- The 2027 Kia EV3 is getting closer to its market launch here in the U.S.
- Kia’s affordable electric compact crossover went through the EPA’s range tests.
- The new EV3 is expected to go on sale this summer, with pricing rumored to start from $35,000.
We’ve been eagerly waiting for the Kia EV3 to come stateside ever since our former editor-in-chief, Patrick George, drove one in South Korea back in 2024. After a relatively brief stint behind the wheel of Kia’s electric compact crossover, he summarized the whole experience in the headline: “An Affordable Electric Breakthrough.”
Well, the 2027 Kia EV3 is closer than ever to hitting American showrooms, with the automaker saying that the launch will happen this summer. And to prove that the car isn’t yet another casualty of the ongoing EV schism that has led to the cancellation or delay of multiple models, the EPA has published the official range ratings for all of the EV3’s powertrain variants.
Photo by: Kia
The base model, which is powered by a 58.3-kilowatt-hour battery and has a front-mounted electric motor, has an EPA-estimated 221 miles of range. That’s one mile more than Kia’s original estimate for the front-wheel-drive Standard Range model.
The longest-range model can go 321 miles on a full charge, according to the EPA, courtesy of a larger-capacity, 81.4 kWh battery. This model is also front-wheel drive, and its official range is also one mile longer than the original estimate.
Then, there’s there are the all-wheel drive models, for which Kia didn’t provide range estimates. Now, though, the EPA says both the EV3 Long Range AWD and the sportier EV3 Long Range GT are good for 280 miles on a full charge. They’re powered by the same 81.4 kWh pack as their single-motor sibling, but have more power and more traction.
The front-wheel drive trims are expected to offer 201 horsepower (150 kilowatts), while the regular dual-motor version puts down 261 hp (195 kW). The top-spec GT, meanwhile, should deliver 288 hp (215 kW) and a 0-to-60 miles per hour sprint in 5.4 seconds.
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Source: Kia
All 2027 Kia EV3s come with a native NACS charge port on the front-right fender, allowing owners to top up at compatible Tesla Superchargers and other NACS-equipped DC fast chargers without needing an adapter. The EV3 is based on Hyundai Motor Group’s E-GMP architecture that underpins fast-charging models like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV9, but unlike its bigger relatives, which are rated at roughly 800 volts, the EV3 slots into the 400-volt class.
As a result, charging from 10% to 80% takes roughly half an hour, whereas Hyundai advertises a 20-minute time for the Ioniq 5. Specifically, the EV3 Light with the small battery needs 29 minutes to go from 10% to 80, while the EV3 Wind with the larger battery needs 31 minutes.
Both battery versions of the EV3 use nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) chemistry. Vehicle-to-load (V2L), Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto are part of the features list, along with 27 collision avoidance and driver assistance features.
Kia hasn’t announced pricing for the 2027 EV3 yet, but rumors suggest it will start from roughly $35,000. That’s about $5,000 more than the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Bolt, so it will be interesting to see how Kia positions its new entry-level EV here in the U.S.