Road test review: Kia Niro EV Premium

Wednesday, 14 October 2020

KIA NIRO EV PREMIUM
Base price: $85,990
Powertrain and economy: Single electric motor, 150kW/395Nm, single-speed transmission, FWD, 455km range (WLTP)

If you can distinguish the new Niro from the old just by this image, you’ve got a sharper eye than us.

Vital statistics: 4375mm long, 1805mm wide, 1570mm high, 2700mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 451 litres, 17-inch alloy wheels.
We like: Great range, decent power, ride quality

The Niro was the first Kia to get a rotary gear selector and now it’s flanked by buttons for heated and ventilated seats.

We don't like: Could look a bit more interesting, price.

Kia has updated the Niro range ahead of 2021 and we have the top-of-the-line EV Premium to see if the changes have altered any previous opinions.

The styling is hardly bad but the Niro could do with a bit more flavour.

What are the changes here?

Kia has given the other Niro models (hybrid and plug-in hybrid) more attention but the main things for the EV are a larger sat-nav-imbued touchscreen (10.25 inches now), the 64kWh battery as standard and small visual alterations.

* Road test review: Kia Niro EV EX 455

* Five electric SUVs you will be able to buy very soon

* The five best new EVs you can buy in NZ right now

The powertrain is the same as before, comprising a 150kW/395 single electric motor, which sends the Niro EV to 100kmh in a claimed 7.8 seconds.

Benefits of pushing for the Premium over the base EX and middle child SX include LED headlights, leather interior trim, heated and ventilated front seats with the driver getting two-way powered lumbar support and eight-way powered adjustment with memory. You also get a heated steering wheel, a premium sound system (shared with SX), a heat pump and wireless phone charging, among other small niceties.

Visually you’d be hard-pressed to distinguish the new Niro EV from the old but that’s okay. Kia has given the Niro a conservative design that fits in with other models and also doesn’t rock the boat. It doesn’t want the Niro to be loud about having electric propulsion, Kia would rather the SUV fit in with the crowd, as quiet as its powertrain. Personally, I’d go for the more Stormtrooper-looking Hyundai Kona Electric but the Niro will certainly have its fans.

Is it still a perfectly fine, if expensive crossover?

Yes, exactly. There’s enough boot space for small families and the range is well over 400km from a full charge. That means road trips are on the cards, if you play them right with recharge stops. Its claimed range of 455km is also more than the mechanically similar 449km Kona EV, funnily enough.

It’s not the fastest thing out but it’s quiet at speed and active safety gubbins like lane-keep and adaptive cruise are all standard. As they should be, you might say, given the Niro EV costs $86k in Premium trim, which is the same price as the Kona Electric Elite. There are cheaper variants for both models.

The interior has lots of high-quality leather bits and bobs, as well as a slick rotary gear selector. The heated/ventilated seats plus the heated steering wheel are all great for year-round comfort too.

Three levels of regenerative braking are available (four including ‘completely off’), adjustable via wheel-mounted paddles. Fiddling with these lets you drive the Niro as if it were a single-pedal car, increasing and decreasing the regen to slow down by varying amounts. Turning it all the way off lets the SUV coast for days, as there’s no mechanical braking to slow the wheels.

Charge times are still on the high side, with Kia claiming 75 minutes to juice up to 80 per cent on a 50kW charger. Spending that long on a public charger is likely to get you an angry note under your wiper from a first-gen Leaf owner. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to invest in a home wallbox and use public chargers for top-ups while you do some shopping.

Any other cars I should consider?

Well, the Hyundai Kona Electric. It’s the same price in Elite and Premium forms and offers better looks but slightly less range. The other electric SUV options are close to $30k north or south of the base Niro EV EX ($77,990), with the MG ZS EV taking up the value proposition at $55,990 ($51,100 if you’re one of the first 150 buyers) and Audi’s e-tron 50 the step above the $86k Premium, starting at $119,900 on special at the time of writing ($135,500 normally).