Electric car pricing is about to get more competitive with the launch of Kia's EV3, the company’s new compact electric SUV.

We don’t know yet what impact proposed price tariffs on Chinese cars sold in Europe will have - if any - on the cost of EV’s in Ireland, but Kia has now moved into a space that will allow it to challenge some of its established competitors.

The Kia EV6 and the EV9 have already made quite an impression for their battery ranges and economy, as well as for their level of specification and technology. Now, it looks like Kia has taken the best features of their more expensive siblings and scaled them down with the EV 3, both externally and internally. The car is due for launch here in time for January registrations.

With an entry price of €36,790, the Earth 2 version comes in just below Hyundai’s Kona and BYD’s Atto and has a battery capacity of 58.3 kWh. This battery, Kia claims, has a range of 436 kilometres - the usual caveat of claimed ranges by manufacturers applies until we actually drive the car.

For €40,350 you can get the next version up and this has an 81.4 kWh battery, with a claimed range of 604 kilometres.

Standard specification on all versions includes 17" alloy wheels, two 12.3" display screens for controls and infotainment, LED headlights, heated front seats and steering wheel, wireless phone charging and Android Auto/ Apple Car Play.

The Earth 3 version - from €42,840 - only comes with the 81.4 kWh battery and has extras such as 19" alloy wheels, vegan leather electrically powered seats and blind-spot collision avoidance.

A GT-line version costs from €47,190 and has GT-line styling, an adjustable sunroof and a powered tailgate.

Kia says the the EV3’s battery is equipped with a liquid cooling system, that allows for charging from 10 to 80 percent capacity in 29 minutes - on a fast charger, obviously.