Kia EV3: Sweet, Small, and Set to Arrive Soon in the U.S.

 

The concept reveals of the past few years have been nothing short of amazing here at Jim Butler Kia of St. Louis. When these futuristic and groundbreaking ideas first make their way to the mainstream, they can be jaw-droppingly visionary. When the Kia EV3 was officially revealed, it emerged uniquely with a distinct and boxy charm. 

The glitz, glamor, and notion of things to come during the Milan Design Week 2024 gave auto industry execs and fans from all walks of life some living and breathing examples of what to expect from future models. “Cube-sized and cute” is the way to describe the EV3’s first visual impressions, with its trademark squared-off hood and hatchback rear glass. Existing as the current market’s spot-on description of a “true compact”, the EV3 is 14 feet long and about five feet tall. 

This cheery and quite capable EV sits fairly low to the ground, which provides the visual effect of sporting a much smaller waist. The sideline and wheel wells have a dark cladding, and all EV3 versions ride on 19-inch wheels with a very cool two-tone finish. There are four new color choices for the EV3, as you can now pick Aventurine Green, Shale Grey, Frost Blue, and Terracotta to tie together a charming aesthetic along with a slightly robotic vertical headlight design. 

The Car and Driver review team was incredibly impressed with the design playbook that Kia used for this innovative model, which strays drastically from most of the edgy and aggressive models currently out there. Without a single “mean bone in its body”, the EV3 comes across as a cute and excited puppy. The trim line looks like it will consist of a standard model that properly evokes the Kia design language and EV spirit, followed up with the sportier and aggressive GT-Line. 

The GT-Line will hit the pavement poised for eco-friendly and thrilling performance with different body cladding, a unique front bumper, and GT-Line-only 19-inch wheels. Layout is expected to carry over the similar very spacious and simple concept, with seating for five and plenty of accessibility. The trend of the ever-expanding screen size has also not abruptly halted here, as consumers have loved enjoying the cabin’s comforts just as much as they would at home. Here there will be two 12.3-inch models across the dash, connected by a 5.0-inch panel providing the climate control readout.

There is also a natural language voice control currently in development, which will be able to control the car’s functions or complete map searches based on spoken commands. The urge to snack while counting miles is undeniable, as the proverbial Wheat Thins or Ritz can make the commute or after-school event much more bearable! The EV3’s console lid can pull out cleverly as a table for just this purpose, and then slide back to make room for a clutch or cute cellphone bag. Regenerative braking will be controlled from the steering wheel for the first time in a Kia vehicle, and the GT-Line trim is likely to offer all-wheel-drive. 

Kia Sportage Cruises to Victory as U.S. News’ Best Hybrid and Electric Car of the Year!

 

The beginning of Q2 here at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis is a whirlwind of activity for many of our employees, their families, and our customers! It’s time to begin ringing in the warm weather with plans for excursions to museums, parks, and swimming pools... and we’re afraid that “yesterday’s clunker” simply won’t do! All of Kia’s vehicles have proven to be resilient, high-functioning, and reliable. It also gives us great pride to watch the stack of awards roll in from heavy hitters such as U.S. News & World Report. 

They just announced the winner of their “Best Plug-In Hybrid SUV” category, signifying another quite memorable first! To come up with the winners of this category, U.S News took the time to evaluate 96 luxury and very affordable hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric cars, SUVs, and trucks. Elements taken into account were EPA fuel ratings, pricing info, and findings from the press.

Plug-in hybrids are a very thrilling bridge to an all-electric future, with the Sportage's 34-mile all-electric range able to tackle many average daily commutes right here in St Louis. After undergoing a complete redesign last year, the 2024 Sportage now arrives primed and ready for each test drive with new interior and exterior updates. The Edmunds.com review crew praised the Sportage for its comfortable ride quality, very spacious seating, and massive rear cargo area. Once you add Kia’s amazing warranty coverage and low prices to the equation, the Sportage wholeheartedly remains a class leader!

Numerous testing pros have praised the suspension’s soft tune, which allows it to absorb bumps and pavement that has stood the test of time with ease. The rear seats have an abundance of adjustable recline, which delights rearview passengers during 60+ mile endeavors. After closely examining the climate control layout, the Edmunds crew loved that it converts the controls to media layouts while not in use. The new touchscreen iconography resembles neon signs, evoking a modern and nearly “cyber cafe”-styled look. 

Visibility is excellent thanks to XXL windows and body dimensions that aren’t too tough to gauge directly from the driver’s seat. The Prestige trim adds the very useful camera-surround system, while USB-C and A ports are plentiful in both rows. The adaptive cruise control excellently holds gaps without the need to constantly tap the brakes, and none of the collision systems gave this testing crew any false alerts. “Smart Pack” operates well in the common pinch found in any big-box parking lot: if things get just a bit hectic, you can get in or out of any parking spot with just the key FOB. 

The review staff analyzing the best and worst of these vehicles for awards determination consider space, and the Sportage delivers 39.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row, and 74.1 cubic feet with the row folded down. The rear seats can also be folded down from the hatch, and the rear seats have car anchors that are incredibly easy to locate and use. The rugged looks of the X-Pro will entice anyone who is constantly itching to go far beyond the stretches of urban pavement, and the J.D. Power review crew gave the Sportage their coveted rating of “Great” for reliability. 

The 2024 Kia Niro EV Excels at Everyday Electric Efficiency

 

We have been incredibly impressed with how well drivers are taking to the EV6 here at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis, as review staff and experts alike have claimed it is one of the best values on the market today. It has been just a little under two years since the latest-generation Niro was introduced in combustion, hybrid, and all-electric variants, with the newer model appearing on the scene with the traits everyone loves from the EV6 laced with a more traditional and compact SUV.

The Carscoops.com review team was excited to try the Niro out for an entire week and concluded that it’s a very well-put-together EV with its own sense of distinct charm and candor. Their test model was the EV GT-Line, which derives power from an electric motor cranking out 201 horsepower and 255 lb-ft of torque through the front wheels. You’ll zip rapidly up to 60 mph in just 7.8 seconds, and enjoy an interior that is like the EV6’s. One of the telltale and most distinctive features is the two-spoke steering wheel with integrated paddle shifters, on board to control the regenerative braking system. 

Lovers of tech will appreciate the pair of 10.25-inch screens, offering an easy means of operation and a simple platform. There’s a small bar below the screen that hosts the controls for the climate system and multimedia functions, which is a much better layout than the now quite common stuffing of all the controls into the central information display. These particular auto aficionados were very fond of the rotary shifter that crossed over from the EV6 and also felt that the front row had an abundance of useful space. 

USB-C ports are located on the rear of the front seats, along with a 2.6 kW power socket directly under the rear seats that usefully supports all vehicle-to-load duties. Any daily drive or falling leaves-inspired holiday excursion will fare as “good to go” with alloy sport pedals, customizable ambient lighting, an 8-speaker Harmon Kardon audio system, and a 10-inch head-up display. The Carscoops team was very satisfied with how efficient the Niro was on their first 36-mile drive, and over the week proved to average 13.5 kWh/100 km on a mix of suburban highways and roads. 

This solidified the range claim that the car can travel 286 miles on the WLTP cycle, which is improved even further with the brake regen situated in the highest setting. This is the type of vehicle that is very easy to get accustomed to, regardless of if you have experience with EVs or not, and consistently acts as light on its feet. Even though the Niro weighs in at 3,807 lbs, every turn and off-the-line acceleration is spry, calculated, and nimble. The brake regeneration performs at just as top rate a quality in the Niro EV as it does in the EV6, and it is tough to discern just when the regen transitions to mechanical braking.

You’ll notice a very pleasant, hushed character when cruising at highway speeds, also blocking out pesky wind and tire noise. The Edmunds.com review team loved the Niro’s penchant for “granting you some of the space you want out of an SUV that comes nicely wrapped up in a smaller footprint.” This is an excellent option for anyone searching for a great-looking vehicle that can still effectively nail down an EPA-estimated 49 mpg, while getting you around with a sense of efficiency. One delighted reviewer hailing from the St Louis metro claimed that her high marks for her recent purchase went to the amazingly comfortable seats, which made her life easier by remembering her favorite and most ergonomically sound settings.