Kia EV3 GT – hot version of the excellent compact crossover has us all cross-eyed

A hot Kia EV3 GT is just around the corner. New spy shots show the Korean brand putting the finishing touches to its new compact, yet very high performance, hatchback. Well, the EV3 is either a hatchback or SUV, depending on your point-of-view, but this new GT model will bring some excitement to the already excellent EV, either way.  

Kia has long claimed that it would launch hot GT variants of all its electric EV-badged models, so it makes sense that the next in line after the recently facelifted EV6 GT and brand new EV9 GT, would be the EV3 GT. 

While there’s still lots of cladding on the test car’s bodywork to hide away many of the key details, we can see elements that confirm this car’s identity. These include chunky 20-inch wheels and green brake calipers, albeit only on the rear axle. 

In addition to these elements, we’re expecting to see either new or heavily revised bumpers that take the existing design language from the EV3 GT-Line - already on sale and with the latest offers available through Auto Express marketplace - 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 found on the EV9 GT.

Kia has not confirmed what powertrain will be found under the new EV3 GT’s skin, but dual-motor layouts have already been confirmed for the EV3 range, suggesting it’ll be equipped with a version of this setup. 

We don’t think it’ll quite match the EV6’s circa-600bhp power figure, but a more reasonable output somewhere around the 400bhp mark is likely. The critical success of Hyundai and Kia’s virtual gear shift system, and the fact it’s installed in the new EV6 GT, suggests that it too could be applied to the EV3. If so, it will help give the car a more boisterous character than the standard model. 

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Given the EV3 has been on sale now for around a year, the production Kia EV3 GT will probably arrive in the next 12 months or so. It represents the first 400V e-GMP platform model to be fitted with a high performance powertrain, giving us a certain amount of insight into what else Kia or Hyundai might have in store for other future models like the EV4. The current, top-spec EV3 costs around £44k, so the GT is expected to comfortably breach the £50k barrier, but this seems to be the price of admission for a modern hot hatchback.

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