Kia unveils EV3 small SUV concept car

• New small electric SUV unveiled
• Dimenions roughly similar to the current Sportage
• Minimalist interior uses recycled and sustainable materials

Kia has unveiled a new concept car that shows what its next compact SUV could look like.

Named the EV3 Concept, the car will expand the firm’s stable of EV-badged all-electric cars when it arrives on the UK market, which is expected to happen sometime in 2024.

New Kia EV5 electric SUV will come to the UK after all

With dimensions roughly similar to those of the Kia Sportage, the EV3 appears rather more chunky and aggressive in its appearance. In keeping with Kia’s other recent electric SUV additions such as the EV9 and EV5, the EV3 uses similar angular visual themes, in a continuation of the firm’s current design language.

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In particular, the LED headlights are similar to those on the EV5, albeit without the light bar that runs the full width of the bonnet to connect them. The large, chunky wheel arches give the car a certain squat ruggedness, which is then tempered by the sleekness of the roofline: the windscreen is steeply raked, but the roofline then tapers down towards the back of the car, and darkened segments on the rear pillars also give the roof a ‘floating’ effect. The rear lights that extend down the sides of the car also serve to accentuate the car’s width.

The interior, meanwhile, takes on an extremely minimalist approach similar to that seen in the earlier EV9 concept. The oval-shaped steering wheel sits in front of a large twin-screen digital infotainment display, with very little else in the way of physical features on the fabric-trimmed dashboard. A floating centre console separates the driver and the front passenger, while the rear seats can be folded upwards cinema-style to help with carrying large items like electric scooters or bicycles, according to Kia. The company also says that recycled and sustainable materials will feature heavily in the construction of the interior.

There are no technical details as yet, but we’d expect the EV3 to be built on the same E-GMP platform that underpins the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5, among several others. That should mean battery sizes of either 58kWh or 77kWh, for a maximum range of over 300 miles. We would also expect a choice of single-motor and twin-motor four-wheel drive powertrains.

Read our news on the Kia EV4 concept and EV5, along with our in-depth review of the Kia EV9 SUV