The Press

Kia’s new SUV could be its best looking

The car maker has tuned its new EV3 and boy is it a looker, writes Nile Bijoux.

Overnight, Kia took the wraps off it’s next fully electric model, the EV3, which is set to follow the EV5 and EV9. The EV3 is a compact SUV, bringing the same boxy-yet-futuristic design as seen in the EV5 and EV9 to its smallest form factor yet. There are vertical headlights pushed right to the corners of the nose, extending over the chunky wheel arches, with a jagged, horizontal DRL connected by a black style bar.

The profile features a gently sloping roofline which transition­s into a hatchbacks­tyle tailgate. A thick black line at the top of the C-pillar gives a floating appearance to the roof, while a geometric rear lamp design integrates nicely with the rear glass.

GT-Line models get different lower body trim at both ends which adds to the dynamism, along with a different wheel design.

There are a few interestin­g features in the cabin, like a centre console that incorporat­es a sliding table and storage table. The lower area can store drinks, snacks, and even small backpacks, while personal electronic items – such as laptops and tablets – can be placed on the table when the vehicle is stationary.

Along with multi-adjustable ambient lighting and ultra-comfortabl­e seats, which incorporat­e a fold-back relaxation mode, the sliding table enables occupants to enjoy maximum relaxation when parked.

Two unified 12.3-inch displays across the dash - one behind the wheel and the other for infotainme­nt duties - are paired with a five-inch air-conditioni­ng panel, like in the EV9. It also gets a similar panel of haptic buttons just below the centre screen.

As with every new Kia, the EV3 incorporat­es various sustainabl­e items to accelerate sustainabi­lity at scale. Recycled fabric is applied to the dashboard and door trims to create an intimate and home-like ambience. Polyethyle­ne terephthal­ate (PET), which is among the most easily recycled plastics in the world, features in numerous areas of the interior, including the seats, headliner, door armrests, garnish, floor mats, and luggage board.

This is the first electric model to features Kia’s AI assistant, previously seen on the overseas K4 sedan. Thanks to generative AI, the assistant comprehend­s complex contexts through natural language understand­ing, enabling it to converse naturally with users.

As for what’s under the skin, the EV3 will be exclusivel­y front-wheel drive, using a single 150kW/283Nm motor on the front axle. It is paired with either a 58.3kWh battery in Standard models while the Long Range gets an 81.4kWh unit.

The 0-100kph run is still pretty brisk, done in 7.5 seconds, while Kia is only offering range figures for the Long Range model - up to 600km on the WLTP standard. Fast charging support allows the battery to charge from 10-80% in just over half an hour.

Size-wise, the EV3 measures 4300mm long, 1850mm wide, 1560mm high and has a wheelbase of 2680mm. It also has a 25-litre frunk and a 460-litre boot, before the seats are folded.

“The Kia EV3 has been designed and engineered to meet the needs of customers who want a car that matches their sustainabi­lity values but do not want to compromise their practical everyday needs. It provides one of the best living and luggage sizes in its class, while our flexible E-GMP architectu­re delivers a best-in-class electric driving range.

“With the EV3, Kia has redefined the EV SUV segment to create a compact model that is comprehens­ively equipped with innovative technology and features,” said Spencer Cho, Vice President and Head of Global Business Planning. The EV3 also features vehicle-to-load (V2L) charging, able to power everything from a laptop to a small fridge or a coffee machine.

Kia New Zealand is yet to confirm pricing and specificat­ions. That informatio­n will likely arrive towards the end of 2024 or early 2025.

Unsung Hero (PG, 114 mins) Directed by Joel Smallbone and Richard Ramsey Reviewed by James Croot ***

‘Nothing in this business is 100%, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunit­y.” Helen Smallbone (Daisy Betts) has always had faith in her music promoter husband David (Joel Smallbone), but, despite his assurances, his latest, ambitious plan “feels like we’re putting our lives on the line”.

And, for once, his innate ability to connect an artist to an audience fails him, as a shock downturn in the Australian economy at the start of the 1990s contribute­s greatly to extremely poor ticket sales for Amy Grant’s twoweek tour. Suddenly he’s lost $500,000 and no-one in “the Lucky Country” is returning his phone calls.

Desperate to stay in the industry, he reaches out to American performer Carmen, who suggests he’s looking for a partner to help him set up a record label in Nashville. Despite concerns from their parents and a now pregnant Helen, the Smallbones head to the US on a sixmonth visa, but hopeful of staying for at least two years.

However, David’s dream quickly turns into a nightmare. Border control issues in Los Angeles mean they miss their flight to Tennessee. Then they arrive to an unfurnishe­d house – and the news that Carmen has taken a better deal.

Thanks to the “kindness of strangers” (well, their neighbours), they’re able to stay afloat long enough for David to realise that the inspiratio­n to keep his passionate calling alive might just come from within his own kin.

A faith-based family drama that also doubles as the origin story for hit Christian musicians Rebecca St John and For King & Country, it’s hard not to be won over by the trials and tribulatio­ns of this proto-Partridge Family.

That’s thanks largely to a terrific performanc­e from the Anna Paquinesqu­e Betts (Girlfriend­s Guide to Divorce). She really helps sell the increasing conflict and angst, even if musician Joel Smallbone (one-half of For King & Country and also the film’s co-director and writer) doesn’t always convince in his portrayal of his father.

Costuming and production design do a great job of evoking Bob Hawke-era Australia and George Herbert Walker Bush’s America, but it’s the soundtrack that really surprises. Instead of a predictabl­e collection of Christian pop and rock, we have evocative classic cuts from the early 90s by everyone from Jesus Jones to Lenny Kravitz and Seal.

That might feel like a missed opportunit­y to introduce the Smallbone family’s music of today to a wider audience, but it’s a decision that serves the story – and an audience’s immersion in it – well.