It’s a weird time for electric cars in America. Honda just canceled its entire EV project, Volvo ditched the EX30, and Chevrolet’s set to discontinue the Bolt again shortly after bringing it back from purgatory. However, that doesn’t mean that some automakers aren’t trying to bring small EVs stateside, such as the Kia EV3. It’s essentially a subcompact hatchback-with-cladding laser-targeted at the new Nissan Leaf. However, it’s also launching in America with something almost all other entry-level EVs don’t offer. I’m talking about a performance variant, the EV3 GT.
Kia officially calls the EV3 GT an SUV, but that feels like a stretch. Sure, it’s 3.3 inches taller in stature than the dearly departed Fiat 500 Abarth, but that includes about six-tenths of an inch worth of roof rails. More importantly, it’s a whopping 25.3 inches longer than the Fiat. If I’ve done my math correctly, that’s 17.5 percent longer, 5.6 percent wider, and a 13.5 percent wider track. Proportionally and dimensionally, that’s hatchback stuff.
Granted, some Socrates will probably still argue that the criteria for an SUV lie in its acronym, at which point Plato will powerslide a Porsche Boxster into the Agora, popping the frunk to reveal a full keg tucked neatly in the luggage bay with enough spare room for several pizzas. See? Sport and utility. Even if we go by function, with no low range, no skid plates, and no real off-road pretensions, the Kia EV3 GT is almost a hot hatch, and one worth approaching with real curiosity.
Obviously, we’re looking at an electric vehicle, and its dual-motor all-wheel-drive system kicks out a respectable 288 horsepower. Based on that figure alone, I’d expect the zero-to-60 mph dash to happen in well under six seconds despite a somewhat porky curb weight. While an official weigh-in for the U.S.-spec model hasn’t been announced, the European version tips the scales at 4,409 pounds. Even though DIN curb weight and SAE curb weight have some measurement discrepancies, that still makes a Tesla Model 3 look feathery. Hey, an 81.4 kWh battery pack is an 81.4 kWh battery pack, even if 400-volt charging isn’t state-of-the-art.
However, the really interesting parts of the EV3 GT don’t lie in dragstrip prowess. For one, it has a similar sort of simulated manumatic mode as the ones in the EV6 GT and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. Now, this is something manufacturers can get extremely wrong, but everything I’ve driven on the Hyundai-Kia E-GMP platform with the feature has got it extremely right. It’s the sort of thing that adds dimensionality to what would otherwise be a fairly flat commuting experience.
Then there are the other typical performance accoutrements. Firmer MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension, an edgier steering calibration, seats with taller bolsters, and large brake calipers. The EV3 GT doesn’t seem like just a go-quicker-in-a-straight-line proposition, and if its EV6 GT big brother is any indication, this subcompact performance EV should have some proper stick in the corners.
In keeping with other applications of the GT trim, the EV3 GT will be hard to pick out in traffic from its GT-Line sibling. There’s a splash of retina-searing green on the calipers, a few bits of unique trim, new wheels, a subtle badge, and that’s about it. Your coworkers wouldn’t need to know that you selected the hot version, and there’s something nice about that. More importantly, the interior’s outfitted like an actual car. A screen for your gauges and a separate one for infotainment, a top-level climate control display, a bunch of real buttons and knobs, shortcuts for important functions. Nothing inside looks obviously cost-cut, and that should pay dividends in user-friendliness.
Of course, curb weight is still a concern, but let’s not forget that this isn’t replacing a beloved combustion-powered hot hatch. The EV3 GT is Kia trying something it hasn’t really done before, and a performance EV in this sort of footprint with real buttons and stuff feels like something worth experiencing. It’s a gamble given the current state of the EV market in America, but automakers taking risks and doing completely new-to-them stuff is something I like to see. Expect pricing and further details to come later this year, closer to the EV3 GT’s on-sale date in late 2026. Who’d have thought that America’s first electric hot hatch would be a Kia?
Top graphic image: Kia
I was looking at the pictures of the front and side thinking “That might be suitable as an EV replacement for my classified-as-an-SUV-but-also-not-really-an-SUV Kia Niro.” until I saw the rear end and…yuck. I don’t know what is going on with the tail lights and bumper, but it just makes the hatch look awkwardly swollen and the back window uselessly small.
Yeah, it’s weird. My buddy has an EV6 and I think it looks fantastic in person. If they made this just a slightly smaller version of that they’d be onto something.
I think the EV4 hatch is a lot closer to that, and would be a lovely replacement for my Impreza. Unfortunately, the US is too backward for the hatch, even before they announced the EV4 isn’t coming at all, even the sedan.
It looks weird, but in a cool way. I love it.
I would definitely put this towards the top of the list if I were considering an EV, but alas, there’s no place for me to change it. Charging infrastructure sucks in my area, and I don’t even have a driveway or dedicated parking space.
I don’t either (condo with carport), but the plus side is there are lots of options I can immediately dismiss. That plus anything Stellantis makes.
All I have to say is “Hot hatches have three pedals.”
And sure as HELL do not weigh *4400lbs*. This thing weighs almost *1000lbs* more than my BMW station wagon, and as much as my E350 wagon for that matter! Are we back to using lead-acid batteries in EVs??
This is a warm Fat Alice.
Came here to say the same thing. It’s 2000lbs heavier then my NC Miata (the yacht one). Mine made over 300hp last year and could also go around corners without losing 50% of it’s tire tread life.
288 hp / 4400 lbs = Hot Hatch? More like FAT HATCH.
Is the Ioniq 5 not considered a hot hatch?
It looks like it online and I personally see it that way when I see one … but it is about a foot longer than a GTI
And wider, and taller. Super sized over the GTI. But it does hoot and hatch pretty well!
According to carsized.com, the Ioniq 5 is 4.5cm taller (though with 2cm more ground clearance), 4cm wider, 33.5cm longer, and 105kg heavier than the EV3.
While I’m here though, the EV3 is 6.2cm taller (with .5cm less ground clearance), 4.2cm wider, 37.8cm longer, and 275kg heavier than the Renault 5 EV.
If only we could get the Renault 5 on these forsaken shores…
But it doesn’t look as good as 99% of hot hatches.
Subjective. I think it looks great.
the front end and sides do look nice, that back hatch though is really rough
It works until you get to those stupid rear door handles. That trend has to be killed with fire.
At least they’re mechanical
Kind of burying the lede here – never mind the hotness, isn’t it kind of amazing that Kia will be selling any kind of cool hatchback EV in North America*? Even the regular version is pretty hot, to me.
(* Canada loves small cars, and it sucks that we’re an afterthought stuck with what the manufacturers think will sell in the big dumb US market)
Blame your Gov that tied it’s safety regs to ours (the US). Also blame your population size (and thus potential market) being on par with Poland.
hmm.. I clearly remember Canada got the Nissan Micra, so there’s definitely been some leeway with the whole “same as US” regs
Yep, and the second-gen Kia Rondo, and the Chevrolet Orlando (MPV), but I’m not sure about any others
I can’t say this moves me much, but I will say that those seats look pretty damn nice for a compact Kia.
“it has a similar sort of simulated manumatic mode”
Is this the fake engine noise and fake transmission shifts used in a car with neither of those things to impress people who don’t seem to understand that real engine noise and real shifts are engaging because it is feedback from real machinery?
Still not clear on why anyone wants this fakery beyond an inability to just embrace what an EV does extremely well–instant, linear, and silent propulsion. Just embrace it. Or buy the GTI that still has an engine and transmission.
As GTI owner, as soon as I got it home from the dealer I pulled out my laptop and the VAG OBD dongle and permanently disabled the fake engine noises thing.
On the same note, while I’m sure my next fun car to replace the GTI (as soon as I manage to roll it over on the track) will be electric, I will absolutely not consider a car that wouldn’t allow me to turn off all the fake shifts, noises etc.
As a side note, how is this considered ‘subcompact’?? Do actual dimensions not matter anymore when we classify cars by size?
One of the things I like about my Ram is the no fake engine noise. If the motor doesn’t sound good (it’s the Hurricane, it doesn’t), I don’t want to hear anything at all. The quietness is part of the pleasant driving experience.
I did the same with my ’17 Sport. And my M235i, for that matter. Neither had any need of artificial added noise.
As an aside, I don’t find EVs to be “silent”, and I find the noises they do make universally unpleasant. But I am that rare aging git whose high frequency hearing actually still works, as I have always been rather allergic to loud music, unlike most of my peers. So I can hear the irritating high-pitched whining noises that EVs universally seem to make. I can hear the screech of CRTs too – thankfully THAT is in our past for the most part.
Actual outside dimensions never mattered. Car size classifications in the US are based on interior volume, period. Exterior size doesn’t matter at all. Unless you are a rental car company, at which point a Corolla magically becomes “mid-size”.
My M235i was so much nicer of a car to be in without the fake noise, particularly on the highway. I couldn’t believe how much was pumped in and it was a million percent worth the $40 bypass harness.
It did “force” me into putting the M Performance rear muffler on it though…
Lol – the horror of being forced to do tha!. I have the Performance Intake and Exhaust on my 328! wagon – absolutely glorious noise comes from that combination when you get on it (and at startup), but quiet otherwise.
I’ve been doing for a replacement for my Impreza hatch, and “subcompact CUVs” seem to be around the same length as a compact car. The Wikipedia article below lists the Subaru Crosstrek (a lifted Impreza for the unfamiliar) as a subcompact CUV, but it shows up as a compact on Carsized and the vehicle’s own wiki page. The EX30, Bolt, Uncharted/C-HR, and new Leaf are all called subcompact by Car and Driver, but range from 167″-178″.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subcompact_crossover_SUV
The EV3 is 169.3″ which is about 5″ shorter than my compact class Impreza. It’s about 4″ taller and wider though. The EV4 hatch is basically the same length and height as the Impreza, but based on the same platform as the EV3 and classified as a compact too according to Carsized.
Here’s the EV3 compared to a GTI:
https://www.carsized.com/en-us/cars/compare/kia-ev3-2024-suv-vs-volkswagen-golf-2008-3-door-hatchback-gti/
The GTI is half an inch shorter than the EV3 and still classified as a compact, so perhaps VW is doing a better job at packaging efficiency if we’re truly using volume to classify vehicles here in the US? I’m not surprised a FWD hatch can be shorter than my AWD Impreza since there’s less hardware required.
At first I thought there still was a pretty solid delineation between vehicle classes, but the more I looked into it to respond here, the more it seemed like maybe it’s more vibes than anything.
If it is truly based on volume, then it may be a self-reported thing to EPA/insurers, and that’s why I was seeing a trend while I’ve been shopping that within a given OEM’s offerings, different sizes of vehicle are separated by roughly 6″ of length.
I’m a Subie girl, so Crosstrek -> Forester -> Outback -> Ascent there, but I also noticed it in the jump between the Equinox to the Blazer, etc.
Thank you for coming to my very confused TED talk. Lol
Have they fixed the ICCU issue? This should be mentioned in every Kia/Hyundai EV article that your car can brick itself due to a battery interface and take weeks or longer for the part/fix.
I’m no authority on that (or any) subject, but my impression is that this WAS fixed and not an issue in recent Hyundai/Kia products. Someone will surely tell me if I’m wrong.
It’s not. I’ve been reading a bunch of EV forums lately for…reasons…and people are still hitting ICCU failures on 2025s (despite speculation that it had been fixed for that model year) and cars that have had ICCU replacements done. It’s possible that the new part number has reduced the probability of it happening, but it doesn’t seem to have fixed it.
At least that appears to be the general consensus, which is all we have to go on since H/K has been very silent on the matter.
Duly noted and thanks Ben. 🙂
Seriously. I feel like this ICCU issue should be flagged on articles about these cars until it has been conclusively addressed. I was all about picking up a used HMG EV any time now until I started researching this issue. Or a new one! But there is flatly no way I purchase another car that can randomly strand me with a known, and known-not-to-be-resolved, issue.
Sure, anything could let go at any time on any car. And I know loads of these cars go for 100k’s without an issue. But opting in to this kind of uncertainty seems totally bonkers!!
Same. The fact that there’s no way to avoid it and no way to know when it’s going to happen makes these a hard no. I already played that game with my EcoDiesel and it bit me at a really bad time.
This has been standard procedure for anything written about any Hyundai/Kia for decades now, they all write about the new car they’re reviewing without any mentions of absolutely every single engine generation having been recalled and generally a POS that is bound to blow up within warranty (I’m mostly talking about their 4cylinder engines, the V6-es have been much less terrible).
“This is not the old/unreliable Hyundai from 3̶0̶ ̶2̶0̶ ̶1̶0̶ ̶5̶ ̶3̶ ̶2̶ years ago!”
It’s generally accepted that they came up with the 100k miles warranty way back when just out of the goodness of their tender corporate hearts, no other reason whatsoever 🙂
Similar to why I wouldn’t buy an ICE Hyundai/Kia. Engine failures and the inability to repair them
I gotta go against the grain of the comments here and say I think this car actually looks pretty good. The mini EV9 styling kinda works for me.
Except for the giant weird-shaped black wheel arches of course, those can die in an EV fire. And I hate those wheels. Okay, so maybe it’s only a 5/10 after all.
Nah, Kia is 100% correct there. That is not even remotely a “hot hatch.” That is a small SUV by any measure.
Is this some ploy to gaslight the remaining non-SUV/truck owner hold-outs into thinking something like that isn’t an SUV? There’s been a few articles like this lately over the interwebs. It’s weird.
You might have something there. “SUV” is the new “minivan”, and nobody wants to look like their boring parents, so everything is a “crossover”.
The Kia is interesting, but I’m definitely getting a mid-size SUV feel from it. Not something I’d be interested in, but it could sell well.
Since ‘no one’ is having kids the continual change over generation to generation will stop at CUVs. One more generation and we would’ve gone back to real deal wagons.
I’ve been seeing posts on Instagram saying younger people have an interest in sedans, so maybe not. Grain of salt, though.
I think there is a distinction between SUV and CUV based on whether the thing has *real* off-road capability. This thing is pure CUV all day long. Pretentions of butchness for no good reason at all.
Personally, I’d rather see a regular EV3 priced around $30K than a ‘hot’ version closer to $40K (or more). I’ve been watching European reviews of the standard EV3 for a while now, and they’re all generally positive. Since we’re not going to get any of the good small EVs from Renault or Citroen, I’d be interested in an affordable EV hatch or CUV, even if it comes with Kia’s somewhat severe design language of late.
Its a crime that we don’t have access to some of the small European EVs. I’m in the market for the summer and a deal on something canceled like the Volvo or the Niro is a possibility, or the Bolt. Small EV hatch with AWD at $30k sounds great though.
I would love an Inster, except it would balloon in price when I took the time to learn to make fiberglass panels and a custom interior to turn it into something close to the Insteroid.
The Inster is good too, according to reviews I’ve seen. Also, the Kia EV2 (which looks like the EV3, but a bit smaller) is about 24K (euros or pounds, not dollars). I haven’t seen EV2 reviews yet, but will watch them when I can.
PS: I googled Insteroid. 😀
As an European, who is currently looking for an EV as they are simply way cheaper if you consider energy prices and efficiency:
I was also looking at Kia EV3 and EV4. Especially the EV4, as it has a very good range and consumption with the larger battery pack.
Unfortunately, the insurance prices for HKMC vehicles are horrendous!
Same conditions (drivers experience, yearly mileage and everything else thast plays a role for German insurance companies…): The Kia is insurance is around twice as high as for example for an Volvo EX30. In Numbers: 650 Euro more. For 650 Euros I get roughly 2000kWh of energy if I charge the car at home which again equals around 10000km. So I could drive the Volvo 10000km each year for “free” compared to buying the Kia EV4.
It is stupid. But obviously they still have that bad reputation for poor safety regarding car thefts, have very high prices for spare parts, long waiting time until you get those and so on.
As someone who has worked for HKMC for a long time, this is quite sad, as I really like their cars. Well maybe not the looks…but that’s something that’s not too important for me on a daily driver.
Any hopes of the Hyundai version looking good?! Kia really has gone off the deep end in terms of styling. Weird just to be weird. Not as hideous as the Germans, but not pretty anymore.
My thoughts exactly – Let’s see the one with the less-challenging appearance.
You had me at hot hatch, you lost me at not actually being a hot hatch, gunslit rear window, tacky cladding, square yet somehow bulbous rear hatch, and ugly wheels.
I’m with you on your assessment. All these trends look “cool” at the moment but I have a feeling it will age very badly.
These overcooked Kia designs will age about as gracefully as a 2000’s MP3 player.
I tend to agree, but I’m OK with a somewhat ugly/dated car provided that it’s still a good car to use daily. Kia’s current cyberpunk aesthetic looks better on their bigger models (IMO) but you’re right, when they’re a decade old, even casual viewers will feel like they look a decade old.
The Zune of cars
It just hit me. We’ve returned to the ’50s, not with tail fins and enough chrome for a Superfund site, but with with crazy creases and copious cladding. Trendy, not classy.
The war on outward visibility continues, also another “floating” roofline shark fin combo
You know things are extremely bleak when we have to try and convince ourselves that an electric Kia SUV is somehow a hot hatchback.
I misread this as the EV4 GT coming stateside at first and got excited. N/M
This is much more practical than the EV4 (which should have had a hatch from the start)
I see another SUV. (I loved my Abarth.)
With EVs having batteries underfloor, they’re all going to look lifted like an SUV unless they encroach into the passenger cabin.
Looking at his dimensions, this is the size of a Fiat 500X. My GF has one, and it is not a hatch.
Until the energy density problem gets fixed anyway. Jump density one order of magnitude and normal cars are perfectly doable.
So it’ll still lose to my Model Y in a stoplight drag race. Less power and the same weight. How is it so heavy despite being a class smaller?!?
Boy is that rear end / hatch ugly.
This. Yikes!
1). Can we get range and charging info? The Hyundai/Kia performance EVs have all been made on Korea so far and between essentially less than 200 miles of real world range and no NACS port they’re a very, very hard sell.
2). If they worked with the N folks on this it’s probably going to be pretty damn fun and despite what the haters will say the engine has never been the most important part of a hot hatch. They all use boosted variants of commodity motors, none of them sound particularly good, etc.
I know someone is going to be like BUT MUH ICE!!!! WHAT WILL I EVER DO WITHOUT MUH RASPY 4 CYLINDER REEEEEEEEEEEE but come on. The only hot hatch engine that’s even remotely special is the 2 liter in the CTR and that thing still sounds like a fucking vacuum cleaner. I do enjoy the bass heavy, raspy tone and fart noises my Kona N makes but does it objectively sound good?
Of course not lol
The description of your car’s engine noise also works as a description of my son after a meal.
I much prefer a raspy 4-cylinder v an open-pipe-hemi. Especially if I have to hear them drive past late at night.
You know what sounds even better after dark? An EV, because it makes no sound at all 🙂
You’re not wrong.
Well, technically they make a haunting wee-wee-wee sound (like the three little pigs) because of pedestrian safety regulations. 😉
I think since 2026 they all have NACS port standard. My wife’s EV9 has it.
The performance variants do not because as of now they’re all made in Korea. The rest of the Hyundai/Kia EVs are made here in yee haw land.
I’ve read elsewhere the US bound version WILL have a NAS port. 400v means medium-speed level-3 charging, range depends on battery – smaller battery closer to 200+ miles. larger battery mid 200s.
The Fiat 500 Abarth would like a word.
One of those pulled in to a campground I was at a number of years ago and it remains the only four cylinder I’ve ever actually enjoyed hearing. It also remains the only time I’ve seen one of them in person, alas.
As long as they don’t have a shitty aftermarket exhaust they do sound good….although unmolested ones are rare and once tooners get their hands on them they immediately sound like ear piercing shit.
Fart canned fours driving in first gear everywhere really ruin the outdoor dining experience in my downtown area. :-/
We owned a 2013 Abarth for a spell. That exhaust note gave more smiles per mile than almost any other car.
AWD + instant torque will make this thing a neck snapper! Should be fun.
In addition, the base trim with FWD and a smaller battery will be a worthy competitor to the Bolt and Leaf, but unlike the Bolt will have wireless CarPlay/AA standard. The much better warranty should make this little EV the best choice for a practical, low cost EV. Looks good!
Needs lowered about two inches for me to see a hot hatch.
Lowered, stripped of unnecessary cladding (which will end up on the side of a freeway somewhere) and useless roof rails, some normal door handles…
Some actual bumpers would be nice too.