2022 Kia Niro EV Review: The new electric car leader?
thank you this is the new Kia Niro EV it’s a striking looking electric Crossover with a 285 mile claims range a huge warranty a mission to stop you buying a skoda enyak or ngzsev instead and one more thing this is also the replacement for the Kia in Nero which was the second biggest selling EV in the UK in the first half of 2022 big shoes to fill then you could also get the Nero in regular hybrid and plug-in hybrid guises but the full EV version is expected to account for around half of all Nero sales
it certainly starts off well it’s not exactly a pretty design but you can’t mistake the new Nero for anything else one thing we really like about the design is that the plug for charging it is centrally located which means it doesn’t matter which side the charging cable is when you visit a public charging spot also useful is this cubby hole under the Bonnet because it means you can keep a charging lead in here closest to where you’ll use it some electric cars have more storage space under the Bonnet true but the car’s electric motor also
lives here and the old Kia inero which had a similar front motor layout didn’t have any underbonnet storage at all how long it takes to charge very much depends
quarters of an hour there’s only one battery size and that’s 64.8 kilowatt hours prices start around 36 000 pounds going up to low 40s this mid-range one is just under 40 000 pounds back here the boot is noticeably bigger than the outgoing model there’s 475 liters which is 90 liters more than a Volkswagen ID3 full electric which is a rival in terms of price there’s an adjustable boot floor too which is useful for sliding heavy objects in and out plus an impressive 1392 liters of luggage room with the rear seats folded down now the Nero
EV isn’t the widest of cars so sitting three people across the back is going to be a bit of a squash that being said two will be very comfortable indeed and the absence of any sort of Hump in the middle of the floor really helps add to the sense of space the Improvement in cares in most recent years is probably most evident from the driver’s seat because not that long ago Kia Interiors although were well appointed and solid feeling they were just a little dull a bit like my twin mobile not so here there are
dramatic curves intriguing metal effect trim finishes vegan friendly faux leather and a single panel for the infotainment touchscreen and driver’s instrument panel that would not look out of place in a BMW or Mercedes and it doesn’t just look swish it is swish every trim level gets smartphone mirroring electric windows climate control adaptive cruise control there’s stairs to help you keep in your lane and automatic emergency braking that detects cyclists pedestrians as well as cars step up to a three-spec car like this one and you get heated front seats and steering wheel and electric driver’s seat
blind spot warning front parking sensors wireless phone charging and a larger upgraded infotainment system top spec models meanwhile get extra luxuries such as a heads up display a sunroof and ventilated front seats but for all the equipment on offer there’s no better example of how well thought out this Kia is than this set of icons here tap it and it toggles between media controls and nav including these controls here and tap it again and you’ve got the climate controls in terms of efficiency the Nero EV really impresses you’re likely to get around 3.5 miles per
kilowatt hour of electricity which is really good considering an SUV body style isn’t always the most iro Dynamic of shapes officially the Kia’s range of 285 miles means that you should get 4.3 miles per kilowatt hour and that is easily achievable with a bit of economy conscious driving but even 3.5 miles per kilowatt hour is better than the 3.3 miles per kilowatt hour that we’ve experienced with the skoda enyak IV in terms of real world range then the 64.8 kilowatt hour battery will get you around 240 or 250 miles before you’ll need to charge it
up three and four spec cars also come with an optional heat pump which helps boost the Nero’s cold weather efficiency as it uses less energy to warn the car’s interior than a high voltage heater you should be able to rely on the Nero’s Energy Efficiency and predicted range figures too because in our experience the instruments in electric gears are some of the most accurate in the business so you shouldn’t be suffering any weight anxiety which means you can concentrate on what the cars like to drive which is really rather good it doesn’t have overwhelming amounts
of power but thanks to the instant response of the electric motor there’s always more than enough pulling power to accelerate quickly out of Junctions or to make an overtake it certainly feels faster than a naught to 60 time or 7.8 seconds would suggest also despite being front-wheel drive only it’s actually a very well-mannered car when it comes to handling the front wheels seldom feel overwhelmed by the torque running through them and there’s really good feedback in the steering wheel so you actually know what the front wheels are doing and despite having a bit of lean
in the corners it still manages to feel like it has a decent amount of grip the ride meanwhile is also pretty good it doesn’t have the cushioned floaty feel of a DS or a Citron but it is subtle enough to smooth out rough road surfaces and potholes effectively part of the reason for this is because the Nero is actually quite light it’s about 75 kilos lighter than the Volkswagen ID3 which is a smaller less practical car it’s pretty hard to fault the narrow EV you might not like the way it looks or you might want
a more exciting car to drive if that’s you it probably isn’t tamed at you if you want a compact family SUV that’s efficient well-equipped solidly built and comes with the peace of mind that a seven year warranty brings then there’s nothing really to beat it but what do you think let us know in the comments below and if you’re considering buying a Kia Niro EV or indeed any electric car head to cargurus.co.uk to find loads of great cars for sale from top rated dealers and with our super clever pricing technology we’ll even tell you whether
it’s a good deal or not
