YOUR CALL: A REFINED DRIVE VERSUS AN UPSCALE CABIN
Driving an electric hatchback is one of the niftiest things. If you’re shopping for one, you’re probably considering the Kia Niro EV, and the Nissan Leaf. I spent a week in each, with about 1,200 kilometres at the wheel, split between round-trip driving from Toronto to Sudbury, as well as in and around northern Ontario.
That hasn’t always been the easiest drive using an EV. For years, much of that stretch was a charging infrastructure dead zone, save for a number of Tesla-only chargers along the route. In recent months, though, Level 3 fast-chargers have appeared at numerous Petro Canada stations along the Toronto-to-sudbury corridor, dramatically improving the EV driver’s options.
In either of the machines we’re talking about here, plugging into one of these chargers can bring your battery from almost empty to near full in the time you’d spend having a bio-break, ordering a coffee and eating a quick lunch at Pita Pit.
If you’re after an all-electric vehicle with the latest stuff but don’t want an appendage-severing price tag, the Nissan Leaf and Kia Niro are two of the most sensible choices today. They’re similar in many regards, but different in a few others.
We’ll start with the similarities. Both the Niro EV and Leaf Plus come in from the mid-$40,000 mark, both boast maximum range in the neighbourhood of 400 kilometres, and both are five-door hatchbacks with folding rear seats and the sort of cargo volume and flexibility expected of a machine of this size and silhouette.
The Nissan is a few inches longer than the Kia, but most key dimensions are close to identical. Notably, both are little torque monsters that’ll zip effortlessly away from a traffic light without making a peep, which never gets old.
One machine is more upscale to look at, and the other feels more upscale to drive. Let me explain.
The styling separates them starkly from one another. The Leaf combines a sort of techno-sporty rear end with a sharp and angular fascia that looks just a tad ticked off, but not too much. From the side, most will agree that the Leaf is more faithful to traditional hatchback styling compared to the Niro, whose body is more crossover-like. You also see that in the Niro’s tail end; the lights are larger and more prominent, and the arrangement seems more rugged and adventuresome.
I like how the Niro’s Ev-specific front fascia clearly gives away its electrified drive from a glance, but I prefer the Leaf ’s face overall because it looks a good deal more conventional. Your results may vary.
The major difference between the Leaf Plus and the Niro EV becomes apparent once you’re in and seated. Simply put, Kia’s got the more modern and upscale-looking cabin, leaving the Leaf’s interior looking more dated in comparison.
The Niro’s controls — smaller buttons, dials and stalks — look more modern and cleanly integrated with their surroundings.
For instance, the buttons for the climate-controlled seats, heated steering wheel, drive mode selector and parking brake are all arranged into a neat little control console that falls to rest at the driver’s right hand, complete with a rotary dial gear shifter in the middle. The flush-mounted buttons have a satin-like finish and a quality click under your fingertips. Metal trim surrounds this control surface, and make it a sort of centrepiece.
Similar controls in the Leaf Plus are arranged in various locations throughout the lower forward dash, with dated-looking toggle switches for the seat heaters. The gear shifter and drive-mode controls are mounted low and further away from the driver, with multiple toggle switches and buttons mounted just ahead of the round plastic gearshift puck.
So, the Niro uses its controls (and arrangement thereof ) as a sort of showpiece that helps pump up the visual appeal of the cabin, for a better first impression. Elsewhere, the cabin flaunts smaller and less obvious panel gaps, a more rewarding sense of detail when the interior is inspected closely, and a touch more glitz and gloss to give the driver a richer feel.
The Niro has the better infotainment system, too. More modern-looking graphics and more straightforward operation make it a breeze to use. Notably, J.D. Power says the Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis’ infotainment boasts the least number of complaints from new owners in the business right now. The Leaf ’s system, by comparison, is just as powerful a tool to use, though the buttons surrounding the screen aren’t as logical. I also found the graphics and layout of the Niro’s infotainment easier to sort out quickly.
The Niro has better interfaces, too. The instrument cluster and its onscreen graphics are more modern, and the meter set is more engaging to use. It looks part race-car display, part highend cardio equipment readout, and Niro’s digital power gauge will likely become its driver’s new favourite gadget. If you prefer analog — as many folks do — the Leaf Plus has the better setup: it’s not as flashy, but the analog speedometer is much less busy to look at than the often-flickering LCD -style unit in the Niro that’s always flashing away until you hit the cruise control.
Note that for 2020, the Niro’s infotainment has been updated with larger screens, along with some subtle cosmetic tweaks to the exterior. Ultimately, if you’re after as upscale a cabin as your dollar will get you, the Niro EV is the way to go.
Mind you, it’s not perfect — and the Leaf has the better overall driving feel. I find its safety systems and adaptive cruise control feel more predictable and smoother, while the Niro’s often seemed too abrupt and sensitive.
I also preferred the Leaf ’s ride on the badly maintained roads of Sudbury. With rim-smashing craters at every turn, the Leaf’s suspension and ride did a notably better job of maintaining comfort with the shocks under fire. On many of our worst-case scenario roads, the Leaf maintained better composure and stayed quieter, while the Niro tended to sound and feel more crashy. Add in the Leaf ’s more natural brake-pedal feel, and you’ve got the more refined and upscale drive of the two machines.
So, a more refined drive, or a more upscale look? If you’re test-driving either of these machines, be sure to drive both.