Kia’s K3 Electric Sedan Has More Than 200PS Of Power

• A 56.5kWh battery powers the K3 electric sedan.
• It will be offered alongside petrol and plug-in hybrid variants.
• It is likely to go on sale before 2020.

Kia’s product offensive in India does not include any electric vehicles (EVs) yet, but the company has been working tirelessly in the field. North of the Indian border lies the world’s largest market for EVs -- China. Last week, Dongfeng Yueda Kia Motor Company unveiled the Kia K3 mid-size electric sedan for its domestic market during the 2019 Auto Guangzhou. The K3 EV is the third powertrain option in the lineup after the petrol and plug-in hybrid versions which were unveiled at Auto Shanghai earlier this year. The electric car borrows its running gear from another car that was unveiled at Guangzhou, the Hyundai Lafesta electric sedan. 

Kia’s electric sedan is powered by a 56.5kWh battery and has a claimed range of 490km. Dongfeng Yueda Kia has not revealed the specs of the car yet but has said that it will be similar to the Hyundai Lafesta. The latter makes an impressive 200PS of power and 310Nm. The K3 EV is also expected to come with a full suite of driver assistance technologies like its plug-in hybrid variant. 

The Kia K3, which is based on the Kia Forte sedan sold in the United States and South America, is classified as a mid-size sedan in China. The combustion version of the sedan went on sale in June this year after its reveal in April at 2019 Auto Shanghai. It comes with two petrol engines -- 1.5-litre naturally aspirated and a 1.4 turbo. We know these engines from the Kia Seltos. 

Kia also had the Futuron electric SUV concept on display at the show. We’ll know how much the Kia K3 electric sedan costs when the car goes on sale, possibly sometime in December. Given the large battery and powerful motor, the car could demand a small premium over its plug-in counterpart.