Your carriage awaits! KIA EV3 wears the crown after years as the economy choice

GETTING into the KIA EV3 I feel like I am in the presence of royalty.

- BY MAGGIE BARRY

For KIA, once considered an economy brand, has won so many awards for its cars particularly its electric cars, I am almost doffing my cap.

My husband does not do deferential. He is in a hurry to be somewhere and I have promised him a lift in this compact SUV.

“Get a move on,” he yells - more like a medieval baron. “And don't spare the horses.”

The all-electric EV3 and I comply and we are soon whipping up a storm on the way to the glam metropolis that is Motherwell.

To be fair, it is not difficult to swoop along the motorway because this little car has 201bhp under the bonnet and, because it is electric, the power is instant.

It makes 0-62mph in just 7.7 seconds and has a top speed of 105mph - which of course we never reach on our mad dash.