New Kia EV3 spotted ahead of summer blockbuster reveal

The new Kia EV3 is being revealed this summer, but we’ve been given a sneak preview of the compact all-electric SUV after it was spotted testing in northern Sweden.

The images confirm our suspicions that Kia would be sticking closely to the design it previewed last year when it unveiled the EV3 Concept. The production EV3 model has a similarly chunky shape and stubby, bluff front end. 

Also like the concept car, the wheels on the road-going Kia EV3 have been pushed right out to the edges of the car to allow for a long wheelbase and maximise interior space. The A-pillars have also been painted black to create a floating roof effect. 

We can see a set of vertical headlights poking out from the prototype’s camouflage, which are an element found on Kia’s all-electric seven-seater, the EV9. This probably isn’t the only styling cue the two will have in common, but we’ll have to wait for the disguise to come off  to see.

We’re not sure how much of the EV3 Concept’s interior will make it into production, but we expect to see two large displays on the dashboard, a floating centre console and extensive use of fabrics, which has become a bit of a trend in modern car design. The concept also featured a rear bench with a base that could be folded upward to accommodate large items like bicycles, a handy feature we’d like to see in the road-going model.

Kia has told us that the EV3 will feature nearly 30kg of recycled plastics and marks the first time that the company has used materials like this for exterior cladding on the bumpers, side sills and wheelarches. 

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However, Kia hasn’t revealed any technical details for the EV3 to date. The EV3 is likely to sit on the same E-GMP platform used for the Kia EV9 and EV6, plus the Hyundai Ioniq 5. This would provide an 800-volt electrical architecture for ultra-rapid charging speeds, the option of single or dual-motor setups and multiple battery sizes.

Kia has recently reaffirmed its commitment to producing high-performance ‘GT’ versions of all its electric cars, so an EV3 GT will join the line-up at some point, too. 

The Kia EV3 is one of six pure-electric cars the brand is aiming to launch by 2026. The EV6 and EV9 are currently on sale, the EV5 mid-size SUV has been unveiled and is due to land here in 2025, while the EV4 and EV2 are also under wraps for now.

Now read our list of the best electric cars currently on the market...