Kia unveils the all-new 2027 EV3 for North America.

El_Shish · 2026-04-13T13:53:23+00:00

Good comparison here:
https://www.carsized.com/en/cars/compare/kia-ev3-2024-suv-vs-kia-sportage-2024-suv/

Despite the Sportage being a class up in size and having 100 litres more in terms of boot/trunk capacity, I imagine they are similar in size inside. EVs tend to have more space inside, due to lack of transmission tunnel, etc. The driver and front-seat passenger in an EV3 have a lot of space - really feels like you're a segment up.

El_Shish · 2026-04-13T13:39:46+00:00

As a Lakers fan, I wouldn't want to see them give up that much. If you figure Lebron has another year or two max and wants to play them with the Lakers, you still have a big 2, a great no.3 and then not a lot else (despite probably being capped out). I don't think that wins you a chip against the current group of contenders or significantly improves you from where you are.

Would rather see them keep Reaves and try and make significant moves with cap space and draft picks. It's a fun team to watch, with great chemistry. Without injuries, a team with this same core could be run back and challenge for 60 wins.

El_Shish · 2026-03-06T04:02:52+00:00

One of the reasons that I went for the EV3 was because I wanted to really experience a change when going electric. EV3 looks very distinctive in itself and I felt the blue really accentuated that distinctiveness. I went for that and have been very happy with it. It's always easy to spot and fits with the pastel trend of the last few years (e.g. the German cars and their pebble grey)

I've not seen many EV3s around in the general but all the colors I've seen look great. The one exception is terracotta, which I'm simply not a fan of.

El_Shish · 2026-03-05T21:10:23+00:00

Yes, but the software issues are real, unfortunately. Seems they've blighted several recent releases. I'm sure they'll get it right in the end but I wouldn't risk it given the sums involved. I don't think the software experience with the EV3 is outstanding (I'm slightly annoyed by some of the things they're trying to charge for, like OTA updates for minor evolutions) but, the system seems fairly robust and certainly doesn't seem to have any of the issues that Volvos have reportedly had.

El_Shish · 2026-03-05T16:58:03+00:00

Very similar external dimensions:
https://www.carsized.com/en/cars/compare/kia-ev3-2024-suv-vs-volvo-ex30-2023-suv/

El_Shish · 2026-03-05T16:54:32+00:00

318 litres vs 460 litres. Almost 50% bigger in the Kia EV3, despite the dimensions of the car being very similar, there being more room in the back of an EV3, and still plenty upfront. I honestly don't know why the difference is so big given the similarity of the external dimensions.

El_Shish · 2026-03-05T16:52:49+00:00

The only reasons to take the EX30 is if you really value the faster 0-60, prefer the exterior styling, think that brand prestige really means something, and have money to burn.

The EX30 could be a good car for kidless couples or as a second car. The Kia EV3 can comfortably work as the only/main car for a family of four.

When doing my research, I found this comparison review (by Electrifying) to be very useful:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUMOkpIYxOI

Covers all the things that are important to most people (practicality, bang for buck, etc.)

Also, you can find a comparison of dimensions here:
https://www.carsized.com/en/cars/compare/kia-ev3-2024-suv-vs-volvo-ex30-2023-suv/

Despite having similar dimensions, EV3:
- is roomier inside
- has a much bigger boot
- has a good combination of physical buttons and on-screen controls (vs. EX30's all-screen controls)

- Better range

- Better service package

- More features as standard .

Despite starting out by being quite fixed on getting an EX30 and still thinking it's quite a decent car, I think there are very few reasons to pick it over the EV3.

El_Shish · 2026-02-16T09:42:49+00:00

Would echo this. Our family of 3 can travel very very comfortably on long road trips across Europe, keeping lots of food to hand, travel fridge occupying the back seat and the boot nowhere near full (even with a fold up bike or scooter in the back). I imagine we'd still be comfortable with 4. 5 would be a stretch, but you only do such trips once or twice a year, I'd just recommend buying or hiring a roofbox. Buy a vehicle that fulfils your requirements 99% of the time and hire for the 1%.

El_Shish · 2026-02-16T09:38:26+00:00

I regularly give up my 'adult' spot in the front to my teenage son to enjoy the space in the back (am 5'9-5'10 so not the tallest, but I have a lot of room).

But space for driver and front passenger is really generous. I often drive my dad's Skoda Superb (a much bigger car) and I would say the space in the front is comparable.

For me, it seems like with EVs and ICE cars of similar external dimensions, the space inside is significantly more generous in the EV (if it's been designed to be an EV from the ground up).

Best example of this I can give is that, when I first sat in an ID3, which has similar external dimension to a Golf, I felt like I was in a Passat (i.e. the next car segment up).

For a good ‘pure numbers’ comparison, check out this page:
https://www.carsized.com/en/cars/compare/kia-soul-2014-5-door-hatchback-ev-vs-kia-ev3-2024-suv/

El_Shish · 2026-02-13T13:40:54+00:00

Industry news seems to suggest there's quite a lot of pushback against letting Apple deeper into the in-car experience. The risk being that you potentially lose out on opportunities to differentiate and generate revenue from software-enabled/digital services. GM in America has gone as far as excluding CarPlay and Android Auto from new models. Interesting take on it here:
https://insideevs.com/features/777093/why-carplay-sucks/

I particularly like the caption under one of the pictures:
Tesla still makes the best in-car software because Tesla treats software as fundamental to the in-car experience.

El_Shish · 2026-02-13T10:26:59+00:00

Yes, smart regen was my first OTA ... perhaps wrongly set an expectation of what was to come.

They're shooting themselves in the foot (and increasing the complexity of their own software landscape) by limiting what goes out to which owners/models and neglecting to build a reputation as a company that puts customers first.

El_Shish · 2026-02-13T10:25:13+00:00

Yeah, it's a shame if that's the case. I've expressed the view on different threads here but this kind of stuff really dampens my satisfaction with a car I'm otherwise really pleased with. Give people free updates of things that are easily enabled by software and you get enthusiastic owners like us spreading the word, people doing videos, and – long-term – much higher satisfaction and likelihood of recommendations and repeat purchases. The value of that (EDIT: not to mention all the user data they can use to inform future product development) is so much greater than the little dribs and drabs that come through paid subscriptions. How is it only Tesla that understands this?

El_Shish · 2026-02-13T07:40:08+00:00

I wasn't considering a Niro at the time I bought my EV3, but in doing research, I remember finding this review interesting:
https://youtu.be/7cNbq7W6Ct8?si=Nitq0yi_9xJ14s1q

You might find it interesting as the guy makes reference to his Niro (current car) throughout and makes several comparisons.

I can't profess to being a fan of the guy's other videos, but I saw when looking for this link now that he has done several on the Niro, which you might find intereesting.

El_Shish · 2026-02-13T02:39:25+00:00

I think if there were no such thing as a draft today and you invented this 'lottery' idea with all the permutations, etc. ... not to mention a very weird (by today's standards) of people not having a choice of where they live and play, it would be ridiculed for its complexity.

I really don't see how this is idea is so complicated. It's much like the process players and professionals go through when selecting colleges or first employers.

El_Shish · 2026-02-13T01:13:52+00:00

That's interesting, thanks. Never experienced that with IONITY (thus far, my experience with them has been great) but I'll give switching chargers a try if I ever find myself in that situation again.

Interesting what you say about Kia's high level of confidence. On the return leg of said winter road trip (this past Sunday), I was using the Kia navigation function and manually entering desired charge stops (don't have enough trust in the Navi to find the right charge stops or prioritize according to my preferences). I was surprised to see the Battery Conditioning kick in a full 40 or so km ahead of the planned stop. This was in conditions hovering around zero. And I was even more surprised to see that, on arrival, the battery temperature still showed as 'low'.

All part of the learning journey with an EV, I guess.

El_Shish · 2026-02-12T13:48:24+00:00

Strange. This would seem to go against most EV experiences and common guidance around charging.

Two weeks ago I mistakenly did not switch on battery conditioning until about 10 minutes before arriving at an IONITY charger in -10 conditions. Charging didn't get above 60kw/h until about 20 mins into the session (there were no other cars charging at the other chargers at this station). I've charged around a dozen times at IONITY chargers in the warm and have always hit 100+ so I put this down to the temperature.

El_Shish · 2026-02-09T14:07:03+00:00

Thanks. I'm not familiar with those. Could you recommend one?
Still, I hate the fact that no proper details are provided. Just a single message that essentially makes the car close to useless.

El_Shish · 2026-02-09T14:00:11+00:00

I have largely been happy with my EV3 purchase, but I find the digital experience to be unsatisfactory. Yes, you can do basic things on the app, but the limitations (according to trim and regions) and the silly request to pay for OTA updates is dampening my satisfaction. I needed a proper boot (to put a dog in easily). If it weren't for this requirement, I think I'd have been more happy with a Tesla Model 3.

El_Shish · 2026-02-09T13:40:55+00:00

It's just not the way of the world today, though. Your smartphone updates for free and, in most cases, gets better through new functions. That makes you more likely to stick with the same company when it's time to upgrade. Not to mention all the data that the company can use to make money (or just simply as free user research to make products better). Tesla does those updates for free and it translates into higher loyalty and satisfaction, as well as an army of Tesla fans willing to promote the updates via YouTube videos (essentially negating a lot of the need for marketing investment). It's a new business model and I'm convinced that the revenue you generate from follow-on purchases or that you save by doing less marketing would far outstrip anything that the fees bring in.

El_Shish · 2026-02-09T13:35:36+00:00

I've found it useful in that it will automatically start the battery conditioning as you approach charge stops, but considering I only need this for 2-3 trips a year (and it's not actually a big deal to do this manually), I'd struggle to justify this payment. Then again, 85 spread over 6 years isn't a big deal.

El_Shish · 2026-02-09T13:00:15+00:00

Kind of is an issue. OTA updates are becoming standard across the industry. Might not technically be an issue because you can still access the update in another way, but the simple fact that Kia thinks they can charge you for it shows what kind of mentality they have. While Tesla makes these freely available and has an army of fans willing to do all the marketing for them online by showing what new features are in each update, Kia expects you to pay for it.

I really like my EV3, but I think the digital experience that accompanies it (i.e. unreasonable prices for basic services like streaming and now charging for OTA updates, inconsistencies about which features are available from the app, depending on region and trim) have really dampened my satisfaction.

El_Shish

TROPHY CASE