Kia Ev3 vs Deepal E07

What's the difference?

The GT-Line is relatively expensive, yes. The Air Standard Range isn’t groundbreaking even at under $50,000, no. But the sweet spot in the EV3 line-up is being able to pay $53,315 for the Air Long Range and come away with a roomy small SUV that can realistically cover almost 600km in the real world.

And it does everything properly, no big red flags or dealbreakers.

Its steering weight at speed on winding roads being the biggest complaint isn’t the end of the world for how otherwise comfortable the EV3 feels on-road.

Put it this way - I recently spent a few days in a Mini Aceman, a five-door electric SUV not too far from the EV3 in size. It is about as fast, and costs a little more, but it doesn’t have a lot more to offer in terms of features and it’s nowhere near as good on range with about 400km to its longer-ranged versions.

The EV3 might still have a bit of ‘sensible’ about it compared to some other electric small SUVS, but when it looks this cute and can get you an extra round trip out of the city compared to ‘Euro’ brands at the same price, it’s hard not to be impressed.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The Deepal E07 is a breath of fresh air. It’s exciting to see a vehicle zig when others zag.

It’s not just a conversation-starter, it is well priced, stacked with gear and has some potent performance. Not to mention that rear end has some real-world practicality, even if it isn’t quite a ute.

That is bolstered by a long warranty and a capped-price servicing program to take the risk out of trying a new brand.

It isn’t the sharpest driving machine out there, the safety tech is still annoying and having all the controls in the multimedia screen is infuriating.

Also, there are question marks on if buyers really want or need that fraken-ute rear end.

Time will tell if this car is fad like the mullet haircut or a real-world game changer.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

Family resemblance is everything for Kia’s electric models, and the baby of the bunch so far definitely has lineage on show.

That’s a very good thing for the EV3, because as good as its specs are on paper, the way it looks is key to showroom (or on-road) appeal when it comes to convincing potential buyers.

At the same time as being seemingly made of sharp, angular elements, the EV3’s overall silhouette is relatively soft. Unfortunately, that means Kia’s ‘design philosophy’ (usually a relatively meaningless marketing line) is actually bang-on: Opposites United.

Inside and out, the EV3 is a direct descendant of the brand’s halo EV9 large SUV, and even in base Air specification looks like a properly premium small SUV.

Its narrow LED headlights and taillights were the stuff of Lamborghini concept cars just a few years ago, and its unique wheel designs and the use of contrasting coloured trim can impose either a modern, techy vibe or a bark-over-bite sporty image.

More marketing terms come out in the EV3’s face: Kia Star Map lighting and Tiger Face, respectively the way its lights seem to link ‘points’ together like a constellation map and the grille somewhat resembling a tiger’s nose.

There’s practicality in the design even from the outside - the gentle roof slope is only very slight to avoid eating into interior space, though it’s not the only way the car shrinks at the rear. The front track between the wheels is actually wider than at the rear, so the car is not only shorter but also narrower at the rear. It’s the first time Kia has ever implemented this ‘teardrop’ effect into a car, with the intention being to improve its aerodynamic efficiency.

Most of the colour schemes are decidedly subtle, the new Matcha Green hue looks better in person than can be captured on camera for example, but a new Teracotta colour is an earthy red that really stands out - I’m not sure it suits the car, personally.

In terms of colours inside, it's fairly muted and greyscale, but the mid-spec Earth comes with optional orange interior contrast trim that we weren’t sure would be available in the Australian market.

To invoke a cliche, the interior layout has the vibe of something you might imagine a spaceship cockpit looks like if you were a kid, but it doesn’t sacrifice any practicality by doing so. There are real buttons and switches visible, but only a few as the big screens dominate the driver’s side of the front row.

The look is helped by a series of recycled and “sustainable materials” including recycled PET and bio-based polyurethane. Kia’s aim is to “phase out the use of leather and continuously increase the use of bio-based materials”, so even the GT-Line doesn’t have real leather in it.

The E07 stands out from the crowd. It’s design will turn heads and you’ll have strangers coming over for a sticky beak at all times.

It’s a big beast at more than five metres long and close to two metres wide. That puts it in Toyota LandCruiser territory.

The biggest talking point is the rear. What looks like a liftback is actually a retractable roof that converts it to an open tray at the touch of a button.

You can have it open with the rear seats folded flat or the rear seats up and the glass divider still in place to keep the world at bay.

Outside of the rear end, it's a futuristic-looking car with squished LED headlights, flush door handles and a closed-off front end typical of modern electric cars from China.

Inside it borrowed cues from Tesla with its minimalist design with next to no buttons and only a big central screen.

The interior quality feels good, with premium materials covering all surfaces.

Along with its general design, the EV3 also has the same focus on space efficiency as the much larger EV5 medium SUV and EV9 large SUV.

Kia compared the EV3 to the BYD Atto 3 and Volvo EX30 upon its global launch in Korea, and it’s stuck with the same comparison as it launches here.

In many exterior dimensions, the EV3 is smaller than the Atto 3, a medium SUV by sales category, while it’s larger than the EX30 in almost every way. However, interior dimensions are reported by Kia as being bigger than both cars in most aspects aside from the first row legroom, but even there only by about 10mm.

The EV3 is 4300mm long, 1850mm wide and 1560mm tall, and has a 2680mm wheelbase, but inside does feel like it’s a category upwards in terms of space.

Along with the roomy interior dimensions, there are plenty of handy spots to put things - a big central storage area and a higher one under the armrest, the device charger, door bottle holders - these and all the controls are generally within reach. 

The GT-Line loses a little bit of this storage space by turning the spot under the central armrest into a sliding table, which could be useful sometimes, but doesn’t seem to me as helpful as another place to put a drink, a wallet, keys, an avocado or whatever other trinkets you and your passengers may have.

The huge multimedia and driver display setup consists of two 12.3-inch screens and a 5.0-inch climate control screen in the middle. The centre climate screen is a little hidden by the steering wheel, but there are also physical climate controls also in the centre under the screen, so there’s nothing vital you can’t do in the EV3 easily.

There are also shortcuts to the main functions of the menu like navigation and media, Kia says tactile controls like that are important for keeping the car usable for a broad range of people.

In the second row, the EV3 feels pretty well suited to four adults for a reasonable trip - I’m 178cm and can sit behind my own seating position comfortably, though if I was too much taller my knees might rest on the hard plastic seat-back.

There is an armrest, places in the doors to put water bottles, and two USB-C plugs actually fitted into the seats. There’s also a little slot to put a phone that might be charging, though it could easily (and perhaps more usefully) fit other things instead.

Behind the second row is a generous 460L boot which puts other electric small SUVs to shame - the EX30’s is 318L and even the Atto 3’s is 440L. The EV3’s boot space extends to 1250L with the seats folded down.

The EV3’s boot floor can also drop down to accommodate taller items, plus there’s a 25-litre ‘frunk’ or under-bonnet storage space.

There’s no spare space-saver tyre, however, as is becoming disappointingly common.

There are two sides to this story.

The convertible back makes it one of the only true dual-purpose vehicles, but let’s not oversell its capabilities.

It only has a payload of 300kg and only has a 1500kg braked towing capacity, so it's not tradie spec.

It is probably best suited for throwing a few surfboards in the back or mountain bikes and heading off to a remote spot where you can sleep in the car in relative comfort.

There is no rugged ladder frame underneath, but it can do a bit of light off-roading in all-wheel-drive guise.

Ground clearance of 223mm is good and it can wade up to depths of 600mm.

It has a vehicle-to-load function that allows you to power appliances, which boosts its potential as a campsite companion.

Inside it has spacious cabins with oodles of head, leg and shoulder room in both rows. That is thanks to its more than three-metre wheelbase — the distance between the front and rear axle that determines how spacious a cabin is.

There are rear air-con vents and USB charging ports for both rows, and the rear seats can tilt backwards for sleepy young-uns.

The boot capacity is 524L, or 1654L with the rear seats folded. A front boot under the bonnet is 131L.

One of my biggest gripes is that nearly every function of the car is controlled through the big multimedia screen.

There are shortcuts and app-like tiles that make it easier to navigate, but it’s still a hassle to dive into the menu to change side mirrors and other functions usually controlled via physical buttons.

Tesla set the precedent by moving all its functions into the screen and other tech-focused EVs have followed suit, but it smacks of cost savings rather than improving the user experience.

The E07 is available in two grades: a single-motor rear-wheel-drive version and a dual-motor all-wheel-drive variant.

Prices start at $64,900 plus on-road costs for the rear-wheel-drive variant and jump to $73,900 for the dual-motor version.

That’s a very reasonable price for a large electric vehicle, but as it has no real competitors it has the segment and price point to itself.

The only difference between the two variants is the addition of the second motor that brings some serious potent performance.

Both are fully loaded with a laundry list of standard gear.

The E07 rides on monster 21-inch alloy wheels, has LED lighting front and back, a hands-free power tailgate and auto folding side mirrors.

Inside there is a 15.4-inch multimedia screen that is incompatible with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and there is a wireless device charger and USB-A and -C ports front and back.

A monster head-up display — which projects information on the windscreen in front of the driver — replaces the driver display, with no instruments in front of the driver.

This is joined by power-adjustable front seats that are wrapped in supple Nappa leather. The front seats are heated, ventilated and have a massage function.

This is topped off with 256-colour ambient lighting and an 18-speaker stereo.

There is self-levelling air suspension that has three height levels, with the tallest providing a healthy 223mmm of ground clearance.

There is some cool tech such as camping mode and a relax mode. The latter fully reclines the front seats, closes the panoramic roof blind and plays some sleep-inducing sounds such as rain noise. Camping mode is similar and allows for you to sleep in the car overnight.

All three versions of the EV3 have the same drivetrain, the only difference being the smaller battery in the Air Standard Range.

The EV3 is front-wheel drive only, with a single motor at the front wheels putting out 150kW and 283Nm.

Differing weights between variants result in different 0-100km/h times, the quickest being the entry-grade Air Standard Range at 7.5 seconds, likely thanks to a smaller and lighter battery.

The Air Long Range takes 7.7 seconds, while the Earth and GT-Line both take 7.9 seconds.

Both versions can be called potent, but the all-wheel-drive is express.

The rear-wheel-drive version uses a single electric motor to make 242kW and 365Nm, and the all-wheel-drive variant adds a second motor to make a combined 440kW and 645Nm.

That extra grunt drops the E07’s 0-100km/h time from 6.7 seconds to about four seconds.

These numbers blow most SUVs and utes out of the water.

There are two battery sizes for the EV3, the 58.3kWh unit for the Air Standard Range and the 81.4kWh battery each of the Long Range variants is equipped with.

Of course, the Air Standard Range has the shortest electric driving range - 436km under WLTP testing. Its power consumption is a claimed 14.9kWh/100km.

The Air Long Range is the variant with the furthest electric driving range of the bunch, at 604km, as well as the same power consumption as the Standard Range at 14.9kWh/100km.

The Earth and GT-Line both wear the same set of figures, albeit lower distances and higher consumption than their more affordable counterparts. With 563km of electric range and 16.2kWh/100km consumption figures, they’re still able to cover very usable distances for real-world use.

Charging is the same across the line-up, with the supplied Type 2 AC charger working at a maximum 6.9kW on single phase or 10.5kW on three-phase power, and taking five hours and 20 minutes for Standard Range variants, or seven hours and 15 minutes for a Long Range from 10 per cent to 100 per cent.

On DC fast charging, with a CCS Type 2 charger, the EV3 charges as quickly as 29 minutes from 10 to 80 per cent in Standard Range, or 31 minutes in Long Range, when using a 350kW fast charger.

While we didn’t get a chance to properly run down the battery and test the EV3’s range, the drive route was relatively demanding with power consumption yet the EV3’s range didn’t plummet like you might expect on fast, steep and winding roads.

Both variants use a circa-90kWh Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NMC) battery, which is a big unit by EV standards.

It delivers a WLTP-verified driving range of 550km in the RWD version and 510km in the AWD.

The E07’s charging speed is also at the top end of the spectrum.

It has a max DC charge rate of 240kW, which Deepal said can replenish the battery from 30 to 80 per cent in 15 minutes.

AC charging is capped at 7kW, which is below other EVs that can max out at 11kW.

Our test was too limited to conduct a proper real-world test.

The EV3’s arrival on Australian roads is not only important because it means we can test it in right-hand drive, but also because it’s had a localised ride and handling tune. Time for the proper judgement.

Kia Australia's local program lead for this is, as it has been for years, Graeme Gambold, and according to the brand he aimed for neutral balance with confidence-inspiring and responsive handling, and a linear, natural steering feel. And it’s pretty close to nailing all of that.

In town and on backroads, its ability to soak up bumps and handle rough surfaces is impressive. Not a lot of noise comes into the cabin in either case, too, a feat given the road surfaces. In fact, even with the radio off, the EV3 feels pretty well insulated from the outside, including wind noise.

It's cornering and handling is nice and predictable. It feels designed to be safe if you misjudge a corner, only gently understeering when you've come in a bit spicy.

The body doesn't roll or pitch dramatically, so the car feels planted and, as intended, flat through the bends.

But there’s one aspect to the tune in which the EV3 feels like it could do with a little more attention - its steering.

At low speeds, the steering is light enough, but at higher speed it feels a little heavy. I’m not sure if Gambold’s been going to the gym or if it’s that I haven’t really, but it feels like there’s some unnecessary resistance, regardless of drive mode or camber on the road, requiring a bit more input on the wheel than you'd like.

It does let the car down in terms of driving out on country roads, but fortunately it's not a dealbreaker on highways or in its intended city or suburban environments.

Otherwise, the EV3 is extremely pleasant, with its outputs and delivery feel about right for a small electric SUV, never feeling too slow or unruly. It doesn’t spin its wheels with too much torque, even on wet roads and when hustling out of a corner.

The paddles which allow you to adjust the intensity of the regenerative braking also mean you barely need to use the left pedal, which is a plus for increasing the available driving range.

Speaking of the left pedal, a sudden stop thanks to a surprise slow car around a blind corner went smoothly thanks to a decent set of brakes.

In all, the car is ergonomically sound from the drivers seat, with the positioning for the seat and steering wheel feeling comfortable and easy to adjust, though slightly better vision out the rear sides would be good.

The E07 is a big beast, weighing in at 2440kg for the AWD, and the RWD is about 100kg lighter.

Even that fancy air suspension can't hide that bulk. On smooth city streets and well-maintained motorways, the E07 is very pleasant and comfortable. But on pockmarked and undulating country roads travelling at the sign-posted 80km/h or 100km/h, it rocks and rolls considerably.

The monster 21-inch wheels are likely part of the problem, too.

After looking at my phone in the passenger seat for 20 seconds I started to get car sick… I wasn’t the only person who had that feedback.

Switching to sports mode sharpened it up a little, but the comfort mode was far too soft.

There is a custom mode where drivers can find a happy medium.

The E07 did recover much better over small imperfections, though.

The steering was well-weighted and direct, and the brake and accelerator pedal had a good feel to them with sharp responses that inspire confidence.

We spent most of our time in the all-wheel-drive variant.

It’s fast and brutally quick off the mark, but it doesn't suplex you back into your seat like some electric cars do. Instead the power delivery was more linear, with excellent traction control and no wheel slip.

Deepal has gone the extra mile and added quality Michelin EV tyres that improve grip through corners and reduce noise into the cabin.

The E07 was remarkably quiet inside, even by EV standards, with noise and tyre roar kept to a minimum.

Deepal has packed the E07 with safety gear and driver aids.

It has eight airbags, ISOFIX anchor points for the two rear window seats, and a top-tether anchor for all three back seats.

There are front and rear parking sensors, a 360-degree camera and a transparent chassis view that allows you to see underneath the vehicle.

Deepal has ticked all the driver aid boxes with autonomous emergency braking with cyclist and pedestrian detection, lane departure warning and lane-keep assist, rear cross traffic alert with auto braking function, blind-spot detection, speed sign recognition and over speed alert, door open warning, rear passenger alert, safe distance alert and adaptive cruise control.

It’s nice to have all that tech, but it is over-sensitive and you end up just turning it off, which defeats the purpose of having them in the first place.

The E07 hasn’t been crash tested yet, so there's no ANCAP safety rating to report at this stage.

Kia’s seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty applies to the EV3, and though that was once industry-leading, it’s now being matched or overtaken by many rivals.

Roadside assistance is covered for one year but can be extended to up to eight years if serviced with an authorised Kia dealer.

Kia also backs the high-voltage equipment in the car with a more specific seven-year or 150,000km warranty, whichever comes first.

Australian servicing costs are pretty minimal in the EV3, with Kia offering well-priced pre-paid plans of three ($674), five ($1285) or seven years ($1897). Certainly some points for Kia on that one.

Service intervals are on the shorter side for an EV, at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

Deepal covers the E07 with a strong but not market-leading seven-year/160,000km warranty, and the battery is guaranteed for eight years/240,000km.

It also has a tempting seven-year/140,000km capped-price servicing program that requires visits every 12 months or 20,000km, with the former on the shorter side for an EV. The RWD costs $2954.59 over the full term, compared to the AWD's $3143.90. Both outlays are competitive.