Kia’s 2027 EV3 could be the affordable EV we’ve been waiting for

Kia has finally put a price on the EV3, and the number might actually surprise you. The entry-level trim starts at $31,385 in the US, including a $1,495 destination charge, making it the cheapest EV Kia sells here and one of the more wallet-friendly electric vehicle options you can buy right now.

Why did it take so long to get here?

The EV3 has quietly been selling well in Europe and other overseas markets for almost two years now. But getting it to American driveways wasn’t so simple. Tariffs and the rollback of the federal EV tax credit threw a wrench into Kia’s original plans, especially since the EV3 was only being built in South Korea. Kia recently locked in a $649 million plan to build the EV3 in Mexico instead, and that’s what finally cleared the runway for a US launch.

What do you actually get for the money?

Kia is offering five trims this time: Light, Wind, Land, GT-Line, and GT, with pricing stretching from $31,385 up to $47,385. That undercuts the EV6 by roughly $8,000 and comes in nearly $10,000 cheaper than the Niro EV, which Kia is retiring after this generation.

You also get a choice of front or all-wheel drive, something neither its competitors, the Chevy Bolt nor the Nissan Leaf can claim. The base Light trim runs a 58.3 kWh battery good for 221 miles of range, while every other trim steps up to an 81.4 kWh pack rated at 321 miles with FWD or 280 miles with AWD. Charging goes through a native NACS port, and Kia says a 350 kW fast charger can take you from 10 to 80 percent in under half an hour.

The GT trim is the real showpiece, packing 288 horsepower, 345 lb-ft of torque, and virtual gear shifts paired with simulated engine sound to make it feel like you’re rowing through gears in a gas car. Kia’s EV sales haven’t exactly been on fire this year, so the EV3 has some real work to do if it wants to change that story.