2025 Kia EV3 Air Standard Range Review: Has Kia beaten back the Chinese tide with its most affordable EV yet
Into a sea of Chinese compact electric SUVs a little Korean contender has jumped. It’s called the Kia EV3 and its going to be fascinating to see if it sinks or swims.
Boxily attractive in a robotic kind of way, the EV3 is the latest evidence of just how tough a challenge the Chinese brands are posing to the rest of the automotive world.
Why? Well, the EV3 shapes as an impressive effort from a high-quality brand that’s invested a heap of money and talent into its EV project.
But its pricing is not on par with the relevant Chinses opposition.
The EV3 that goes closest to bridging that price gap is the entry-level Air Standard range. So that’s what we’re testing.
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2025 Kia EV3 Air Standard Range price and equipment
The 2025 Kia EV3 range launches in Australia across four models priced from $48,990 drive-away for the Air Standard Range to $68,490 drive-away for the GT-Line Long Range.
That pricing means the Air SR starts well above its most logical Chinese opposition, the BYD Atto 3 that is priced from $39,990 plus on-road costs for the Essential spec, so call it a $5000 advantage for the BYD.
The brand new – and bigger – Geely EX5 is priced from $40,990 plus on-roads. Hell, Zeekr’s just cut $7000 off the allegedly premium Zeekr X, resetting it at $49,900.
You can see this is not an easy task for the Kia.
All four EV3s share the same 150kW/283 e-motor driving the front wheels. Drill deeper and you’ll find they sit on the pukkah Kia E-GMP EV architecture – unlike the Chinese-built EV5.
It also uses LG lithium-ion battery packs rather than the cheaper but less energy-dense LFP chemistry favoured by the EV5.
In fact, it’s the battery pack where the major difference can be found between the Air SR and the rest of the line-up.
It employs a 58.3kWh battery to produce a claimed 436km range, while the Long Range Air, Earth and GT-Line claim up to 604km (Air) and at least 563km (the other two).
However, as a cost-containment measure the EV3 opts for a a 400V architecture that means a slower maximum DC fast charge rate of 100.7kW for the SR and 127.5kW for the LRs.
None of the 200kW-plus rates you’ll see from the 800V EV6, EV9 etcetera.
The AC charge rate is 6.9kW for the SR and up to 10.5kW if you have access to three-phase power.
So what equipment do you get with your entry-level EV3?
Externally there’s stuff like 17-inch alloy wheels, roof rails and LED headlights. Inside the seats are trimmed in grey cloth rather than fake leather, there’s dual-zone climate control and a triple infotainment screen that stretches across much of the dashboard behind a single glass screen.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included, along with satellite-navigation, a six-speaker audio system and Aussie-accent voice assist that works. Wireless smartphone charging and four USB-C (two front , two rear) are also included.
The EV3 comes with the Kia Connect smartphone app, the ability to do some over the air updates (navigation, EU, software) and internal and external vehicle-to-load (V2L) outlets with a 3.6kW capacity.
There is no shortage of safety gear with all the usual driver aids such as autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping, rear cross traffic and blind spot monitoring, along with seven airbags. There is no ANCAP rating as yet.
Ok, so what’s the devilish detail? You’ll pay $550 for any paint colour apart from white, the Air misses out on a power driver’s seat and tailgate, while all EV3s go without a spare tyre even though there’s a wheel well under the boot floor.
It’s all about saving weight and extending range. See how consoling that is when you’re stuck in your car at midnight in the middle of nowhere with a destroyed tyre.
Kia slightly shortchanges its customers with a seven-year/150,000km battery warranty (most go for eight years and some longer than that), but recovers some ground with an overall seven-year/unlimited km warranty for the rest of the EV3.
Capped price servicing comes out at $674 for three years, $1285 for five years and $1897 for seven years. That’s pretty darn cheap.
2025 Kia EV3 Air Standard Range: What we think
The 2025 Kia EV3 Standard Range is a nice car to drive. But even better than that, it’s a very frugal and efficient EV to drive.
That became obvious driving it from Coolangatta airport into the heat of the Gold Coast on clopped, stop-start roads. Perfect EV commuting territory.
So set the drive mode to Economy, turn on one-pedal braking to its maximum and away we go. A 22.9km trip took 50 minutes and the consumption average came out at 12.4kWh/100km.
That folks, is why everyone in town should be driving an EV!
If you noted the reference to cranking up the one-pedal, that’s an update the EV3 brings with it. You can now align it with any one of three regeneration levels, so effectively retardation varies when you lift your foot. At its maximum it is very strong.
You can also set the regen system to auto and let it manage the whole process.
Happily, the Air SR is not a dirge to drive focussed solely on economy. It has enough instant response to overcome its portly 1845kg weight to feel spritely rather than soggy.
It’s physical size – at 4300mm long x 1850mm wide x 1560mm tall – is compact enough to make it great for wheeling through suburbia.
In all drive modes bar sport, where it became gluggy and required too much effort – the electric-assist steering responded with distant yet-appreciated rapidity. It worked well with neat and zippy handling.
As per almost all Kias, the EV3’s suspension has been tuned for local conditions (as has steering) and it’s been done well. On its independent suspension with a unique local mix of shocks, springs and anti-roll bars, the EV3 rides a little stiff-legged at low speed because of its weight, but that improves as speeds rise.
As a first impression and without direct back-to-back comparison testing, it feels more resolved and co-operative to drive than its Chinese rivals.
The EV3 sits on a long – for its size – 2680mm wheelbase – and that helps it eke out maximum space from its interior.
It’s not that generous in the rear seat – call it acceptable – for taller passengers behind taller drivers, but it’s acceptable. If it’s kids back here they’ll have no problem fitting in.
They’ll appreciate features such as the adjustable air-con vents, bottle-holders and double cupholders. They might not like the hard-shell backs for the front seats, which make it feel all a bit claustrophobic.
Up-front that huge screen really dominates. But even with its drive-in cinema proportions the screen’s small section in the middle dealing with air-con settings gets blocked by the steering wheel. You can press a button to enlarge the AC section, but it is fussing about isn’t it?
Thankfully there are hard-wired buttons in the EV3 for frequently used controls. Sadly you still have to drill into the screen to turn off two – yes two!!! -squawking driver monitors. At least the overspeed alert can now be quelled by a long press on the steering wheel mute button.
The EV3 Air SR looks good in its range of recycled and enviro-friendly trims and materials. The driver gets a reach and rake adjust steering wheel, generous adjustment of a comfortable seat and a game of ‘hunt the start-button’ until you realise it’s on the gear change stalk hidden by the steering wheel.
The EV3 is pretty functional, with a range of storage options including double-level bins in the centre console and bottle-accepting holes in the doors.
The boot offers a generous 460 litres of cargo space, expanding out to 1251 litres with the rear seat folded, but I’d like some of that to be chewed up by a spare tyre thanks. The frunk offers 25 litres of oddments storage.
2025 Kia EV3 Air Standard Range: Verdict
What a really impressive effort the Kia EV3 Air Standard Range is!
It’s got a distinct and (I think) appealing exterior look, a well-executed interior style and functionality, it drives well and – most impressively – it has a really efficient powertrain.
The question is whether you’re willing to spend the extra compared to some of the cheaper Chinese opposition.
If you can afford it then the quality of what’s on offer really does make it worthwhile. The EV3 deserves to stay afloat.
SCORE: 4.0/5
2025 Kia EV3 Air Standard Range specifications
Price: $48,990 drive-away, $49,990 d/a (WA)
Basics: EV, 5 seats, 5 doors, small SUV, FWD
Range: 436km (WLTP)
Battery capacity: 58.3kWh
Battery warranty: 7 years/150,000km
Energy consumption: 14.9Wh/100km (WLTP)
Motors: 1 front, 150kW/283Nm.
AC charging: 6.9kW, Type 2 plug
DC charging: 100.7kW, CCS combo plug
0-100km/h: 7.5 seconds
I drove the GT Line one last week – great car but Australia misses the front/360 degree camera that UK and NZ get in their EV3’s. GT Line is a big step up in price and all the competition has this feature..odd omission