New £30k, 300-mile-range EV
All-electric Kia serves affordable emissions-free motoring in a crossover wrapper
You have to hand it to Kia. Operating from a separate building to the enthusiast radar not long ago, it recently put a competitive sports saloon into production and now threatens to break ground in more progressive fashion. And how. While the reardriven halo atop the Stinger GT-S still glows brightly for this magazine, there can be no doubt 300 miles of Wltp-certified electric range and an asking price close to £30,000 is more momentous in a broader context.
That is what the new e-niro crossover offers. Granted, it does not redefine the EV proposition in any singularly remarkable way. Sibling-brand Hyundai recently launched a version of the Kona with the same powertrain and for a similar price. The Tesla Model S is still a benchmark for range and will do 334 miles even in entry-level 75D form and the excellent Nissan Leaf asks less of your finances than Kia’s newcomer. But the Kona has a substantially smaller boot than the e-niro, limiting its appeal as a practical family crossover. Similarly, you will pay £70,000 to join Tesla’s club and even the second-generation the Leaf requires cable action after just 168 miles. In light of this, the e-niro is surely the Goldilocks option.
Built in right-hand drive and to generous First Edition specification (including DAB radio, aerodynamic 17in alloy wheels, plenty of leather trim), the car tested here is the version UK buyers will get, so ignore the South Korean numberplate. First deliveries are in April and the e-niro will get the same seven-year warranty as Kia’s other models, and that covers the battery pack and electric motor.
The design language is nothing new to these kinds of vehicles: there’s a blanked-off grille and some turquoise details but that’s it. Inside, there’s a new rotary gear selector on the false transmission tunnel and a sharp 7.0in digital instrument binnacle to match the 8.0in infotainment touchscreen. The ambience is mature and there’s a greater sense of perceived quality than the twee exterior may suggest.
Kia always intended this platform for all-electric duties, but one statistic is nonetheless eye-opening. Where the petrol-electric Niro gets a 33kg battery and the plug-in hybrid one weighing 117kg, the low-mounted 64kwh pack in the e-niro weighs 457kg. Naturally, carting the mass of a Caterham Seven has some dynamic consequences – ones Kia has attempted to mitigate by upping the car’s spring rates. Body control is passable but the ride only truly settles on glass-smooth surfaces. An inability to iron out smaller corrugations can perhaps be forgiven, but the e-niro should still be quieter at a cruise.
This is still a neat product, though – one that’s as inoffensive to drive as it is to look at, with light, suitably geared steering, plenty of adjustment in the driving position and a spirited turn of pace from a front-mounted 201bhp motor. Town driving, where the official range is more than 380 miles, is supremely easy-going. Equally, entirely depleting the battery charge in a single sitting would be no chore at all. And for many owners, I suspect the ability to drive from London to Newcastle in one unbroken stint would absolve (at least in part) the busy ride.
The paddles on the leather steering wheel are a useful innovation. With no gears to change, they alter the severity of the regenerative braking and holding the left paddle down brings the e-niro to a complete halt in short order. Preset gradations mean there is no modulation, alas, but Kia deserves credit for this early attempt to better involve EV owners in the driving process. A more involving chassis set-up should be the next step.
Ultimately, the e-niro proposition is more compelling than the execution, but it is some proposition and one that moves the game on. Such an aggressive price goes a long way to democratising longrange electric driving – so much so that the car’s practicality and stout performance almost feel like a bonus.