Kia has turn into a powerful contender in Australia’s fast-growing electrical car gross sales race with very popular EV6 crossover and soon-to-launch EV9 massive SUV.Â
However the corporate has some other EV providing within the type of the second-generation Niro, a smaller type with a still-generous 460km WLTP using differ declare, and a extra Euro-centric focal point.Â
Not like the new-from-the-ground up EV6 and EV9 with their skateboard platform and 800V charging capacity, the Niro comes as a petroleum hybrid in addition to the EV examined right here.Â
Whilst the primary iteration of the Niro nameplate used to be a conservative-looking car, this one brings some edge with its squat stance – and on this guise its boomerang-shaped tail lighting fixtures and not obligatory colored C-pillar.Â
For the ones taking part in at house, its design used to be rather clearly impressed through the brash 2019 Kia HabaNiro thought vehicle – with some real-world firming down.
The Niro EV additionally brings headline options like an Australian-market suspension music, far off connectivity and infotainment products and services, in addition to vehicle-to-load (V2L) capacity.
Sadly you’ll pay a steep sum for the privilege, if you’ll be able to get your palms on one. Such is the call for for this car in Korea and far of Europe that Australia is left with restricted provide, making this a distinct segment proposition.
How a lot does the Kia Niro EV GT-Line price?
The Kia Niro EV is available in two spec ranges referred to as Niro EV S ($66,590 earlier than on-road prices) and Niro EV GT-Line ($72,360 earlier than on-roads) – the latter of which we’re trying out right here.
You think that being matter to tight provide, Kia has taken a couple of liberties with the pricing, as a result of positioned into context the price simply doesn’t stack up in any respect.
As an example the Niro GT-Line EV ($72,360) prices kind of the similar as the faster, longer-range and altogether higher EV6 Air ($72,590) and is costlier than the larger and top-selling Tesla Style Y ($65,400). The one EV that may rival it within the overpriced stakes is the in large part inappropriate Mazda MX-30 Electrical.
For the ones after extra sensibly-priced EV choices with 400km-plus differ claims, there’s the big-selling BYD Atto 3 Prolonged Vary ($51,011), MG 4 Essence 64 ($47,990), and GWM Ora Extremely ($48,990). Choices from outdoor China come with the $59,990 Cupra Born and Volvo EX30, whilst the runout Hyundai Kona Prolonged Vary is $60,500 – a new-gen is due earlier than the tip of the yr.
We must additionally point out that the Niro GT-Line with the petrol-electric hybrid possibility prices $50,030 – which means the EV battery and motor provides greater than $22,000 to the cost.
What’s the Kia Niro EV GT-Line like at the within?
The internal design is nearly as fascinating as the outside, significantly the two-spoke wheel design and framing for the dual shows.
The leather-wrapped wheel has cruise keep watch over, lane help and commute laptop controls on its left spoke, and audio or voice controls at the proper. A small button at the decrease left-hand facet adjustments your power fashions.
The crisp device cluster at the back of the wheel appears to be like sharp and shows your velocity, power utilization, regenerative braking, and more than a few menus from commute information via to battery standing. It’s augmented within the GT-Line through a projecting head-up show.
The panorama centre touchscreen doesn’t dominate the fascia like in a Tesla or BYD, however runs moderately intuitive instrument with excellent high quality maps, voice instructions, and a top quality Harman Kardon sound device.
Then again there’s just a reversing digicam somewhat than a surround-view, and the GT-Line does now not include wi-fi telephone mirroring in spite of providing a wi-fi charger pad beneath the local weather controls.
There are a mix of great contrasting trims used all through in addition to an abundance of dust- and scratch-prone piano black trims in every single place – a design fad that I’m assured won’t age neatly.
At the matter of grievances, whilst the entrance seats are powered and heated/ventilated, and in addition include a ‘Top class Leisure’ folding mode for the passenger, they’re individually additionally missing enough under-thigh and facet bolstering.
Under the display screen is a sleek touch-sensitive bar that doubles as a local weather keep watch over interface and separate audio shortcut controller – it appears to be like nice and turns into intuitive to function temporarily.
Alongside the centre tunnel is a round tools shifter dial along the guidance wheel and seat heater/cooler buttons, digicam pull-up and Auto Cling serve as. At the back of this sits a decent-size centre console with cupholders.
At 4.4-metres lengthy the Niro isn’t a lot larger than your run-of-the-mill small hatchback, on the other hand the again seats are acceptably spacious for 2 adults and the ground is moderately flat. There are USB ports behind each and every entrance seat.
The boot is lovely beneficiant at 475 litres with each seat rows in use, increasing to almost 1400L with the again row folded. Neither the again seats or boot come with reference to a inexpensive Tesla Style Y even though, for the ones after a circle of relatives pleasant EV.
On a facet word, the Niro is vehicle-to-load (V2L) suitable as much as 3.6kW, with a three-prong plug within the again seat and the power to attach an adaptor to the outside Sort 2 charging port to energy home equipment from the automobile’s battery.
It additionally pairs to the Kia Attach app so you’ll be able to remotely test in at the car, and the important thing fob has buttons that can help you transfer the car slowly in an out of bays whilst status outdoor the automobile – a function we first noticed suited to the Sorento SUV.
On some other word, to its credit score the Niro showcases recycled fabrics like headlining comprised of recycled PET fabrics, seats comprised of Bio PU with Tencel from eucalyptus tree fibres, and BTX-free paint (no benzene, toluene, and xylene isomers) at the door panels.
What’s beneath the bonnet?
A small garage corner.
Each spec ranges of the Niro EV run the similar drivetrain, a front-wheel power unmarried motor with 150kW of height energy and 255Nm of height torque, permitting a 0-100km/h time of 7.8 seconds.
The everlasting magnet synchronous motor attracts present from a 358V lithium-ion battery pack with a tick beneath 65kWh of power capability and a weight of about 450kg. According to lab-tested power intake of 16.2kWh consistent with 100km at the WLTP cycle, be expecting using differ of as much as 460km – sufficient for the vast majority of other folks.
The entrance bumper Sort 2 charging port can care for as much as 11kW AC, which means a 10-100 consistent with cent house charging time of about 6.5 hours. On a 100kW-capable DC charger you must be expecting 10-80 consistent with cent charging time of about 45 mins.
How does the Kia Niro EV GT-Line power?
The second one-generation Niro stays front-wheel power however doesn’t torque steer like some EVs with this configuration as a result of Kia has stored the motor’s outputs smart – with an obvious eye to larger potency.
It’ll nip you to 100km /h in a brisk 7.8s however as with maximum electrical vehicles it’s the 0-60km/h that’s the fastest, as a result of e-motors don’t want revs to generate their most torque.
If you need a bit of extra punch off the road, simply hit the power mode button fixed low at the guidance wheel and choose the sportiest accelerator pedal environment, or choose the eco-focused mode to numb reaction and save power.
On the subject of slowing down, you’ll be able to lean at the regenerative braking device managed by way of paddle shifters to get well kinetic power, the entire approach as much as one-pedal using the place you slightly contact the brakes. When you desire no rolling resistance you simply flick it off.
As with many EVs the loss of engine noise does imply there’s a bit of of surplus avenue noise on coarse-chip surfaces from the (Continental Eco Touch) tyres, nevertheless it’s habitable.
When it comes to nuts and bolts the Niro runs impartial suspension at each ends (McPherson struts and multi-link) and column-mounted electrical guidance offering a ten.6m turning circle and infrequently any arm resistance.
Like maximum Kias it underwent an Australian calibration program earlier than release – certainly it used to be Kia Australia’s first complete journey and dealing with program for the reason that get started of the pandemic.
The result’s, as marketed, somewhat car-like dealing with with great and flat frame keep watch over and minimum roll getting into corners. At 1727kg (tare), the Niro isn’t precisely featherweight, nevertheless it feels suitably nimble.
It additionally rides somewhat properly, soaking up corrugations and jagged bumps higher that its low-profile tyres might recommend – in that sense it does are living as much as the top class positioning, given some competitor EVs are extra taste than substance.
What do you get?
The bottom Niro EV S comes with a sparse function listing for a car that prices the most productive a part of $70,000…
Niro EV S highlights:
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- Halogen headlights
- LED sunlight hours working lighting fixtures
- LED tail lighting fixtures
- Black roof rails
- Rear parking sensorsÂ
- Tyre-pressure observeÂ
- Brief mobility package
- Proximity-sensing key fobÂ
- Rain-sensing wipersÂ
- V2L inside energy socket
- Fabric and leather-based seats
- Powered motive force’s seat
- Twin-zone local weather keep watch over
- 10.25-inch device cluster
- 10.25-inch centre touchscreenÂ
- DAB/AM/FM
- 6-speaker audio device
- Satellite tv for pc-navigationÂ
- Kia Attach telematicsÂ
- Wi-fi Apple CarPlay
- Wi-fi Android Auto
- Rear-view digicamÂ
Niro GT-Line provides:
- LED headlightsÂ
- Unmarried-row sunroofÂ
- Powered tailgate
- Privateness glass
- Entrance parking sensorsÂ
- Faraway Sensible Park Lend a hand (key fob)Â
- eCall with SOS button
- V2L external Sort 2 to socket adaptor
- Synthetic leather-based seat trim
- Powered passenger’s seat
- Heated and ventilated entrance seatsÂ
- 64 ambient lighting fixtures colors
- AI voice instructionsÂ
- 10.0-inch head-up showÂ
- Wi-fi telephone chargerÂ
- 8-speaker sound device
- Stressed Apple CarPlay
- Stressed Android AutoÂ
Colors
- Transparent White
- Snow White Pearl
- Metal Gray
- Interstellar Gray
- Aurora Black Pearl
- Mineral Blue
- Runway Crimson
- Cityscape Inexperienced
- Snow White Pearl with Metal Gray C-pillar
- Mineral Blue with Gloss Black C-pillar
- Cityscape Inexperienced with Gloss Black C-pillar
Is the Kia Niro EV GT-Line protected?
The Niro completed the utmost five-star ANCAP protection ranking with 2022 date stamp.
It scored 88 consistent with cent for grownup occupant coverage, 84 consistent with cent for kid occupant coverage, 76 consistent with cent for susceptible avenue person coverage, and 87 consistent with cent for protection help options.
Usual security measures come with:
- Airbags:
- Entrance
- Entrance-side
- Entrance-centre
- Driving force’s knee
- Aspect curtains
- Independent emergency braking (AEB)
- Automobile, pedestrian, bicycle owner & junction turning
- Lane-keeping help
- Blind-spot collision avoidance help
- Rear cross-traffic avoidance help
- Adaptive cruise keep watch over
- Secure Go out Caution
- Main car departure alert
- Driving force consideration alert
- Clever velocity prohibit help
- eCall with SOS button
- 2 x ISOFIX, 3 x peak tethers
The Niro EV GT-Line provides Secure Exist Lend a hand (is helping keep away from opening a door right into a passing bicycle owner) and energetic collision-avoidance braking in opposite.
How a lot does the Kia Niro EV GT-Line price to run?
Kia supplies a seven-year, limitless kilometre guaranty, with a seven-year carrier plan to be had for $1997 (or $1351 for 5 years).
Kia claims power use of 16.2kWh consistent with 100km, however I averaged 17.4kWh consistent with 100km. Nonetheless a real-world 400km with some care must be achievable more often than not.
Charging choices range from a elementary three-prong trickle charger via to a house wallbox with both 7kW or 11kW outputs – the latter pair decreasing 10-100 consistent with cent charging occasions to 9.5 hours and six.5 hours respectively.
A CCS DC price must take you from 10-80 consistent with cent in 45 mins or so, sufficient for roughly 300km give-or-take. For the reason that 358V Niro doesn’t use the EV6’s 800V battery it can not care for specifically speedy DC charging speeds.
As an example at AmpCharge Altona I noticed a mean of 53KW.
CarExpert’s Take at the Kia Niro EV GT-Line
The Niro EV is a bit electrical crossover with head-turning design, various using differ, respectable dealing with traits, and a few fascinating items of inside generation.
However for all its worthiness as a car, it’s just too pricey to counsel except you’ll be able to wrangle a excellent deal or pick out up a near-new second-hand or ex-demo type.
It’s a leave out from me.
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MORE: The entirety Kia Niro
