2027 Kia EV3 Starts At Just $31,385, And The Model With 321 Miles Of Range Is $36,485

Kia has announced official pricing for the 2027 EV3, and not only is it the Korean brand's most affordable electric car yet, it'll be one of the most affordable electric cars in the country. In its base Light trim level the EV3 will start at $31,385, including a $1,495 destination charge. That gets you a single motor powering the front wheels and a smaller 58.3-kWh battery delivering just 221 miles of range. To get the EV3's max EPA-rated driving range of 321 miles, you have to step up to the Wind model and its 81.4-kWh battery. It's not a huge price jump, though, with the Wind costing $36,485.

If you're okay with less range and equipment, that $31K EV3 Light is sparring directly with some of the cheapest new EVs out right now. The recently redesigned Nissan Leaf S+ can be had for $31,535, while the resurrected 262-mile 2027 Chevy Bolt LT starts at $28,995 (a Bolt RS costs $32,995 while getting the same range as the LT, and Chevy is only selling this car for 18 months). As a reference point, the decontented Tesla Model Y Standard goes for $41,630 after freight.

That base EV3 may be called the Light, but on paper at least, it doesn't seem that light on tech and features. Dual 12.3-inch screens inside running wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto, 17-inch alloys, LED headlights, five USB-C ports throughout, and an earlier version of the company's Highway Driving Assist with hands-on lane follow are all standard equipment.

Kia

For $3,700 on the Wind or $3,200 on the upper Land trim levels you can get all-wheel drive, which adds a second motor and boosts output from 201 horsepower and 209 pound-feet of torque to 261 hp and 284 lb-ft. Going for AWD drops range to 280 miles. The sporty-looking $44,985 GT-Line trim comes standard with AWD, but the really fun EV3 is the $47,385 GT, which gets 288 hp and 345 lb-ft and needs just 5.4 seconds to hit 60 mph, almost a full second quicker than the other AWD models. 

Every EV3 can DC fast-charge at up to 350 kW via a Tesla-style NACS port, which will take the car from 10% to 80% charge in about half an hour. It's also solidly one of the better-looking cars in its arena, really looking like a mini EV9, particularly from the back. In any case, the online configurator is live now, too, so you can customize your EV3 to your heart's (and budget's) content.