Credit: Kia

Today marks a refreshing change from the doom and gloom we’ve seen in the EV industry over the last few weeks.

New York is holding its annual auto show, and while these events don’t hold as much relevance for the media as they did a decade ago, Kia is keeping the spirit alive, this morning debuting a couple of new vehicles for model year 2027 that we think hit the current mood. These are not ginormous three-rows. They’re not even mid-sized SUVs. People have been asking for small cars, and it seems at least Kia has heard the message with the 2027 EV3 and a new Seltos, which will now offer a hybrid option.

EV3

We got our first look at the EV more than two years ago, together with the EV4 sedan. Despite our drive of the latter last year, the EV4’s US launch was shelved. That’s not true for the EV3, which sticks with more popular SUV styling that mimics the bigger EV9. Ars drove the EV3 briefly in 2025, too—check out Kristin Shaw’s early drive impressions to learn more about how it handled.

The EV3 uses a 400 V version of the E-GMP platform that Kia (and Hyundai) have used to good effect in larger 800 V EVs. The entry-level EV3 Light uses a 58.3 kWh “standard range” battery pack. Like pricing, EPA range estimates aren’t available yet, but Kia reckons the EV3 Light should be good for around 220 miles (354 km) on a single charge. DC fast-charging this pack should take 29 minutes from 10 to 80 percent, Kia says.

Charge ports now use NACS, with plug-and-charge so you can connect to most chargers without needing an extra app on your phone or infotainment system. Both vehicle-to-load (120 V power for devices) and vehicle-to-home (using your car as a battery for your house, which requires a special wallbox) will be available.

The other EV3s—the Wind, Land, GT-Line, and GT—all make use of a larger 81.4 kWh pack that provides as much as 320 miles (515 km) of range if you stick with front wheel drive. The larger pack also makes all-wheel-drive possible via a second motor for the rear axle as an option for the Wind and Land trims but standard on the GT-Line and GT. The GT also boasts a bit more oomph with 288 hp (215 kW), up from 261 hp (195 kW) for the other AWD EV3s. (Kia didn’t specify FWD output in the press materials it sent us, but we’re pretty sure it’s 201 hp/150 kW.)

The infotainment is the same system seen in the EV9. It is OTA-updatable, and Kia tells us there’s a range of customizable dashboard themes from Disney and National Geographic, as well as the NBA and FIFA World Cup, should you find the default ones uninspiring. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard.

The EV3 goes on sale here in late 2026; we’ll learn pricing closer to launch, though we expect the short-range car to start at around $35,000.

Seltos Hybrid

Kia also has an all-new version of its little Seltos SUV on display in the Big Apple. The last one wasn’t bad at all, and for model year 2027, there’s a naturally aspirated 2.0 L version and another with a 1.6 L turbocharged engine, but it’s the hybrid I’m most interested in. This is new for this generation of Seltos and pairs a 1.6 L turbocharged four-cylinder with an electric motor, both powering the front axle, with a second eAxle for AWD as an option.

The Seltos, like the EV3, comes with a suite of advanced driver assists to warn you about blind spots and approaching vehicles, and there’s the same themeable infotainment with standard CarPlay and Android Auto. The hybrid Seltos also goes on sale in late 2026, so we have a little time to wait before we find out how much it will cost and what its fuel economy looks like.