KIA K3

Inspired by the other new-generation Kia cars and SUVs, the interior of the Kia K3 feels much richer and better equipped than the Rio sedan it has replaced. The UAE car market has the Kia K3 with dual-tone black and brown leather upholstery with GT-Line fabric inserts as standard. 

As is a norm with other modern Kia cars, the K3 also gets a wide full-TFT cockpit with 10.25-inch screens for the instrument console and touchscreen infotainment system placed beside each other, behind the new-generation two-spoke multi-functional steering wheel. The sleek centre console has slim AC vents and a panel for the buttons of dual-zone automatic climate control placed one over the other.

The cabin of the Kia K3 feels desirable with premium features like LED cabin lights, a front centre armrest, a wireless charger, powered rearview mirrors, sport pedals, and a 6-speaker audio system. However, we would have loved to see more premium features on board, such as a sunroof and a powered driver’s seat. 

Compared to the Rio sedan which it has replaced, the new Kia K3 looks bolder and more aggressive, wearing the latest design language of Kia all around. The front face of the K3 looks sportier with a sleeker form of the ‘tiger-nose’ grille, which has huge ‘7-shaped’ headlamp clusters to its sides.

These headlamp clusters feature sleek and attractive daytime running LED lights on their outer edges, while the LED headlamps are recessed in the upper housings. There are small LED fog lamps placed on the lower edges of these housings, with the K3 also having a large rectangular air dam with honeycomb mesh inserts in the middle of the front bumper. 

The long wheelbase and smoothly contoured door panels of the Kia K3 give it an impression of a longer sedan, with its rear section inspired by the Kia Stinger sedan, evident in its fastback-like design for the C-pillar. Riding on 17-inch wheels with slim body cladding over wheel arches, the Kia K3 gets a sharp-looking rear section, where the sedan has a ‘7-themed’ design for the LED tail lamps as well, which are connected by an LED light bar across the boot lid. 

With Macpherson struts at the front and a multi-link combination at the rear, which is the same as its predecessor, the Rio, the Kia K3 feels plush to drive and be driven in. The soft-tuned suspension setup is complemented here by a well-weighted steering, which has decent feedback at higher speeds too. 

The only engine option with which the Kia K3 is available in UAE is a 1.6-litre four-cylinder Smartstream naturally-aspirated petrol engine, which has been available in many Hyundai and Kia cars for years now. This tried-and-tested petrol engine is paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission and produces 123 PS of maximum power and 154 Nm of maximum torque. 

Besides the essentials like six airbags, hill start assist, electronic stability control, ABS with EBD, tyre pressure monitoring system, front and rear parking sensors, and 360-degree camera, the Kia K3 also has a wide array of driver assistance systems, including high beam assist, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist, safe exit warning, blind spot collision avoidance assist, forward collision avoidance assist, lane keeping assist, driver attention warning and lane following assist. 

Filling in the shoes of the more old-school Rio sedan, the new Kia K3 has aced the job with its neat and trendy design language, premium and decently-equipped interior, and a better driving experience, which should appeal to those who want a sedan with a touch of luxury and excitement.