In conjunction with the Kia EV Day, Kia has unveiled the Kia Concept EV3, together with the Kia Concept EV4 and a specification reveal of the Kia EV5. The Kia Concept EV3 is a “Compact CUV”, that somewhat strikes some resemblance to the Kia Soul. Following Kia’s tradition, it should be eventually called, the Kia EV3.
Only showing its exterior and interior design for the time being, we get a new approach to the “Opposites United” design philosophy that has become synonymous with the Kia brand. Kia says that the Kia EV3 is designed with the “Joy for Reason” pilar as part of this philosophy. The Kia EV3’s design essentially “merges seemingly opposing values to execute a precise product design language, resulting in a cabin that feels joyful to travel in, while providing ample space to support an active lifestyle once occupants reach their destination”.
At the front, the Kia Concept EV3 draws an uncanny resemblance to the Kia EV5. It is a small crossover and it is of the brand’s strategy to make its electric vehicles (EVs) more accessible to new EV owners, together with the EV4 and EV5.
Still in its concept form the Kia Concept EV3 features no conventional door handles, but curiously still sports a standard set of wing mirrors. All around it gets covered in a significant amount of unpainted claddings. From the back, the Kia EV3 is essentially a shrunken EV9.
Inside, things get quite interesting in the Kia EV3. The dashboard now only occupies the middle part of the cabin and the cabin floor for the first row is spacious, with only the accelerator and brake pedal being present.
The dashboard design itself is also very minimalist, sporting seamlessly integrated air conditioning vents and a simple floating twin-screen setup for the main head unit and the digital instrument cluster. The steering wheel is octagonal. The rest of the cabin sports a minimalist theme.
Being a concept car, Kia has taken the opportunity to introduce interesting ergonomic features in the Concept EV3. These include the mini tables that rotate (in length, position, and angle), 4 customer experience-enhancing modes (Focus, Social, Refreshing, and Storage), and folding rear seats that also fold upwards allowing users to carry bulky items like electric scooters and bicycles.
Kia Global Design Centre, Karim Habib said, “Joy can be seen as the antithesis of reason. One is a positive, emotional response, and the other is derived from logic. When the two are combined, though, their contrasting qualities merge into a powerful and highly impactful design,”
“With the Concept EV3, the ‘Joy for Reason’ influence is evident in the contrasting qualities of a robust body combined with a dynamic silhouette. In addition, the unexpected treatment of volumes and graphics simultaneously interlock with each other, creating a logical yet emotional design.”
The Kia Concept EV3 aims to deliver the Kia EV9’s benefits in a compact SUV, while the Kia Concept EV4 reimagines electric sedans with a striking design. In addition to unveiling the lineup, the event showcased Kia’s EV strategy, aimed at improving customer convenience, reliability, and addressing common concerns, including charging infrastructure.
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