Kia EV3 GT confirmed

Kia has confirmed a high-performance GT version of the new 2024 Kia EV3 compact SUV is in the works, along with hot versions of the EV5, EV2, EV4 and indeed every dedicated Kia ‘EV’ model.

Speaking to media at the Kia EV3’s global reveal this week, Kia’s global business planning boss Spencer Cho said the dual-motor versions would be revealed at a later date, culminating in the release of an EV3 GT.

“For sure, absolutely, the EV3 will have the dual-motor versions when the time comes,” he said.

“Then will be the EV3 GT.”

If that isn’t reason enough for compact performance car fans to get excited, Cho then immediately backed up his comments with confirmation that every Kia ‘EV’ model will have a high-performance GT flagship.

“One of our over-arching product strategies is all our ‘EV’ models will have the GT models,” he said.

The next GT-branded EV we’ll see from Kia is the monstrous EV9 flagship SUV, which has already been locked in for a 2025 release and will dispatch the 0-100km/h sprint in four seconds flat, but it will also no doubt be hideously expensive given the standard EV9 is priced from almost $100,000.

Kia’s confirmation that every EV model is in line for the GT treatment is great news for performance fans who don’t have six figures to spend, given the upcoming EV5, EV3, EV4 and eventual EV2 are all about making EVs more accessible, particularly the latter three.

Executives weren’t willing to comment any further on the hot EV3 beyond the inclusion of a dual-motor powertrain, but we’d guess at a peak power output north of 300kW as per the Volvo EX30 Twin Motor Performance Ultra.

A sub-5.0sec 0-100km/h time should also be par for the course, and the same recipe is likely to apply to the EV4 GT sedan, which will inevitably lock horns with the Tesla Model 3 Performance – just as the EV5 GT will square up to the Tesla Model Y Performance.

But the EV2 and EV1 are perhaps the most mouth-watering prospects, given they’ll be the cheapest electric Kia GTs of them all and could set the tone for all future electric hot hatches, of which there are still very few.

Kia will no doubt be helped in its electric performance endeavours by the pioneering progress of Hyundai’s N division, which largely rewrote the rulebook with its new IONIQ 5 N and is expected to continue doing so with the upcoming IONIQ 6 N.

While Hyundai won’t share all its tricks, it ultimately doesn’t need to since Kia’s GT models are typically more road-oriented than the track-focused Ns, which should help the Kias come to market first and retail for considerably less money than their cousins – as per the EV6 GT and IONIQ 5 N relationship.

The EV5, EV4, EV3 and EV2 will all feature 400V electrical architectures, delivering an immediate price advantage over the more advanced 800V models – something that may hinder their racetrack capabilities compared to their eventual N-car equivalents, but they should still be deftly capable road cars.

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