Kia Niro EV: crossover unveiled with 450 km of range

The Kia Niro EV will reach the European market after its debut at the Paris Motor Show, which will take place next October.
The new Kia Niro EV has been officially presented in its home country, South Korea. The new member of the ECO range of Kia has been shown to the world for the first time and shares some design features with the prototype we saw last January at the CES in Las Vegas, the Kia Niro EV Concept. This 100% electric version therefore joins the HEV (traditional hybrid) and PHEV (plug-in hybrid) variants that already made up the range of the crossover, which went on sale in 2016. The Kia Niro EV is without a doubt one of the most revolutionary models on the market, since it offers a rare range among the more mainstream electric cars. The first units of this model will be delivered this summer in South Korea. Its arrival on the European market will take place after the Paris Motor Show 2018, where it will be presented in October.

Design: inspired by the prototype, based on the Niro we all know

The new Kia Niro EV is loosely inspired by the prototype presented last January at the CES in Las Vegas, but keeps the essence of the base model.

At the front, for example, we find a grille without air intakes that features a flap for the charging socket, as well as headlights with LED daytime running lights. The 17-inch wheels fitted to the car have a new design and feature a regenerative braking system. The rear remains practically unchanged from the standard model, except for the lights and some details finished in blue that can also be found in other areas of the bodywork.

Range: 450 km under the WLTP cycle

The Kia Niro EV is one of the electric cars with the longest range on the market. Its battery pack is more powerful and has a greater energy storage capacity than most of its mainstream rivals. The car is available with two batteries: one of 39.2 kWh offering a range of 300 km under the WLTP cycle (much more realistic than the still-current NEDC), and another of 64 kWh with 450 km of range. This latter option places it on a par with its smaller sibling, the Hyundai Kona Electric (470 km of range), in this respect; it should be borne in mind that the Kia Niro is a larger and heavier car than the Hyundai Kona, so the range achieved by the former is all the more commendable. In addition, the battery can recharge up to 80% in just 54 minutes using a 100 kW fast-charging connection.

To put the range offered by the new Kia Niro EV into even greater perspective, we need only look at what some of its mainstream rivals offer in this area:

• New Renault Zoe: has a 41 kWh battery offering 400 km under the NEDC cycle (around 300 km in real-world conditions).
• New Nissan Leaf: has a 40 kWh battery offering between 270 and 285 km of range under the WLTP cycle.

What the price premium of the 64 kWh battery over the 39.2 kWh one will be remains to be seen.

204 CV electric motor connected to the front axle

The new Kia Niro EV will not be short on performance either, thanks to its 204 CV electric powertrain delivering 395 Nm of torque. The electric crossover will go from 0 to 100 km/h in just 7.8 seconds with this motor, which is linked to the front axle, meaning the car is front-wheel drive.

Redesigned interior

The electric version of the Korean crossover introduces some design changes to its cabin compared with the HEV and PHEV variants. The car incorporates new ambient lighting, a redesigned centre console to house a circular gear selector, and a wireless charging system for mobile phones. The infotainment system will be the same as always, with a 7-inch touchscreen, the same size as the instrument cluster display. In addition, the Kia Niro EV will be available with the brand’s latest driver assistance systems