- A sporty GT version of Kia’s EV3 electric SUV has been spotted testing in the Arctic.
- Lime-colored brake calipers and GT logos on the headrests are the big giveaways.
- The GT’s dual-motor, all-wheel drive powertrain should deliver around 276 hp.
We came away seriously impressed after driving the Kia EV3, but there’s one thing that might have put a few potential buyers off: the limited powertrain options. When we say limited, we mean there aren’t any, because every EV3 comes with one motor, but that’s about to change, as these spy shots of an EV3 GT prove.
Kia openly admits that a sporty GT version of the baby SUV is coming, but it hasn’t revealed any details of the new range-topper. Sources close to the company, however, told Carscoops that the GT will feature a dual-motor drivetrain making around 276 hp (280 PS).
Related: New Kia EV3 Confirmed For US, Gets Sporty GT Too
If correct, that means the wildest EV3 won’t be quite as wild as some people were expecting given that EV6 GT now makes 601 hp (448 kW / 609 PS). But it will still make the EV3 GT feel completely different from the current single-motor EV3, which only generates 201 hp (150 kW / 204 PS). We’d expect the GT to do 0-60 in around five seconds, helped by its all-wheel drive traction.
GT design giveaways
Heavy disguise on this prototype prevents us from pinpointing the bodywork changes, which will build on the styling tweaks already seen on the existing GT-Line trim. Compared with the entry-level Air, GT Line adds gloss black arches, angrier-looking bumpers, and full LED lights.
We can see that the lime green brake calipers, a GT feature pinched from the EV6 GT, but the EV3’s lower weight and smaller power output means Kia appears to have cheaped-out and fitted basic sliding calipers to the front axle rather than the four-piston units it uses on the EV6 GT. Don’t pay too much attention to the wheels, by the way. They’re from the Hyundai Ioniq 6 (it even says so on the rim face) and will be swapped by the time the GT makes its debut.
Sport seats, lime accents
Our spy photographer also managed to knock off a few interior shots, revealing the GT legend embossed into the headrests of the new sports seats and more GT-specific lime green highlights. Like other EV3s, the GT should have a 12.3-inch instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch infotainment display, and a separate 5-inch touchscreen for climate controls, positioned between them.
The GT will skip the small 58.3 kWh battery that’s only available on the base EV3 Air and instead come with an 81.4 kWh pack. A front-wheel drive, single-motor GT-Line S fitted with that battery and 19-inch wheels has a WLTP range of 362 miles (583 km), but the heavier dual-motor GT won’t be quite as long-legged.
And like other EV3s it’ll have to make do with 400-volt charging tech rather than the 800-volt architecture offered in Kia’s bigger EVs. A 10-80 percent fill on a charger dishing out at least 150 kW should take the same 31 minutes it does on other big-battery EV3s.
The EV3 GT should debut later this year, but it’s not the only new EV3 Kia has planned. It’s also working on a less-speedy, non-GT dual-motor version with about 227 hp (230 PS) for folks who want all-wheel drive but aren’t bothered about outright performance.
