Behind the wheel: Amy and passengers Mum, Dad, and Lola  

Full disclosure: I currently drive a car built in 2014. So, a lot of features now standard in modern vehicles are a fresh delight to me. Things such as blind spot alerts, lane keeping, rear cross traffic warning with auto braking, and instantly demisting the car with a button press rather than cranking the air con on a cold night.

But don’t worry – I’m happy to report that on top of such features most people would take for granted, the Kia EV3 has so much more to wow even the savviest of new car shoppers.

I was delivered the top-spec GT-Line in the enduringly stylish Matcha Green shade (with Medium Grey interior). As a resident of Richmond in Melbourne, I mostly drive around the city and inner suburbs, so I decided to go the same way with the Matcha Maiden to see how she’d fit my lifestyle.

Although I’ve test-driven EVs before, looking after one for a week is different. My main hurdle was learning to trust that the car was indeed turned off given the absence of any motor sounds!

The EV3 is a small SUV, but as someone who’s only ever driven small hatches, I worried it may be too sizeable for me. How wrong I was. The spaciousness contradicts the light and nimble handling. I was further relaxed by the comfiest seats I’ve ever experienced.

I was pleasantly surprised at how seamless it was to switch from my bare-bones petrol car to the top-of-the-line Kia EV3 GT-Line with all the bells and whistles. This is a deliberate strategy from Kia – watch Roland Rivero, GM Product Planning chat about it below.

Kia’s EVs have the option of being driven the same way as a ‘regular’ vehicle, or in a uniquely EV way like a Tesla using one pedal driving (Kia calls it i-Pedal 3.0). In lever-activated i-Pedal mode, most of the car’s acceleration, deceleration, reversing, and stopping is controlled solely by the accelerator pedal. i-Pedal works in tandem with regenerative braking, which maximises efficiency (by capturing and reusing energy typically lost during braking/coasting) and can be toggled to different levels to suit driving conditions. For example, in stop-start traffic I flipped to the highest Level 3 braking to enable the car to slow quickly.

Unlike many other EVs, this flexibility allows you to keep your same driving habits while you get acquainted with your new EV. When you’re ready, you can try out regenerative braking and one pedal driving. Like me, most sceptics end up convinced. Read on for details of exclusive Kia tech that integrates semi-autonomous driving with this system.

On a sunny autumn Sunday, I took my parents for a drive to Williamstown beach.

Both currently own European vehicles, but Dad was quick to declare that the EV3 ‘drives beautifully’ and praised the suspension.

After a photo stop by the water, Mum was freezing from the sea breeze. We thawed her out in the heated passenger seat (Earth and GT Line feature). I also enjoyed warming up with the heated steering wheel – a treat on chilly mornings.

One of the reasons the EV3 is so simple to get accustomed to is the inclusion of buttons/switches for high-use functions instead of nesting everything within a touch screen. This engineering choice is more expensive for a carmaker, but it pays off in terms of driver experience and safety.

Kia is ahead of the game in this regard. Europe’s New Car Assessment Program (EuroNCAP) recently revealed that from 2026, the use of physical buttons for basic controls like cabin air and volume will be necessary to top the safety ratings.

Heading to lunch, we discovered our visit coincided with market day, meaning there wasn’t a car park in sight in the main street… except for an EV charging car spot. Being a council charger, it required a BYO charging cable, and the port was out of order. Luckily, I didn’t need to charge, so I simply scored a great car space. Chatting to the drivers next door charging from the working port revealed their motivation was the same. I wonder how long this secret perk will exist given the uptake of EVs.

The design of the EV3 is so intuitive in even the smallest ways. For example, the charge port is located on the driver-side front, meaning less issues trying to stretch a cable around to the back of the car.

We took the scenic route home, and for the first time I noticed a little red eye alert appearing on the dash, accompanied by beeping.

A quick search revealed it to be a driver road inattention warning. I think what triggered it on this day was a) looking around at my unfamiliar surrounds, and b) my habit of making slow deliberate checks of my speedo because my own car’s dash isn’t digital. People who drive one-handed with their arm covering the steering wheel centre also get hit with the red eye because the mounted camera is blocked from tracking their vision. It’s an example of safety features working to retrain unsafe driving habits. Note: the GT Line includes a Head Up Display projecting speed info to the windscreen, although for me it didn’t feel essential.

Back in Richmond, I dropped in on a friend for help testing out the boot. Sure, it’s height-adjustable – ideal to deepen for stacking luggage – but could the 460L boot space cater to her dog Lola?

A standard inclusion with the Kia EV3 that allows owners to power appliances such as a laptop, coffee machine, small fridge, or even a movie projector.

Cabin dreams
My car has an interior; the EV3 has a cabin. Comfort, protection, peace and quiet – until you turn the tunes up through the crisp, powerful Harman Kardon® speakers (exclusive to GT Line). I also enjoyed the GT Line’s extendable tabletop – or as I call it the cheeseboard – making me feel like I was primed for a portable picnic at any moment. Others may prefer the more typical console design on the Air and Earth models.

Diminutive driver approved
This car is easily customised for the less vertical. For me, the smart power tailgate is a must-have (Earth and GT Line), and with the touch of a button, you can program the boot opening height to a comfortable level. The GT Line also activates automatic seat zoom back when you prepare to exit from the front – ideal for those of us who’ve been scrunched up nearer to the wheel when driving.

‘Get going’ nudge
My regular routes contain multiple points where being quick off the mark helps more queued cars get through a right-hand turn lane while the light’s green. That’s why I love the ‘vehicle in front has taken off’ screen prompt gentle reminder to get a move on.

This car shifted so many of my pre-conceptions. I never thought I’d be an SUV person or a sunroof person; turns out I am when it comes to the Kia EV3. I never knew I would miss having a heated steering wheel. I’m also left with absolutely no doubt that an EV would effortlessly suit my driving habits. I expect I could charge her up once every 10-14 days, which is about how often I currently get petrol, only cheaper and easier.

If you’ve been holding back on committing to an EV or, like me, a car built this decade, I believe the EV3 could be the one to get you over the line.