Stand by for a Kia onslaught. The popular Korean company has just launched its latest generation Niro crossover and, as with the original Niro, it is available with the whole gamut of electrified powertrains.
In the past couple of weeks we have tested the Niro Hybrid, the Niro Plug-In Hybrid, and the purely electric Niro, which used to be known as the E-Niro, but is now called the Niro EV.
We’re going to kick off with the Niro EV this week. This car, which was launched in 2019, has been a massive success for Kia, selling 26,000 units in the UK alone. And although the platform upon which it sits is completely new, the powertrain itself is carried over from the original car. That means a 64.8kWh electric motor putting out 210bhp.
One thing has changed though and that’s the torque output because the previous Niro’s 291lb ft caused a lot of wheelspin and subsequent triggering of traction control.
It’s now been dialled down to a less frenetic 188lb ft.
Acceleration is still an impressive 0-62mph in 7.8sec and the top speed is 103mph.
One useful change is that unlike its predecessor the new Niro can tow a braked trailer up to 750kg (the old Niro wasn’t able to tow at all).
The charging rate is 76kW so using a rapid charger offering 100kW or more allows a 10-80% charge in about 40 minutes.
Our test car is in ‘2’ spec which is the entry-level version of the Niro. Next up is ‘3’ and then ‘4’.
While on the subject of charging, both the ‘3’ and ‘4’ are available with a heat pump which in the winter uses navigation-based conditioning to pre-heat the battery en-route to a charge station once it’s been selected in the sat nav. This helps shorten charge times and optimises battery performance.
The Niro EV has an impressive maximum range of 285 miles but in winter you can expect that to drop considerably.
This might influence your choice between the entry-level car and posher one.
Certainly the lack of a heat pump is much more of an issue than the smaller 8in infotainment screen that you get in the ‘2’ as opposed to the 10.25in one in the higher-spec cars.
Kia still favours buttons and knobs but there’s a lot of touchscreen action to change temperatures. There’s also a hectare of piano black surface on the centre console that’s the fashion these days.
It looks nice after the car’s been valeted but soon it will be covered in greasy finger marks.
The new platform brings with it extra legroom for all occupants and also a luggage space that holds 475 litres.
If you need more space then try the Skoda Enyaq iV.
Our ‘2’ spec car runs on 17in alloy wheels, has dual LED headlamps, parking sensors and camera – quite a good level of kit.
EVs are getting more expensive these days and the Niro is no exception. Our car is £36,245 but you don’t have to go far up the range to exceed £40k.
PCP payments are going to be around £500-£600 and that’s a large monthly outgoing in these straitened times.
The Niro EV is acceptably pleasant to drive – but then no crossover EV is fun to drive so the bar is set low. The Niro’s ride is comfortable and body roll is kept in check.
You can choose Sport mode but all that does is stiffen the steering and encourage you to run the battery down faster.
I kept it in Normal for most of our drive except for a burst of Eco to see if it dropped the air-conditioning down a notch, which it didn’t seem to.
While not quite as stylish as the larger Kia EV6, the Niro is an appealing crossover that’s well worth a look. But as you’ll see from our rivals panel above, there are cheaper options – and more spacious ones.
The facts
Kia Niro EV Crossover
Price: £36,245
Engine: Single electric motor, 64.8 kWh battery, 201bhp
0-62 mph: 7.8 sec
Range: 285 miles
