Kia Niro EV
Replacement for the ground-breaking e-niro electric SUV sticks closely to that car’s formula On sale Now Price from £34,995
IF YOU’VE EVER felt the pressure to live up to a high-achieving parent, you’ll understand the situation the Kia Niro EV is in. You see, it’s a direct replacement for the e-niro, which was the first electric car to be named our What Car? Car of the Year.
That was a few years ago, though, and since then we’ve seen a huge number of electric SUVS launched. In short, the Niro EV is entering a much tougher marketplace.
So far, we’ve only tested it in pre-production form. However, Kia told us our test car was very close to the finished article, and it’s already clear that ride comfort has been prioritised over sporty handling. The relatively soft suspension means you’re well isolated from imperfections in the road surface, particularly at higher speeds. While the Niro EV never feels floaty, there is a fair bit of body lean in bends – although not as much as in the rival Peugeot e-2008.
The Niro EV is faster, too. All versions have a 201bhp electric motor, which drives the front wheels and is fed by a 64.8kwh battery. There’s a sluggishness when you first pull away (power is restricted so you don’t spin the wheels), but once you’re moving, the motor responds really well when you put your foot down.
Less impressively, it has a slower maximum charging rate than the e-niro, a 10-80% top-up taking at least 43 minutes. The Skoda Enyaq iv charges more quickly, and most versions beat the Niro EV’S 285-mile official range.
The Niro EV’S interior takes its inspiration from the larger Kia EV6, so the design looks smart and modern. However, quality feels like a step down, because there are a lot of hard plastics. It’s similar to the Volkswagen ID.3 in this respect, although Kia says the materials in production models might be better.
More positively, the driving position is tough to fault and the touchscreen infotainment system (8.0in if you go for entry-level 2 trim, 10.25in across the rest of the range) is one of the more user-friendly systems of its kind.
The Niro EV is not the revelation its e-niro predecessor was, but with all those merits plus competitive pricing, enough space for four tall adults and a long list of standard equipment, it’s well worth considering.
An evolution, not a revolution, but it’s enough to put the Niro EV near the top of its class