The Kia Niro is about to get significantly upstaged.
The brand new Kia EV5 is about to romp into the Niro’s turf with a bolder design and far stronger provide out of China.
In reality, Kia expects to have the ability to herald as much as 850 EV5s every month, which might see it promote 10,200 examples yearly. The corporate bought simply 1000 Niro EVs in 2023.
We haven’t pushed the EV5 but, so we are able to’t say for certain if it’s the higher automotive. We additionally don’t but know the way a lot it is going to value.
Nonetheless, the Niro is in peril of changing into much more ignored than it already is.
Ought to this electrical wallflower be in your shortlist?
How does the Kia Niro examine?
View an in depth breakdown of the Kia Niro towards equally sized autos.
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Niro
How a lot does the Kia Niro value?
We’ve put the Niro EV GT-Line to the check, which is the priciest member of the Niro vary at nearly $10,000 greater than the bigger Tesla Mannequin Y RWD and round $4000 greater than the associated Hyundai Kona Electrical Premium Prolonged Vary.
Primarily based on a Sydney postcode, you’re taking a look at a drive-away price ticket of $78,282. Add one other $520 for premium paint.
The Niro EV GT-Line’s price ticket makes it ineligible for Queensland EV incentives.
2024 Kia Niro pricing
2024 Kia Niro EV S: $66,5902024 Kia Niro EV GT-Line: $72,360
All costs exclude on-road prices.
To see how the Kia Niro strains up towards its rivals, try our comparability device.
What’s the Kia Niro like on the within?
The angular strains of the Niro’s exterior proceed contained in the cabin, most notably on the door panels.
There’s additionally a neat alcove within the dashboard with ambient mild components.
Kia has sacrificed performance considerably for the sake of favor. The dramatically angled entrance door trims have large slabs of gloss black trim, whereas their ledges are too slender to comfortably relaxation your arm.
The abundance of gloss black trim carries via to the centre console, which is nearly fully completed within the smudge-, dust- and scratch-prone materials.
Different materials decisions are higher. The sprint prime is completed in a comparatively soft-touch materials with a textured end, for instance.
The ten.25-inch infotainment touchscreen has the trendy graphics and logical interface anticipated of a Kia display screen in 2024, however the display screen itself is large but quick in stature.
Oddly, Android Auto doesn’t take up the total display screen. It, together with Apple CarPlay, additionally nonetheless requires a twine to attach. It’s a USB-A outlet too, although there’s a separate USB-C outlet for charging units up entrance.
There’s a useful EV menu, which additionally features a graphical illustration of your remaining vary – each with and with out air-conditioning on – plus your nearest cost cease.
The digital instrument cluster has engaging graphics too, although there’s no map view out there as you’ll discover in some rival manufacturers.
The Harman Kardon sound system is superb, however there are some uncommon function omissions for a top-spec Kia at this worth level. You get the model’s useful Distant Good Park Help, however there’s no surround-view digicam like you will discover on autos costing 1000’s much less.
The Distant Good Park Help, for those who’re unfamiliar with the function, lets you transfer the automobile ahead and again from outdoors – useful if some impolite particular person has parked too intently to your door, or when you have a good storage. It feels like a gimmick, nevertheless it got here in useful for me on no less than a few events. It’s additionally a enjoyable get together trick.
The rotary dial for gear choice is tactile, and the touch-capacitive local weather/media management panel – as seen in different Kias just like the Sportage – is straightforward to make use of and contains a pair of knobs.
A wi-fi charging pad sits on the base on the centre stack, whereas on the centre console there’s an open storage space with retractable cupholders. The enclosed centre console bin, nevertheless, is on the small aspect.
By way of different storage, there’s a decently sized glove compartment plus bottle holders within the doorways.
The whole lot feels screwed collectively nicely, although the doorways don’t shut with as strong a thunk as I’d count on.
Step into the again and there’s a cushty rear bench and loads of headroom and legroom. At 180cm tall, I might sit within the barely increased, firmer centre seat and my head nonetheless didn’t contact the roof.
We’ve beforehand match three grownup males abreast in a Niro Hybrid for a visit to the airport with minimal grumbling, so the cabin is decently large, too. Toe room, nevertheless, is a bit tight within the Niro EV, although the ground is flat which is uncommon for an EV on a combustion-engine platform.
There’s a USB-C outlet in every entrance seatback, plus a vehicle-to-load (V2L) outlet on the rear of the centre console.
The latter lets you energy exterior home equipment with a traditional three-prong plug at as much as 3.6kW; there’s additionally an exterior V2L outlet which you’ll be able to plug home equipment into with an adaptor. There are additionally three top-tether and two ISOFIX anchor factors for baby seats.
Visibility out the again is common because of a chunky C/D-pillar and a slim rear window. The Niro additionally has fairly a excessive belt line, so the cabin isn’t as ethereal because it may very well be.
Open the powered tailgate and there’s an honest 475L of cargo area, increasing to 1392L with the rear seats folded. There’s additionally a small cavity underneath the bonnet for further storage.
What’s underneath the bonnet?
There’s only one powertrain out there within the Niro EV vary. In the event you don’t need pure electrical energy, Kia additionally affords the Niro with a hybrid powertrain in Australia.
To see how the Niro strains up towards the competitors, try our comparability device.
How does the Kia Niro drive?
The Niro is broadly competent with out being exceptionally memorable to drive.
Let’s get the not-so-nice stuff out of the way in which. The steering is oddly heavy, with out being significantly communicative.
It doesn’t loosen up a lot at low speeds, with an uncommon quantity of resistance, which makes the Niro much less manageable in a parking zone than, say, the bigger EV6. We additionally noticed an annoying delay with the reversing digicam.
The trip can get somewhat bit unsettled on significantly patchy street surfaces, with the load of the 443kg battery noticeable. For probably the most half nevertheless, the Niro rides comfortably, absorbing impacts adeptly.
The Niro is fast off the road with out feeling overwhelming, with little in the way in which of torque steer. Sport mode makes it really feel a bit extra sprightly, however you’re by no means actually left wanting in terms of efficiency.
The heavy battery positioned underneath the cabin ends in a low centre of gravity, and the Niro feels strong and planted. Dealing with is secure and predictable.
The cabin is quiet, even on coarse-chip roads or at freeway speeds. Little in the way in which of wind and tyre noise will get into the cabin.
There’s a one-pedal drive mode, however you’ll must activate this every time you begin the automobile by pulling one of many paddles. The automotive will, nevertheless, bear in mind your auto-hold setting.
In the event you’re new to the world of EVs, you might discover the one-pedal drive mode daunting at first however you rapidly get used to it. In any other case, you possibly can toggle it to have as little regenerative braking as attainable, making this really feel extra like a really quiet Seltos.
By way of charging, there’s battery pre-conditioning. As anticipated, you may also set AC and DC cost limits.
With 460km of WLTP vary, it’s primarily lineball with the bottom Tesla Mannequin Y RWD which has 455km… however prices round $10,000 much less.
The Niro’s suite of energetic security and driver help options work with out drama. We significantly like how the blind-spot function will actively intervene as an alternative of merely sounding a chime when it detects hazard; it is going to additionally vibrate the steering wheel.
The purple mild/velocity digicam alert function proved annoying, nevertheless.
What do you get?
The GT-Line sits above the bottom S within the two-model Niro EV vary.
Niro EV S highlights:
Computerized headlightsAutomatic high-beamHalogen headlightsLED entrance fog lightsKeyless entry and startRain-sensing wipers6-speaker sound system10.25-inch digital instrument cluster10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment systemDAB digital radioWired Apple CarPlay, Android AutoDual-zone local weather controlLeatherette-wrapped steering wheelTilt and telescopic steering column adjustmentCloth/synthetic leather-based upholsteryEight-way energy driver’s seatRear centre armrestKia Join related providers incl. emergency name perform, distant automobile monitoring
Niro EV GT-Line provides:
LED headlightsRear privateness glassRemote Good Park AssistSingle-pane sunroofHands-free energy tailgate8-speaker Harman Kardon sound system10-inch head-up displayHeated steering wheelLeatherette upholstery8-way energy passenger seatHeated and ventilated entrance seatsAlloy pedalsLED inside lighting64-colour ambient lighting Wi-fi cellphone charger
Is the Kia Niro secure?
The Kia Niro EV has a five-star security score from ANCAP, primarily based on testing carried out in 2022.
It acquired an grownup occupant safety score of 88 per cent, a toddler occupant safety score of 84 per cent, a susceptible street consumer safety score of 76 per cent, and a security help score of 87 per cent.
Customary security tools on the Niro EV S consists of:
Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)Automobile, pedestrian, bicycle owner detectionJunction assistBlind-spot assistDriver consideration alert with main automobile departure alertLane-keep assistLane Following Help (lane centring)Rear cross-traffic assistSafe exit warningRear occupant alertRear parking sensorsReversing cameraFront, front-side, centre-side, driver’s knee and curtain airbags
Niro GT-Line provides:
Parking Collision Avoidance Help – ReverseProtected Exit HelpEntrance parking sensors
How a lot does the Kia Niro value to run?
The Kia Niro EV is backed by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre automobile guarantee and a seven-year, 150,000km battery guarantee.
Kia affords three-, five- and seven-year pre-paid service plans, priced at $706, $1351 and $1997, respectively. Whereas that’s on par with the likes of the BYD Atto 3, it’s a extra typical, ICE-like method to upkeep than Tesla.
The American model doesn’t specify servicing intervals for its Mannequin Y and solely specifies some objects that have to be changed each 2-4 years like cabin air filters.
CarExpert’s Tackle the Kia Niro
The Kia Niro is a type of autos that leaves little lasting impression.
That’s not essentially a foul factor. In reality, its excessive stage of all-round competence means there are few flaws that linger in a single’s reminiscence.
But it surely’s additionally not terribly thrilling, and at over $70,000 and dealing with some powerful competitors, it should have somewhat bit extra pizazz. It doesn’t really feel low cost, nevertheless it doesn’t really feel like a $70,000 automotive, both.
It’s laborious to place one’s finger on simply what’s lacking right here. It’s fast sufficient, handles and rides nicely sufficient, and has an honest quantity of inside room.
It’s additionally extra fascinating to have a look at than the final Niro, which was exceedingly conservative. There are distinctive angular lighting components, plus the bizarre colour-contrast C-pillar trim is like nothing else on the market.
And but it doesn’t have fairly the visible influence general of the upcoming EV5. With probably sharp pricing for that mannequin plus stronger provide, the Niro is more likely to recede even additional into the background.
It’s additionally laborious to disregard the elephant within the room: the moderately elephantine-looking Tesla Mannequin Y, which isn’t solely Australia’s best-selling EV, however one of many market’s finest sellers, interval.
It may’t match a number of the luxurious objects of the Niro, nevertheless it affords extra space and slick expertise of its personal. The Niro’s lofty price ticket additionally pushes it up near rivals from luxurious manufacturers just like the BMW iX1.
It’s not a foul automotive by any stretch, nevertheless it’s in an uncomfortable, precarious place that may solely be remedied with some worth cuts.
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