Kia EV3 confirms Habib’s strong design direction

The Kia EV3 production model broke cover on Thursday 23rd May 2024 (11:00 BST) but in advance of that reveal, Car Design News attended an earlier press preview of the full-electric small SUV at a private space during Milan Design Week, and had a good chat with its design leaders.

Seeing the car up close, the production EV3 doesn’t provide any visual exterior shocks – especially for those who have also viewed images of the EV3 concept last year, or indeed the bigger 2023 EV9 production flagship SUV – but this is a good thing. As the geometrically-driven design direction has already received widespread positive feedback from public and press alike.

After a short introduction by Kia’s global design EVP Karim Habib, Teck-Koun Kim, head of Kia Next Design Group, talked through the exterior details of the EV3, highlighting the side profile as the key view, “where you see the technical graphics and sporty gesture of the vehicle.”

He also mentioned the stretched cabin compared to the overall compact footprint of the car – which at 4300mm long is bigger than the Volvo EX30 (4230mm) and MG4 (4287mm) and shorter than the 4322mm Cupra Born. At 1850mm wide, 1560mm high and with a wheelbase of 2680mm the stance remains good, and to balance the pushed-forward windscreen at the front there is a chunky body-coloured C-pillar, horizontally split by a gloss black section near to the roof.

Kim went on to point out the lower ground clearance than usual for a crossover – for better aerodynamic performance, the EV3 records a commendably smooth 0.26 Cd – visually offset by the moustache-shaped black rocker panel.

Inside the similarly-black clad wheel arch surrounds are excellent wheel designs, whose bold and unusual graphics match the geometric angles of the bodywork. Zoom in closer still and there are some neat chamfered details – for instance just behind the trailing line of the front headlights – which run in parallel with the horizontal part of the clamshell bonnet lid shut-line. Neat stuff.

The EV3’s interior follows the ‘less-is-more’ living room vibe and product design influence of the EV9, rather than traditional interior car design motifs. As VP of Kia interior design, Jochen Paesen explained: “We know that in the past we’ve chopped and changed and the IP has moved around a little bit. So this consistency was really important to us and customers can find what they need.”

Despite those similarities, there are also key visual differences to the EV9, notably in a distinctive vertical contrast-coloured section forward of the front interior door handle (image two in the gallery above) which connects downward to the armrest and on which sits seat and steering wheel heater buttons. Paesen even goes so far as to cite the detail as an example of Kia’s “Opposites United” design philosophy, helping balance the otherwise very horizontally-focused elements elsewhere. “That vertical ‘cut’ sort of emphasises and strengthens the horizontal feel within that space,” he continued.

Another new – and overtly functional – design detail is the horizontally-deploying front table that slides out from the centre console between the two front seats to provide a practical resting place for a coffee cup or a laptop video call when the car is stationary.

“We wanted this central console to be sort of the middle point of the vehicle,” Paesen said. “In other words, it’s not just about driving, it’s about that ‘living room’ feel and multi-use case scenario. When you don’t need it, of course you push it back, close it off and then you have maximum space again.”

Sitting in the back, rear legroom is great and headroom very decent and there are further neat touches to admire – including a smart grey marl-style fabric on the upper front seatback and useful smart phone charging points neatly integrated midway up both seatbacks’ sides. The boot has a flat floor that can be lowered to create a 460-litre space and fold-flat rear seats to eke out even more (1250 litres). Meanwhile, the EV3’s charging cables are housed firmly out of the way in the frunk’s dedicated 25-litre space.

Sustainability is being pushed hard by Kia too. The designers have specified recycled PET for the seats, headliner and floor mats and the use of non-chemical paints and bioplastics, among other sustainable ‘Ten Must Haves’. But there’s a welcome extra layer of transparency to this approach too, in the shape of a small QR code printed on the passenger side edge of the IP along with a new logo. Once focused on via a smart phone, the QR clicks through to more information on Kia’s commitment to this important topic. It’s an unusual approach we’ve not seen within a production car interior before, and one Habib is happy to give credit for.

“Our CEO Mr Song asked us to think about how to highlight where our recycled materials are being used and that’s where the little circularity symbol you see came from,” he said. “But the [extra] QR code came from Jochen [Paesen] and Marília Biill, who is our head of CMF and is a really very strong driver for aspects of sustainability and animal-free interiors.”

The EV3 also inherits the EV9’s not-so-stellar UX system via integrated 12.3” driver and centre displays, plus a 5” air-conditioning panel. The annoying and confusing multiple-bleeping safety alerts remain – although at least with a crucial ‘off button’ shortcut like on the EV9 – but the design team are fully aware there is room for improvement in this area. “We have a bit of homework to do,” Paesen concedes. “It’s not all design’s department, but we have a loud voice.” We hope so.

The EV3 goes on sale first in South Korea from July, across Europe in the second half of 2024 and with other – as yet unconfirmed – regions planned after that. A 204hp electric motor sources its energy from one of two battery options: an 81.4kWh pack good for 373 miles (600km) and a smaller 58.3kWh unit able to provide 255 miles (410km) of range. Pricing is yet to be confirmed but should start at circa £35,000 and upwards, with the Volvo EX30 firmly in its sights.