Kia EV3 opens pre-orders in Mexico; U.S. version to launch this year

Kia has officially launched pre-orders for its new all-electric compact SUV — the EV3 — in Mexico, marking an accelerated global commercial rollout. The model will be locally produced in Mexico and exported to the U.S. market later this year.

At the regular press briefing "Mañanera del Pueblo" hosted by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, Horacia Chávez, General Manager of Kia Mexico, announced a $649 million investment to build an electric vehicle manufacturing facility in the country. The first prototype vehicles were completed in March this year, and this pre-order campaign targets the production-spec model.

The 2027 Kia EV3 will be offered with two battery options: the standard-range variant features a 58.3 kWh battery, delivering up to 436 km (270 miles) under WLTP conditions; the long-range version uses an 81.4 kWh battery, extending WLTP range to 605 km (375 miles). The SXL trim is now available for reservation on Mercado Libre Mexico, starting at MXN 767,700 (~USD 44,000).

In the U.S., the 2027 EV3 is scheduled to go on sale before year-end, offering five trims: Light, Wind, Land, GT-Line, and GT. The entry-level Light trim uses the 58.3 kWh battery, with an estimated EPA range of 220 miles. The Wind, Land, GT-Line, and GT trims offer the optional 81.4 kWh long-range battery, enabling up to 320 miles of EPA range for front-wheel-drive variants. All-wheel drive is optional on Wind and Land trims but standard on GT-Line and GT.

Built on Hyundai Automotive Group's 400V E-GMP dedicated EV platform, the EV3 supports the NACS native charging connector. With the 58.3 kWh battery, the Light trim can charge from 10% to 80% in approximately 29 minutes; the 81.4 kWh version takes about 31 minutes. Official U.S. pricing has not yet been announced, though industry estimates place the starting price around USD 35,000 — potentially making it one of the most affordable all-new battery-electric SUVs in the U.S. market.