Kia has unveiled the US version of its EV3 small SUV, which has been selling like gangbusters overseas and will come to the American market by the end of this year.
The EV3 has been super popular in global markets since its debut in 2024, becoming a best-seller in some countries.
But as is often the case, the US has so far been deprived of this cool EV. Thankfully, that’s about to end.
The Kia EV3 made its North American debut at the New York Auto Show this morning, with Kia announcing it will bring its most affordable EV to the US.
The EV3 shares several design cues with the big, boxy three-row EV9, but in a much more right-sized package. At 169 inches long, its a full 28 inches shorter than its big sibling.
That translates into more parkability, more efficiency, and a much lower cost. While we don’t yet know the US price, the EV3 starts at around £27k in the UK (before taxes), equivalent to ~$35.5k USD. So this could end up being one of the more affordable EVs in the US.
But that small size and price doesn’t mean it has to skimp on capability. Thanks to Kia/Hyundai’s E-GMP platform, the EV3 is capable of quick DC charging (with Plug & Charge support), though not quite as quick as its speed-demon sibling the EV6 since the EV3 uses a 400V system, rather than an 800V one.
The EV3 can fill its battery from 10-80% in around 30 minutes, which isn’t the fastest charge ever, but is still quick enough for a quick food-and-restroom stop, and competitive with other EVs in this price range.
How much range you’ll get in that amount of time depends on if you get the smaller 58.3kWh, 220-mile battery or the larger, 320-mile 81.4kWh one.
Like most of Kia’s other EVs, that charging happens through a native NACS port. Kia’s EV6 and EV9 have both transitioned to coming with a native NACS inlet, and the EV3 will debut with one as well. The last holdout is the Niro EV, which still has a CCS inlet.
The EV3 can also use its NACS port to output power, with similar V2L capability as other Kia vehicles, which is on par with the best out there. The car can also be used to power your home, with the purchase of a Wallbox Quasar 2 bidirectional charger, again much like Kia’s other EVs (though between the charger unit and installation cost, that will probably cost another ~$10k… at which point, you might as well install a dedicated home battery).
We haven’t driven the US-spec EV3 yet, but the base model comes with 261hp, which is nothing particularly special when it comes to the absurd horsepower numbers on today’s EVs, but in a normal world is plenty to get you around and feel peppy while doing so. It’s more than the 201hp of the EU-spec 2025 EV3 which we drove, and came out thinking it should come to America.
An additional GT trim level bumps that up to 288hp, and includes fake gear shifts and engine noises if you want to engage boy racer mode (we expect normal people will keep this turned off 99% of the time).
Kia says the EV3 is available with “unexpected segment-up features” that you might not otherwise see on entry-level vehicles, like a heads up display, 360º surround-view monitor, and ambient mood lighting.
But more notable is one of my favorite features: Digital Key 2.0, which is Kia’s version of “phone-as-key.” This is something I’ve loved ever since I started using it on the Tesla Model 3 way back in 2017, and am thrilled that it’s finally coming to more vehicles. You can still use a key if you want, but why carry another thing in your pocket when you don’t have to?
EV3 coming to US after EV4 was ‘delayed indefinitely’
It wasn’t certain that the EV3 would come to the US. Kia first showed its EV3 and EV4 concepts in the US at the 2023 LA Auto Show. At the time, it seemed like both would come to the US.
But then in October, Kia indefinitely delayed the EV4 in the US – which is something we’ve heard before for other cars, which later results in a full-on cancellation. So we have little faith that the EV4 would come, and were worried that the EV3 would be on the chopping block as well.
Technically, I suppose it could still turn out that way for the EV3. After all, it shared the stage with the EV4, and the EV4 isn’t coming. But, we’re only about 6-9 months out from Kia’s target date for US availability, and given the announcement is coming that close to the car hitting the road, Kia must be confident that it’s actually bringing the car here this time.
Or alternately, maybe this is a signal that we might get the EV4, eventually, after all…. ? (ok, I’m sorry, I forgot, America will do literally anything before selling one single actual car, I’ll go back into my hole now)
An affordable EV for the US, right when others are being taken away
And it’s coming at a good time, too. America needs affordable vehicles right now, and especially needs affordable electric vehicles, after republicans inflated the price of every EV by $7,500 and are also working to raise gas prices and energy prices overall in more ways than one.
That assault on affordability has resulted in many companies canceling or pushing back EV plans, instead focusing on expensive, dirty gas vehicles, which has also resulted in American EV manufacturing jobs going overseas.
Among these EVs the US is being deprived of are the 166-inch Volvo EX30, which was recently canceled in America. That’s a car with a very similar look and form factor to the EV3, and its cancelation was puzzling to us – so it’s nice to see Kia picking up the ball that Volvo dropped.
There’s also the 169-inch refreshed Chevy Bolt, which was brought back only for a limited time and will be retired at the end of the 2027 model year to make way for some gas-guzzling Buick.
Into this affordability gap now steps the Kia EV3, a small, boxy EV – similar in form to the outgoing EX30, and in length to the not-long-for-this-world Bolt – at a pretty reasonable price. There’s still the 4-inch-longer Nissan Leaf at $30k, and the much larger Equinox at $35k, but the EV3 is a nice addition and the smallest of these three, giving America access to the small, affordable EV it so sorely needs – whether the country realizes it or not.
The EV3 isn’t available yet, but if you’re looking for a similar affordable, small electric vehicle to tide yourself over until the end of the year, you can use our links to reach out to your local dealers about the 2026 Volvo EX30 or 2027 Chevy Bolt, both of which are available now, but for a limited time. Or the Nissan Leaf, which thankfully seems like it’s not going anywhere.
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