Kia confirms all-wheel drive EV3 GT

KIA Motor Corporation vice president and head of global business planning Spencer Cho has told global media assembled for this week’s reveal of the EV3 compact SUV that the brand is working to ready a GT performance version of the model.

While Mr Cho did not confirm timing for the high-performance variant, he did hint that the model will utilise the same underpinnings at the all-wheel drive EV9. That means the EV3 GT could output as much as 283kW and 700Nm – potentially making it faster than the current EV6 GT that boasts a 0-100km/h time of just 3.5 seconds.

“The EV3 will have dual-motor versions when the time comes. Of course, we will unveil first with the front-wheel drive (before announcing) when the dual-motor versions will become available,” he said.

“The (model) will be the EV3 GT. One of our overarching product strategies is that all our EV models will have a GT variant.”

Mr Cho said that because of its E-GMP architecture, the EV3 could have offered front- or rear-wheel drive configuration in its base form, the platform allowing the flexibility to offer drive to each axle individually, or to both as in the case of the GT variant.

In its base format, the EV3 will be front wheel driven, owing primarily to packaging and price considerations. Kia aims to release the model with a price point of between $35,000 and $50,000 depending on variant, making it a direct rival to the likes of the BYD Atto 3 and MG ZS, among others.

“The EV3 is built on our E-GMP platform … a modular platform that can develop rear-wheel drive models, or front-wheel drive models, or all-wheel drive models, whatever we want,” he added.

“In the case of the EV3, our E-GMP platform will be (configured as a) front-wheel drive to target customers who are looking for an affordable electric vehicle … it will offer differing benefits to those of the EV6 or EV9, which are bigger and more high-performance models.

“Instead, the (volume) EV3 model will target mainstream EV3 buyers, and that is why we have chosen the E-GMP platform with front-wheel drive. It is a much lighter platform that allows benefits (including a lower price) to those customers.”

Hinting at the proposed design of the EV 3 GT, Kia executive vice president and head of global design Karim Habib suggested the variant will take on a character closer to that of the GT-Line grade, with more colour coding of its body cladding and garnishing.

“The GT we will be talking about a little later. But when it comes to the GT-Line, which will also be available when we launch the car, it has the intention of being a little sportier, a little bit more dynamic,” he said.

“We focused a bit more on integrating the body colour on the exterior, so there is less if at all in terms of metal garnish. We won’t have any on the exterior.

“We will focus on a type of triangular wing that we have on the front and in the rear, and of course in the interior we have our (grade) specific colours and material concept as well as GT-Line steering wheel that we will have as well.”

The Kia EV3 is due to commence sale in its home market in July (2024) and Europe in the latter half of the year. GoAuto understands the model will be launched in Australia in early 2025.