New Kia EV3 GT is about to spice up the small SUV world
Even the mild-manner EV3 crossover is getting the GT treatment
Our spies first caught the new EV3 GT back in February undergoing cold-weather testing and since then we’ve spied it on the road and even on the Nurburgring. Now we await its unveiling in January, alongside GT-branded versions of the EV4 and EV5 at the Brussels Motor Show.
Until the Kia EV2 and its sporty GT variant arrive, the upcoming EV3 GT will be Kia’s entry-level GT model and will have a few rivals to contend with. There’s the new Vauxhall Mokka GSE, Volvo EX30 Twin Motor Performance, Smart #1 Brabus and Cupra Born VZ, plus the diminishing petrol-powered hot hatch sector.
Kia has been quiet on the EV3 GT’s powertrain, although this hot edition sits on the same e-GMP architecture as the standard car. Dual-motor layouts have already been confirmed for the EV3 range, suggesting the EV3 GT be equipped with a version of this set-up. Its power output isn’t likely to match the larger EV4 GT’s mooted 400bhp, so the same 302bhp and 480Nm of torque set-up as the new EV5 GT seems more likely.
What the e-GMP underpinnings will allow the EV3 GT to feature is virtual gearshifts. Such a set-up was first seen in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, but Kia’s set-up isn’t as involved, although in other Kia GT cars – including the EV6 GT and new EV9 GT – it replicates a V6 engine with an eight-speed automatic. We’ll have to wait and see if this applies to the entry EV3 GT too.
As for the EV3 GT’s design, while there’s still lots of cladding on the test car we spotted, we can see elements that confirm this car’s more performance-oriented identity. These include chunky 20-inch wheels and, in some previous spyshots, green brake calipers.
In addition to these details, we’re expecting to see either new or heavily revised bumpers that take the existing design language from the EV3 GT-Line – already available used from under £30,000 through the Auto Express Buy A Car service – and bulk it up. Previously spotted prototypes also revealed a quirky blue interior with GT-embossed sports seats and contrasting green stitching. These seats seem to mirror those in the EV9 GT.
The current, top-spec EV3 GT-Line S costs around £44k, so the GT is expected to sit nearer the £50,000 mark, which is pretty much standard for a modern hot hatchback.
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