Aim for €35,000 for the Kia Concept EV3?

The Kia Concept EV3 aims to deliver all the advantages of the large Kia EV9 in a compact format. Simply downsized?

During Kia EV Day 2023, the South Korean manufacturer confirmed its ambition to develop a wide range of electric vehicles priced between 30,000 and 80,000 euros, including existing models such as EV6 and EV9, as well as future offerings designed for highly popular B and C segments. The brand plans to introduce smaller electric vehicles, like EV5, EV4, and EV3, priced between 35,000 and 50,000 euros, to accelerate the widespread adoption of electric vehicles and reach an annual sales figure of 1.6 million units by 2030.

Kia Reduces the Sauce of a Successful Recipe

The EV3 Concept offers users all the technology, convenience, and design of Kia’s flagship EV9 in the form of a compact and accessible SUV. Although such qualities might seem incompatible to some, the very idea of proposing design solutions that are both creative and innovative by combining apparently antagonistic elements is at the core of Kia’s “Opposites United” philosophy. For the EV3 Concept, Kia’s designers largely drew inspiration from the “Joy for Reason” pillar of this design philosophy.

The robust architecture of the wheel arches, characterized by their square shape with asymmetric corners, makes a strong impression. This aspect contrasts with the enveloping windshield and the rear pillar with a cutout, which gives the roof a floating effect.

Why Aim for Larger?

The interior is almost a copy/paste of the EV4 Concept, stripped down to the extreme with only a display occupying two-thirds of the dashboard. For example, the climate controls disappear into the central console to avoid disrupting the overall sense of minimalism. No buttons on the steering wheel, no stalks—it’s clear this is just a concept car, but if Kia can do this on its production models, why not?

If Kia meets its target of a price close to 35,000 euros, this EV3 has a good chance of finding its audience. To the point of disrupting the EV9? We’ll see once the final model is revealed.