[Test Drive] Kia EV3 takes regenerative braking to next level

New range guidance feature adds fun to EV driving

Kia EV3 (Hyundai Motor Group)

Kia is going all-out to turn around the slowing growth of electric vehicles with the launch of its latest all-electric vehicle EV3 as the Korean automaker has developed an affordable, all-around EV.

The Korea Herald got to check out the Kia EV3 long-range model with 17-inch wheels for a test drive last week. The 201-kilometer course included city drive, highways and winding roads between Seoul and the eastern city of Sokcho in Gangwon Province.

Categorized as a subcompact crossover sports utility vehicle, the EV3 measures at 4,300 millimeters in length, 1,850 mm in width and 1,560 mm in height. The front side of the vehicle resembles the EV9, Kia’s large three-row electric SUV, but the EV3 appears to have a smoother overall exterior.

The interior of the EV3 was based on minimalistic simplicity as the dashboard featured a panoramic wide display that combined a 12.3-inch cluster, a 5-inch heating, ventilation and air conditioning control screen and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen. The front row’s ambient lighting that reaches the two front doors on the sides allowed different moods inside the vehicle.

The thing that stood out the most about the EV’s interior was the soft comfort of the headrest.

As the vehicle’s battery was charged 90 percent before the test drive began, the cluster’s guidance showed that the car could drive between 288 kilometers and 670 km depending on the efficiency of the driver. The Possible Driving Distance Guide feature has been installed in the EV3 for the first time among Hyundai Motor Group’s EVs.

The EV3 is also the first vehicle equipped with the auto giant’s Smart Regenerative System 3.0 which combines regenerative braking with autonomous driving. The test drive demonstrated that the automaker has truly taken regenerative braking to another level.

Once the smart regenerative braking was on, the break pedal rarely had to be used throughout the 201 km course unless it was time to park the car.

The smart regenerative braking system automatically slowed the car down by sensing the distance from the car in front of the EV3. Depending on the vehicle's speed, the system controls the force of regenerative braking, which has four different levels. The smart regenerative braking system reduces speed by sensing speed cameras, turns, curves, speed limits, speed bumps and roundabouts. Combined with the vehicle’s other advanced driving assistance features such as steering aid, it almost felt like an autonomous drive. On the other hand, the driver could choose which level of regenerative braking to use.

By the end of the 201 km course, the remaining battery stood at 51 percent as the driver logged a fuel efficiency of 6.2 km per kilowatt-hour. The cluster displayed that with the 51 percent-charged battery, the car could drive a distance between 156 km and 365 km.

The price of the EV3 begins at 42.08 million won ($30,360) in Korea. Kia plans to release the EV3 in global markets including Europe in the second half of this year. The EV3 is expected to hit the North American market next year.

By Kan Hyeong-woo(hwkan@heraldcorp.com)