KIA’S MEAN AND GREEN CROSSOVER EV HAS POWER
Niro virtually eliminates battery range anxiety
SEOUL The Kia Niro hybrid crossover will be joined by an all-electric version that promises to banish range anxiety. With a 64-kWh lithium-ion battery sitting under the rear floor, it’s officially rated to deliver a driving range of 385 kilometres.
That, by almost any standard, is very good. Yet as the drive proved, it’s a conservative estimate.
The other tidbit is it takes the Niro EV just 7.8 seconds to scoot from rest to 100 km/h, so it’s as mean as it is green.
To differentiate it from the hybrid, the Niro EV gets a redesigned front fascia with a closed grille and built-in charging port, a new rear bumper and some blue accents to speak to the fact it’s a zero-local-emission vehicle.
Inside, a new rotary shifter and electric parking brake replace the traditional shifter, and the reworked instrumentation gives the pertinent electric data — range and what the powertrain is doing — in a clean and uncluttered manner.
The seven-inch infotainment screen has some added functions, including the ability to find nearby charging points, monitor the state of charge and view the driving range using the navigation system. It’s a slick affair and eases information overload.
As for utility, the cargo area remains virtually unaffected, rated at 629 litres, versus the Niro Hybrid’s 635. The Niro EV mirrors the Niro SX in terms of content, arriving with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring and more.
The single biggest difference between the hybrid and EV is found in the rear floor area; in the back it sits flush with the side sill, so there’s not much of a footwell, meaning you step onto the floor rather that down to it. It makes no real difference; there’s still plenty of space under the front seats for the feet of rear passengers.
The big news is the powertrain. The large 64 kWh lithium-ion battery works with an electric motor that puts 201 horsepower and 291 pound-feet of torque at the driver’s disposal. Peak torque enters the picture from the first rev, so the Niro is very quick off the line and on through the mid-range; the 80to-120 km/ h passing time comes in at around 5.8 seconds.
There will be a smaller 39.2kWh battery matched to a 134-hp electric motor, good for a 246-km driving range. Hopefully Canada will only see the larger battery and its considerable range and performance benefits.
How the powertrain dishes out the goods can be tweaked through the Niro’s Eco, Normal and Sport driving modes. Sport really sharpens the throttle response and puts some extra weight in the steering. It’s OK in Eco and Normal modes, but the added heft in Sport provided better feel and feedback.
Drivers can also tailor the amount of regenerative braking in four stages through steering wheel-mounted paddles. The first level is more or less a coast function, as there was very little braking action felt. At the other end of the scale, driving the Niro EV became an almost onepedal drive, such was the strength of regenerative braking the instant the throttle is lifted. This proved to be the only real nit: when travelling around 10 to 12 km/h, the level of regeneration dropped off noticeably, forcing the driver to use the brake pedal in heavier traffic. Why not leave it at full regen right to a standstill? That way, it would be a true one-pedal drive.
The proof of how well the Niro EV comes together is in the numbers. The drive started with a range of 445 km displayed. At the end of the 101-km test route, the range was showing 363 km to “empty.” This was thanks to the amount of otherwise wasted energy being recaptured and fed back to the battery. The 19 km of bonus driving range is significant, and speaks to the fact the driver is wise to use the top level of regeneration. Had the highway section of the test route been run with the same sort of eye to battery preservation, the recouped energy could have been a lot more. As it was, the average speed of 120 km/ h saw very little regen with the exception of a few downhill sections, so it sucked back juice.
The Niro EV also cedes little in terms of handling. It does feel appreciably heavier, though Kia did not give a curb weight. But the battery’s position brings a low centre of gravity, meaning it was a nimble drive through the twisty sections of the route. The increased steering feel in Sport mode also helped in this regard.
At the opposite end, it cruised the highway without missing a beat; the suspension does a good job of both limiting body roll and taking the sting out of a rough road.
Naturally, the electric ride is whisper quiet, but Kia has added a lot of insulation to ensure the ride remains serene.
The Kia Niro EV will hit Canadian dealers in the first half of 2019. Pricing and final specifications will be available closer to the launch date.