2022 Kia Niro EV overview

The primary-generation Kia Niro was a late arrival to Australia, launching in 2020 regardless of being accessible abroad as early as 2016.

When it arrived Down Beneath in facelifted kind, the Kia Niro EV (generally known as the e-Niro elsewhere) grew to become the Korean model’s first all-electric mannequin in Australia, utilizing the identical EV operating gear because the Hyundai Kona Electrical.

With 450 kilometres of claimed vary, a conservative and sensible crossover design, in addition to Kia’s seven-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee, the electrical Niro is probably not as flashy as a Tesla, however goals to make the transition to zero-emissions motoring as seamless as doable.

Right here on check we have now the bottom 2022 Kia Niro EV S, the entry level into the Kia electrical line-up in Australia.

With a second-generation mannequin simply months away, is the present automobile value a glance should you’re available in the market now?

How a lot does the Kia Niro EV S value?

The entry-level Niro EV S on check is priced from $62,590 plus on-road prices, which on the time of writing interprets to a drive-away worth of $67,490.

In order for you a bit extra equipment, the flagship Niro EV Sport is $65,990 earlier than on-roads or $70,990 drive-away in line with Kia’s configurator.

Each variations of the present Niro sit beneath the EV subsidy threshold in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia – that means consumers are eligible for $3000 rebates – although it’s above the brink for Queensland ($58,000).

The second-generation Kia Niro can also be due within the third quarter of 2022, bringing an overhauled design inside and outside, enhanced driver help and infotainment applied sciences, and up to date variations of the present hybrid (HEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and electrical (EV) drivetrains.

It’s unclear, nonetheless, how Kia Australia will place the brand new Niro vary by way of pricing.

2022 Kia Niro pricing

• Kia Niro Hybrid S: $39,990
• Kia Niro Hybrid Sport: $43,890
• Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid S: $46,590
• Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid Sport: $50,490
• Kia Niro EV S: $62,590
• Kia Niro EV Sport: $65,990

All costs exclude on-road prices

Key rivals embrace:

All costs exclude on-road prices

What do you get?

Niro EV S highlights:

• 64kWh lithium-ion polymer battery
• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Michelin Primacy 3 tyres
• Tyre restore equipment
• Halogen (projector sort) headlights
• LED daytime-running lights
• Electrical Blue exterior accents
• 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (wi-fi)
• DAB digital radio
• Fabric/Leather-based-appointed seats
• 8-way energy driver’s seat adjustment
• Leather-based-wrapped steering wheel
• Local weather management air-conditioning
• 6-speaker sound system

Niro EV Sport provides:

• LED (projector sort) headlights
• ‘Premium’ leatherette seat trim
• 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Satellite tv for pc navigation
  • incl. 10 years visitors data and map updates
  • incl. cost areas
• 8-speaker JBL premium audio system
• Alloy sports activities pedals
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear cross-traffic alert

Is the Kia Niro EV S secure?

Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid variations of the Niro put on a five-star ANCAP security ranking primarily based on assessments performed by sister agency Euro NCAP in 2016. Niro EV variants stay unrated.

Class scores included 91 per cent for grownup occupant safety, 80 per cent for little one occupant safety, 70 per cent for pedestrian detection and 81 per cent for security help.

Normal security gear contains:

• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
  • Pedestrian and bicycle owner detection
• Ahead collision warning
• Lane-keep help
• Lane Comply with Help (centring)
• Adaptive cruise management with cease/go
• Driver consideration monitoring
• 7 x airbags (incl. driver’s knee)

What’s the Kia Niro EV S like on the within?

Contemplating the daring statements Kia has been making with its interiors of late – assume EV6, Sorento and Sportage – the Niro looks like a little bit of a time machine.

The general design and structure may be very a lot last-generation Kia, from the very dashboard to the old-design steering wheel. You might be forgiven for considering you’re sitting in a previous-generation Sportage.

With that mentioned, it’s an inoffensive place to hung out, and there’s mixture of supplies and finishes to make it really feel well-made. Nevertheless, its $40,000 origins are extra obvious given its $62,000 asking worth, notably on this base mannequin.

The primary differentiators between the S on check and the higher-grade Sport trim are the infotainment system and the seat trim. The display is a bit low-rent on this grade, however I favor the seat trim.

A typical 8.0-inch touchscreen shared with numerous low-grade Kia fashions gives wi-fi smartphone mirroring and DAB radio, however that’s about it. No navigation, and 6 audio system as an alternative of the JBL-branded eight-speaker audio of the Sport make this a reasonably primary fit-out.

Wi-fi Apple CarPlay labored properly throughout our time with the automobile, although there’s no wi-fi telephone charger to maintain your telephone juiced whereas it’s projecting apps.

The chunky leather-based steering wheel is an previous design however nonetheless feels good, and the switchgear on the tiller is straightforward to make use of and logically positioned. Forward of the motive force is an instrument cluster with LCD and TFT shows, and globally is the extra primary of Niro clusters – a higher-end 7.0-inch partial digital cluster is offered abroad however not accessible in native fashions.

Consolation and house up entrance is spectacular, with snug and supportive seats backed by heaps of storage choices and good ergonomics. I favor the fabric/leather-based mixture upholstery of the Niro S in comparison with the leather-trimmed pews of the Sport, and there’s nonetheless eight-way energy seat adjustment with lumbar.

In comparison with one thing like a Kona Electrical or Nissan Leaf, the Niro’s second row is sort of spacious. No marvel it serves as the idea of the Niro Plus purpose-built automobile which is able to quickly be a South Korean taxi staple, and a ride-share selection in markets like Australia – learn all about that automobile right here.

At 6’1 I can comfortably sit behind my very own driving place and there’s bottle holders, rear air vents, a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders, and a map pocket behind the entrance passenger seat. The Niro makes for 4 seater, and occasional 5 seater.

There’s ISOFIX anchor factors for each outboard positions, in addition to top-tether factors for all three positions.

Additional again, there’s a spacious 451-litre boot with the second row in place, increasing to 1405L with the rear bench folded. With the second row in use, the Niro has extra capability than all main rivals together with the dimensionally bigger Mannequin 3 and Polestar 2, in addition to the Kona and Leaf.

A part of the rationale for the big boot is the dearth of spare wheel, with a tyre restore equipment provided as an alternative.

What’s underneath the bonnet?

Australian-delivered variations of the Kia Niro EV are powered by a everlasting magnet synchronous electrical motor mounted on the entrance axle, creating 150kW of energy and 395Nm of torque.

The usual battery pack in native fashions is the bigger 64kWh lithium-ion unit with liquid cooling, although a smaller 39.2kWh pack is offered abroad, and within the associated Hyundai Kona Electrical.

Kia quotes a WLTP-certified vary of 455 kilometres, with vitality consumption of 159Wh/km – or 15.9kWh/100km.

Utilizing a 100kW DC quick charger can replenish 0-80 per cent cost in 54 minutes, whereas a 50kW DC charger ups that barely to 1hr 15m.

An 7.2kW AC charger takes 9h 35m to finish a full cost (0-100 per cent), with the transportable 2.3kW trickle charger included with the automobile taking 29 hours through a regular wall socket.

How does the Kia Niro EV S drive?

Regardless of the platform’s age, the Niro is a well-rounded providing no matter its powertrain.

The Niro is pretty distinctive within the native Kia line-up in that it arrived with out a native suspension and steering tune, largely as a result of its age and comparatively brief lifecycle.

As a substitute, Kia Australia went for a calibration closely-aligned with European specification, blessing the Niro with a delicate sporty vibe but additionally with an honest stage of compliance dialled in.

Efficiency from the 150kW/395Nm e-motor is powerful, to the purpose the place it’s nearly sizzling hatch-quick. In different markets Kia claims 0-100 efficiency instances of round 7.0 seconds, and by the seat of the pants it feels it.

With all 395Nm accessible from relaxation, the Niro EV will get off the road rapidly and pulls onerous to triple figures. For most individuals it’s all of the efficiency you’re ever going to want, despite the fact that it’s not Tesla quick.

It’s value noting that, given the front-drive design, the Niro might be susceptible to spinning the entrance wheels within the moist, although the throttle calibration has been fairly properly executed to keep away from it in most conditions.

As famous earlier, the Niro’s European journey and dealing with tune errs on the firmer, sportier aspect. Which means sharper hits are felt. It’s removed from crashy or unrefined, although it doesn’t have the identical stage of finesse as a Sportage.

It undoubtedly settles properly on the freeway, possible a product of its European DNA. Not a foul cruiser for a compact EV.

The steering is properly weighted and fairly direct, making the compact Niro really feel extra keen and darty than its near-1.8-tonne kerb weight may counsel. It’s really a enjoyable little factor to throw round, whether or not you’re zipping by way of metropolis streets or driving up a winding B-road.

Physique management is tight which makes the Niro really feel extra like a giant hatchback than a small crossover. The large battery within the flooring little doubt helps carry the centre of gravity down and provides to this hunkered down feeling.

I took the Niro on an prolonged journey right down to Portarlington in Victoria’s south-west for a marriage, and was shocked at each the lengthy distance consolation in addition to effectivity.

The circa-210km spherical journey was primarily freeway and nation freeway, combined in with some in-town stints. The Niro proved snug and fairly refined, with a suitable stage of street noise permeating the cabin on coarse-chip roads.

We noticed an indicated consumption determine of 14.3kWh/100km on the conclusion of our week-long run, overlaying greater than 620 kilometres of combined driving. That works out to a theoretical real-world vary of 447 kilometres primarily based on that determine, which strains up fairly properly with Kia’s 455km declare.

As for the motive force help options, we’ve come to anticipate good issues from Kia, and the Niro delivers in that respect regardless of its age.

The adaptive cruise management and Lane Comply with Help centring capabilities make freeway driving fairly straightforward, although some might not like the extent of help required to precisely maintain the automobile centred in its lane. Sadly the bottom Niro EV missed out on blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert capabilities, which might be good additions.

Little doubt the next-generation mannequin, due within the third quarter of 2022, will construct on this additional with a lighter platform, extra know-how and a extra refined cabin.

How a lot does the Kia Niro EV S value to run?

The Niro is roofed by Kia’s seven-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee, bolstered by seven years of capped-price servicing and as much as eight years of roadside help.

Additional, the high-voltage techniques in Kia’s electrified fashions – together with the Niro EV – are warranted for seven years or 150,000 kilometres, whichever comes first.

Scheduled upkeep is required each 12 months or 15,000 kilometres, once more whichever comes first.You may both pay-as-you-go or pre-pay for three-, five- or seven-year packages – costing $1164, $1728 and $2803 respectively.

Price noting is also, on the time of writing Kia is providing three years of free scheduled servicing must you select to finance your automobile by way of Kia Finance, representing a saving of $1164.

CarExpert’s Tackle the Kia Niro EV S

It’s straightforward to see why the electrical Kia Niro has been a success in different markets. It’s an electrical automobile that appears and looks like a traditional automobile, and gives efficiency and vary that gained’t blow your socks off… but additionally gained’t go away you red-faced on the lights or invoke some type of vary anxiousness.

It’s additionally impressively sensible, notably in comparison with its Kona Electrical cousin, and contains the majority of help and comfort options that you simply’d anticipate on the worth level. There’s loads of shared options with different Kia fashions as properly which suggests there’s little, if any, studying curve to cope with bar charging it.

The primary situation for the Niro in Australia is that it arrived properly into the latter phases of its lifecycle and is priced in opposition to very succesful, newer competitors within the Polestar 2 and Tesla Mannequin 3. Australia additionally misses out on loads of options accessible in different areas, although that’s much less evident within the base mannequin.

The upper-spec Niro EV Sport is arguably one of the best model of the electrical SUV right here, however it’s even dearer once more and isn’t far off the bottom EV6 by way of pricing – although its bigger devoted EV stablemate is successfully bought out till 2023-24 primarily based on present allocation numbers, admittedly.

What the Niro does have in its favour, nonetheless, is you’re extra possible to have the ability to get your fingers on one sooner reasonably than later, as an alternative of the 12-month-plus wait instances we’re seeing for many electrical automobiles these days.

Plus, the corporate is presently providing engaging finance offers with three years of free servicing to additional sweeten the deal. In order for you EV now, and don’t wish to make a scene about it, the present Niro may very well be value a glance.

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