Kia has provided more details of the third and smallest member of its bespoke electric vehicle family, the Volkswagen Golf-sized EV3, which is expected on UK roads before the end of 2024.

According to the Korean brand the aim when creating the EV3 was to raise the bar as to what is expected of a more compact electric car and to ease customer concerns about transitioning to electric from the combustion-engined (ICE) cars they’ve been used to.

So alongside its WLTP-certified driving range of up to 372 miles and fast-charging capability, the EV3 includes features such as intelligent regenerative braking – returning otherwise wasted energy to the battery without the driver having to constantly change settings, and Vehicle to Load, the ability to power or charge external electric items, such as camping equipment, from the car.

The EV3 employs upgraded versions of Kia’s I-Pedal and Smart Regenerative systems, making it easy to effectively ‘one-pedal drive’ the car, typically using only the accelerator pedal with the regenerative systems taking care of slowing it.

In its latest incarnation the I-Pedal can be more easily selected by a button on the steering wheel, will also work in reverse and remembers the last setting when the vehicle is turned back on.

The regenerative braking levels are rated from 0 to 3, effectively from motorway cruising to heavy storm-start traffic, and the Kia also debuts the Smart Regenerative System developed by Kia’s parent the Hyundai Motor Group. This effectively adds a ‘digital co-pilot’, scanning the road ahead and set the declaration and regeneration accordingly.

Kias claims the range of the EV3 as best-in-class, while the car’s electric drivetrain also includes a battery cooling system, improving the thermal management of the battery pack resulting in faster charging. The technology is said to be up to 12 minutes faster than earlier Kia systems, for example with aq 350kW fast charger replenishing the long-range version’s battery pack from 10 to 80% capacity in 31 minutes.

The EV3 goes on sale at £32,995 for the 267-mile range base version and £35,995 for the long-range 367-mile variant. Kia has also revealed that the initial two-wheel-drive cars will be joined by an all-wheel-drive version, and a more potent GT model, at a later date.