Is the new Kia EV3 a hit or a miss?

Ollie Kew: “I was expecting a miniature EV9, all blocky”

Excellent, another electric crossover SUV – exactly what the jittery EV market isn’t tediously saturated with.

To be fair to Kia, its electric offerings currently knock the likes of Volkswagen or Ford into a cocked hat, but the EV3’s just so... generic. I was expecting a miniature EV9, all blocky and G-Wagenish, but the tail-lights look like an ice lolly melting messily over your hand and the front is heinously bland. You could add any badge to that. Not just car brands either. It could be a car from the middle of Lidl.

And then you look at the spec list. ChatGPT voice assistant. Reduced buttons inside. A meaningless ‘hot’ EV3 GT version to follow. That’ll win the award for rhymiest car name ever, but nothing else.

Jack Rix: “I think this is another Korean slam dunk”

Seems like someone’s weed in Ollie’s cornflakes. To be fair this colour does have urinal qualities, however you, Mr Kew, couldn’t be more wrong to consider the EV3 a miss.

Yes, everybody is piling into this compact SUV segment, but that’s because people are buying them by the boat load, and I think this is another Korean slam dunk in a sea of mediocrity.

True, it’s not as blocky as the EV9 but then I’ve seen Rubik’s Cubes that are less square than that, nor is it as daring as the Ioniq 5... but it’s still brave in a way its drab rivals aren’t.

It’s another Kia you can be proud to own, and it looks a bit like a robot panda. Win win.