it in EV6 and EV9," Kia Australia general manager of product planning, Roland Rivero, told Drive.
Asked for an update on plans for all-wheel-drive EV3 models in Australia, Rivero said: "In terms of EV3, just monitoring that respective line-up, and even the mix, we're not seeing huge requests or demands for an all-wheel drive as yet, particularly for a small SUV.
"Small SUV sales are, to a large part, front-wheel drive or two-wheel drive anyway.
"We are looking into it, but at this point in time, there's no rush to add any more variants to EV3."
Part of the problem may come down to price, as the top-of-the-range, front-wheel-drive EV3 – the GT-Line – is already $68,490 drive-away in most states and territories.
Adding $10,000 for a GT performance grade – to cover the cost of the second motor, revised suspension, bigger brakes, and a flagship's higher profit margin – would make it a near-$80,000 proposition.
For similar money – about $85,000 drive-away – customers can get a Tesla Model 3 Performance sports sedan, with more than 400kW, a claimed zero to 100km/h acceleration time of 3.1 seconds, and more cabin space.
That said, the GT-Line has accounted for one in three EV3 sales so far this year, and is the second-best-selling grade when the base-model Air's choice of battery sizes – Standard Range and Long Range – are combined.
Technical details of the EV3 GT are yet to be confirmed, but it is understood Kia is targeting outputs of 250kW and 470Nm from dual electric motors and the GT-Line's 81.4kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery.
The result is set to be a zero to 100km/h acceleration time of less than six seconds, according to Kia's targets.
Previewed under a camouflage wrap in Europe, the EV4 GT is slated to transfer the EV3 GT's driveline into a hatchback body, with similar performance and sporty styling additions.
However, it is the hatchback body that could preclude it from Australia, as the five-door EV4 is built in Slovakia, and may prove prohibitively expensive to ship to local showrooms at a competitive price.
Meanwhile, UK publication Auto Express reports the EV5 GT will develop 225kW/480Nm from dual electric motors, for a 6.2-second zero to 100km/h acceleration time.
That is less powerful than the 230kW/480Nm EV5 GT-Line sold in Australia, which is built in China, unlike the Korean-produced GT destined for the European market.
A 195kW all-wheel-drive version – likely to be available in GT-Line trim – is also produced in South Korea for Europe, so would not be in line for Australia.
It will leave the local Kia GT line-up with the EV6, due to be updated early next year with a price similar to the current model's $99,590 plus on-road costs, as well as the EV9, due sometime next year with a circa-$130,000 price.
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
