Kia K3

Kia K3 (BL7) at a glance

Which Kia K3 is this?

Kia has used the K3 badge for two different cars. From 2012 the compact Cerato was called the K3 in South Korea and China. That car was replaced in 2024 by the Kia K4, and its full story is in our Kia Cerato article.

The K3 on this page is a new, smaller car. Kia presented it as the successor to the fourth-generation Kia Rio in selected markets, at a time when the Rio had already been dropped in Europe, North America, Britain, Australia and South Africa. It is built only with left-hand drive, and Kia Australia confirmed that it would not be sold there.

Launch and plants

Kia teased the car on 4 August 2023 and revealed the saloon in Mexico four days later. The hatchback was announced on 5 October 2023, and production started the same month. Cars reached Mexican dealers from 19 October 2023, and sales in the Gulf states began on 5 December 2023. In some Latin American markets the hatchback is called the K3 Cross. Mexico has five trims: L, LX, EX, EX Pack and GT-Line. The L comes only with the automatic gearbox, and the 2.0-litre engine is reserved for the GT-Line.

The main plant is Kia's factory in Pesquería, Nuevo León, Mexico. A second line runs at ADM-Jizzakh in Uzbekistan.

Dimensions and the Rio comparison

The hatchback shares the saloon's wheelbase but is 250 mm shorter and 20 mm taller. The Rio figures follow from the differences that paul tan published at the launch: the K3 saloon is 160 mm longer, 40 mm wider, 15 mm taller and has a 90 mm longer wheelbase. The saloon's 544-litre boot is larger than that of the old Mexican-market Forte, which offered 502 litres. Against the new compact K4 saloon, the K3 saloon is 165 mm shorter with a 50 mm shorter wheelbase, yet its boot holds 131 litres more.

Engines and gearboxes

All three engines are naturally aspirated and drive the front wheels. The 2.0-litre adds 22 kW and 38 Nm over the 1.6. There is no turbo, hybrid or diesel version.

Design and equipment

At the front the K3 has Kia's "tiger nose" grille and long daytime running lights; the rear has J-shaped lamps joined by a light bar. Inside, the steering wheel and dashboard are styled after the electric EV6.

Equipment depends on the trim:

• a 4.2-inch digital instrument cluster in the same housing as a 10.25-inch touchscreen;
• wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, two-zone climate control with rear vents;
• 64-colour ambient lighting;
• six airbags, ABS and stability control as standard.

On higher trims, driver assistance adds:

• forward collision avoidance and lane keeping assist;
• blind-spot and rear cross-traffic collision avoidance;
• a driver attention warning.

Safety, prices and sales

Latin NCAP tested the K3 in 2024 under a protocol similar to Euro NCAP's of 2017. It scored 87 percent for adult occupants, 84 percent for child occupants, 65 percent for pedestrians and 81 percent for safety assist.

The GT-Line costs MXN 139,000, or 44 percent, more than the L. For that money the buyer gets 22 kW more power, paddle shifters and the sportier bumpers.

Mexico is the K3's biggest market. Sales there reached 40,716 saloons and 10,913 hatchbacks in 2024, and 46,551 saloons and 10,024 hatchbacks in 2025. The saloon sells about four times as well as the hatchback.