The Niro EV was launched in the Autumn of 2022 & we were given an opportunity to drive one just at he temperatures began to drop. The petrol & plug-ins were very impressive but how did the electric Niro perform ? Here’s how we got on.
Model range & engines
A choice of three electrified powertrains; hybrid, plug-in hybrid & pure electric & three trim levels; ‘2’, ‘3’ & ‘4’. We were testing the Electric model in ‘2’ trim. It’s powered by a 64.8kWh Li-ion polymer battery offering a maximum 150kW of power. Like all electric vehicles, the battery that’s located under the floor, adds some significant weight to the car in this case 443kg.
What’s new ?
Built on Kia’s third generation ‘K’ platform, this platform has been specifically engineered to accommodate the three available powertrains. The K architecture allows for various battery mounting options depending on the powertrain; beneath the rear seats for the HEV, boot floor for PHEV variants & centrally for the EV version. New Niro has also received suspension & steering improvements & additional insulation & padding have been inserted around the vehicle’s structure to help combat unwanted engine & road noise.
Exterior
The new Niro is a much better proportioned car than the outgoing model. At the front there is the latest evolution of Kia’s signature ‘Tiger Face’, which now extends to the front wings. The windscreen features a double-cowl design where the top and bottom mirror each other. Angular ‘Heartbeat’ daytime running lights, skid plates, boomerang rear lights & an aero C-pillar towards the rear also feature. Customers can choose from eight exterior colours & a choice of ‘C’ pillar colours that contrast or complement the body colour. On the EV version, the power socket is located at the front of the car. Otherwise it looks very much like the ICE versions.
Niro ‘2’ grades feature 17″ alloys, Start/Stop with Smart entry, automatic LED headlights, an electric hand brake, climate control, rear parking sensors & camera, an 8.0″ touchscreen display with DAB radio, six speakers, Android Auto & Apple CarPlay with a 10.25″ TFT LCD cluster.
Safety
The all-new Niro comes equipped with Kia’s ADAS system known as DriveWise. So you get Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go functionality as standard on all grades. Lane Follow Assist, rear parking sensors, a reversing camera & Lane Keep Assist are also included across the range. Front sensors, Highway Driving Assist & Blind-spot Collision Avoidance Assist are included on ‘3’ & ‘4’ grades, with Parking Collision Avoidance Assist & Remote Smart Park Assist on ‘4’ versions.
Interior & Infotainment
The interior is in keeping with Kia’s new design philosophy so you get an upmarket finish with good quality plastics used throughout. The dashboard on ‘2’ grade, is dominated by the car’s infotainment & instrument cluster screens, which stretch across two-thirds of the car. Below the central touchscreen, sits the car’s multi-mode display. This replaces physical buttons with a dedicated ‘haptic’ touchscreen, providing shortcuts to control the cars climate control, infotainment & SatNav. The good news is, that you don’t need to delve into too many sub-menus to choose what you want. It’s easy to work, with a small arrow which when pushed, switches from climate to the cars functions, which helps free up dashboard space.
Practicality
Up front you get twin cupholders between the front seats. On some versions, the cup holders rotate outwards & can be pushed back in when not needed, creating more space in the cabin. In front of this you get two USB connections & a 12v socket. The door pockets will also hold a bottle, but the glove box is slim. The front armrest lifts up to add more storage. Front & rear head & legroom is good as well.
The cabin now offers an integrated hanger-type design within the headrests, allowing clothing or bags to be hooked into place. Sitting next to these, are twin USB ‘C’ inputs located on the inside of the front seat sides. The cabin is more spacious than any previous Niro. The 60:40 split rear seats fold down by pulling a lever & the boot features 475 litres of luggage space with the seats up. This increases to 1,392 litres if you fold the rear three seats down. The boot floor can also be lifted to reveal some useful storage space underneath, perfect for your charging cables.The EV’s battery is cleverly spread under the cars boot floor so the boot capacity actually great in the EV than other versions of the Niro.
Warranty
Kia are famous for this & the Niro EV is no different. So, you get a 7 Year / 100,000 mile warranty (3 yrs/unlimited mileage). Anti-perforation warranty (12 yrs/unlimited mileage). Paint warranty (5 yrs / 100,000 miles) & 1 year Kia Roadside Assistance.
Charging & range
Niro Electric features an onboard 11kW charging system & the capability of charging on AC & DC units. So, on our own 7.2kW Rolec Smart charger, https://www.rolecserv.com/ev-charginga full charge would take 9hours 25 minutes. On a faster 11kW AC charger this reduces to 6 hours 20 minutes. Stop off at the most common public 50kW charger & this comes down to 1 hour 5 minutes. KIA’s claimed WLTP driving range on the Niro EV is 285 miles.
On the road
Niro Electric may be the heaviest Niro in the gang, but thanks to the acceleration associated with electric cars, it’s actually the most fun to drive, at least in a straight line. It will only take 7.8 seconds to hit 62mph & will go on to a top speed of 103mph.
On the motorway, the Niro EV is an excellent performer & along with the larger KIA EV6 you can drive at 70mph & still get a decent return on your battery range. For example, we travelled 90 miles on the motorway at a constant 70mph & used up 96 miles of our Niro’s range.
With the standard adaptive cruise control, the EV makes light of a long journey. On a series of A & B roads, the electric Niro performed well, handling corners & adjusting to road situations with aplomb. The battery weight is noticeable, but it’s so well distributed you’d be hard pressed to complain about it spoiling the cars ride.
Pros
Low BIK make it a company car choice. Great cabin, latest tech & safety fitted as standard. Also a much better looking car than the previous Niro & plenty of cabin space for five. And as a bonus the boots larger too. Finally the battery range is at the top of what you can get in an electric car.
Cons
The infotainment screens small compared to rivals. Even though the battery doesn’t spoil the ride, it’s actually a bit vanilla when it comes to fun.
Conclusion
We always felt that the old Niro EV felt heavy, especially on winding roads. Thankfully, the new version doesn’t & feels much more pleasant to drive. The new Niro also comes fitted with a larger battery & offers a bigger range. Furthermore, all models feature a top class cabin with excellent safety & infotainment features, with almost all of it standard across the range. For company car drivers & fleet managers alike, the EV offers an unbeatable BIK of just 2%.
Kia can do no wrong at moment & are producing cars that tick every box, especially in the company vehicle sector 4.25/5
