New EV3, EV4 and EV5 flagships are all-wheel-drive and hot to trot.

KIA’S intent to create a clan of high performance electric cars has revealed, but will New Zealand take the plunge?

GT editions of Kia’s EV3, EV4 and EV5 (above) electric models have revealed.

Included among the new choices is a super-upped version of the smallest and cheapest battery-wed car it fronts here, the EV3.

Unveiled at a motor show in Belgium and due to enter production from March, the new versions are set to serve as underlings to the make’s most powerful electric car, the 430kW/740Nm and 0-100kmh in 3.5 seconds EV6 GT.

That flagship launched here in 2023, struggled to make impact when priced at $139,000 and appears now to have been rescinded from the Kia NZ range, having achieved few registrations during its time here.

The new GTs also present a significant upturn in performance over the regular models on which they base.

Pricing hasn’t been discussed it will clearly require careful consideration.

Feedback from the frontline is EV6 GT costing at full retail some $28,000 more than the next most expensive GT-Line was clearly distasteful to Kiwis.

The EV3, EV4 and EV5 also all presently top out in that sports-inspired trim; the editions of those respectively sit at $75,220, $75,990 and $85,450.

The GTs earn their premium by being far more focused for enthusiast driving.

For a start, they are all dual motor - whereas some GT-Lines are single motor - and they have GT-exclusive drive modes, electronically controlled chassis systems, digital lighting, personalised interfaces and performance-themed soundscapes. They all also sport the Neon Green detailing that is a Kia GT hallmark.

The EV3 and EV4 GT models share the same hardware.

They both use a 215kW dual-motor, all-wheel-drive system - split into a 145kW front propulsion unit and a secondary 70kW item on the rear axle - married to a 81.4kWh battery pack.

Peak power is 217kW, with electronically controlled and GT-specific suspension said to improve the cornering stability of the cars - as do 20-inch alloy wheels, offering larger contact patches with more grip, thanks to performance-oriented tyres.

Both have the Virtual Gear Shift system seen in the EV6 GT (and, of course, its Hyundai equivalent, the Ioniq 5 N).

VGS can mimic the power delivery characteristics of an internal-combustion powertrain with simulated gearchanges from the electric drivetrain, with noises of an engine 'revving' up and down.

The EV3 GT and the EV4 GT exterior designs take sportier flourishes and they get sports seats as well.

The EV5 has a slightly meatier 225kW dual-motor AWD powertrain, which means a peak output of 228kW. It also has a specific chassis configuration, once more featuring electronically controlled suspension and high-end tyres.