Kia Niro EV: A credible EV which is not available in most states

All the recent talk about who has the most capable EV on the market, primarily stems from Tesla, Chevrolet Bolt, Nissan Leaf Plus, and the Model 3, respectively. But little known to the outside world (mainly because it’s not for sale in all 50 states in North America), is the Kia Niro EV, which on paper delivers an impressive package, with best in class mileage (at a range extended 238-miles). In December 2016, the Niro Hybrid officially received a Guinness World Records title for the lowest fuel consumption by a hybrid vehicle, as it traveled from Los Angeles to New York City with a fuel consumption record of 76.6 mpg-e. This record had last been held by the Kia Optima Hybrid in 2011, with a fuel consumption average of 64.55 mpg.

So, for those reading this outside of the Niro’s targeted demographics, you’ll just have to wait until supply catches up with demand, where Kia can release the Niro EV for global distribution. At the time of our review our Niro EV Premium did not include a Monroney.

I must admit it was cool tooling around in the Niro EV for the week, with people inquiring what it was. Our course, the Niro Hybrid debuted for 2017, with the Plug-In following suite a year later. Those models can be acquired just about anywhere Kia has a sales center, EVs aren’t exactly inexpensive, and the leap from the sub-$30,000 non-plug-in Niro hybrid is out of reach for most. However, subtract the $7,500 federal credit and the EX comes in at about the average transaction price for a new car, while the nicer-equipped Premium still is well south of $40,000 - and that’s before state and local subsidies available in many places. And unlike Chevy Bolt and Tesla Model 3, which are losing the federal credit, Kia has plenty of headroom before hitting that sales limit.

Surprisingly, the Kia Niro shares its underpinnings with the Hyundai Ioniq EV, not the Kona EV, although those two are the closest in similar crossover offerings. In fact, if it weren’t for the Niro being so good, I’d have to give my nod to the Kona.

The Niro EV owes a lot of its inspiration to the original Niro Hybrid and Plug-In, With the same foundation of design, performance and technology innovation, the Niro EV delivers a cutting-edge powertrain, in a familiar package. Picking the right one is easy thanks to a trio of options. From the Niro, with its impressive versatility and flexibility, to the adjustable Niro Plug-In Hybrid, and now the high-tech Niro EV.

The 2017 Kia Niro was unveiled at the 2016 Chicago Auto Show. A purpose-built subcompact hybrid crossover, the model's exterior design is marketed as "un hybrid", saying it is more conventional than other hybrid vehicles.

The Niro uses a hybrid powertrain producing altogether 139-hp and returns a fuel economy of 43 to 50 miles per US gallon (5.5 to 4.7 L/100 km) by also using lightweight materials, including high strength steel and aluminum. Its battery has a capacity of 1.56 kWh, and a weight of 33 kg.

In 2018, a plug-in version was added, featuring an 8.9 kWh battery. The Kia Niro and Niro Plug-in Hybrid form part of Kia hybrid range, which also includes the Optima Plug-In Hybrid and (in markets outside North American the Optima Sportswagon). The Kia Niro went on sale in South Korea in late March 2016. In its first month on sale, the Niro hit an all-time sales record in the green car market in South Korea, even beating the Hyundai Ioniq.

The all-electric version, like is featured here, was launched in 2018 at International Electric Vehicle Expo in Korea, named Niro EV in Asia and e-Niro in Europe. It shares powertrain and battery with the Hyundai Kona Electric.

Niro EV is available in two battery versions: 39,2 kWh and 64 kWh. The batteries are liquid-cooled lithium ion polymer.

The 39,2 kWh version is propelled by 100 kW (134 hp) permanent-magnet electric motor with 395 Nm (291 lb.-ft) of torque and can travel up to 288 km (179 mi) on one charge according to WLTP, while the 64 kWh version offers 455 km (283 mi) of WLTP range and has a more powerful 150 kW (201 hp) motor producing the same amount of torque. Both cars are FWD.

Both versions have a CCS charge port which enables DC fast charging at up to 100 kW. The on-board charger power is 7.2 kWh.

If you’re on the bubble about your first electric vehicle, hoping for something reasonably affordable and also more practical than a small car, Kia has a deal for you: the friendly SUV-ish Niro EV. It’s a full-battery model of the long-roof hatchback that Kia already offers in hybrid and plug-in hybrid form. And while the Niro’s styled to look like an SUV, let’s be honest: It’s a well-designed front-wheel-drive wagon. And that’s just fine - no body shaming here.

The Niro electric version is a corporate sibling of the appealing Hyundai Kona EV, but it’s bigger and more well-rounded than the Kona, with a few more inches of length and wheelbase. That’s enough for a roomier and grown-up feel in the front seats, more comfort in the backseat and more family-friendly cargo space (about 18 cubic feet behind the backseat and more than 50 with the 60/40-split seatbacks folded). It’s a practical vehicle that just happens to be a competent electric vehicle, a combination that would make it a good first electric car and daily driver for a broad swath of buyers beyond EV early adopters.

If you’re ready to go all in on a plug-in, here are 11 reasons the Niro EV is a good choice to be the first EV in your garage, along with one reason making that happen might not be as easy, based on where you live:

For the Niro EV, you get mobility with a smaller carbon footprint. But in what a recent survey found, potential buyers might be at least as enticed by “saving” green as “being green”, and the Niro EV will save money over time with lower fuel and maintenance costs than a gasoline vehicle.

A full charge of the 64-kilowatt-hour battery offers 239 miles of range, just 19 fewer than the Kona with which it shares like powertrains. That’s enough for most people to handle their daily driving without anxiety and only have to plug in at home a couple of times a week.

Most families still can’t get by with just an electric vehicle, especially on long road trips. However, if you or your household can get by on a single car but also needs one for weekend ramblings beyond the reach of handy chargers, the Niro’s also-appealing plug-in hybrid variant might be a more suitable first step. Its 26-mile all-electric range can handle a lot of commuting and you retain gas-engine flexibility when needed. You’ll also still receive the federal plug-in subsidy for the purchase, albeit a smaller $4,543 versus $7,500 for the EV version.

Beyond range, the Niro EV offers you the reassuring flexibility to use DC fast charging, which increasingly is becoming available at public stations, such as EVgo. However, with a typical 7.2-kilowatt Level 2 home AC Charger, a full charge of the 64-kilowatt-hour battery is an overnight thing at 9 hours and 35 minutes. But if you need a quick shot, the Niro EV comes ready to accept a fast charge that can fill the battery to 80 percent in 75 minutes on a 50-kW charger, and in 60 minutes on the growing number of 100-kW fast chargers. You’ll likely rarely need that service, but if, like me, you start puckering when your phone is at 50 percent, it’s comforting to know that’s its available. For time being, you’ll need to know your rate to budget for the extra energy. Having solar panels, as well as a storage wall, helps the case even further.

The Niro doesn’t overwhelm you with gadgets and gauges, and science-project design. The fact is that EVs are “less” complicated to drive and maintain than a gasoline car. And Kia ran with that, giving the Niro a familiar look and feel. It also simplified use, putting essential information such as range up front and making charging the car nearly as simple as charging your phone. Sure, it still has fancier EV graphics and electric-specific features that you can master at your leisure as you adapt to new habits to get the most mileage out of your juice - but the hardest thing to learn for a newbie might be remembering to turn the Niro off without the prompt of hearing a gas engine still running.

EVs are quiet. It’s a revelation of how much white noise you don’t consciously hear in a gasoline car, like a night in the country is a revelation to a city dweller. But a downside is that little noises you’d never otherwise notice will now stand out. Neither of these is exclusive to the Niro, but Kia has done a very good job of filtering out and suppressing potential annoyances in the hushed cabin, even gliding at low speeds with the whirring alert broadcasting a techy “on your left” warning to unwary pedestrians on their phones. However, there has been great concerns of how “silent” EVs impact those of the blind and hearing impaired.

Saving the planet has its rewards - and not just as a pass for HOV lanes. The Niro EV’s payback is a nicely designed and simple cabin that carves out a lot of space for its size and is trimmed in quality materials and soft-touch surfaces above your elbows. The Niro has an upright driving position with excellent visibility all around. Buttons and switches are logically arranged, and I prefer the Niro’s infotainment display being integrated into its dash, as oppose to the Kono’s being surface mounted. Seating, especially the leather appointments, are is very comfortable, and head and leg space for tall adults in the back.

Cabin storage for your stuff is better than in many small SUVs, including a clever tray under the open front of the center console. A bonus in the EX Premium test car was good-looking gray leather upholstery with blue trim and stitching - even a blue accent in the leather perforations, and a red-light signature around the console and rotating shift knob.

The cabin may be simple, but the tech is not. Both the EX and EX Premium versions come with a phetra of driver-assistance and safety tech, including adaptive cruise control, a forward collision system with automatic braking and pedestrian detection, lane-centering steering assist, driver attention alert and a blind spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert. While the base model is by no means stripped, the upscale EX Premium test car was loaded with, in addition to the leather seats, heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, an 8-inch touchscreen system with navigation (the EX has a 7-inch screen), competent Harman Kardon premium audio, USB ports, wireless phone charging, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, parking sensors, a smallish moonroof and upscale LED lighting inside and out.

The electric powertrain puts out a healthy 201 horsepower and will pull the Niro EV to 62 mph from zero in 7.8 seconds and from 50 to 75 mph for passing in 5 seconds. It feels faster than that in town owing to the electric motor’s instant 291 pounds-feet of torque, leaping like our family cat and even sometimes chirping the eco-efficient tires. In addition to the Normal, Eco and Eco Plus (which I’d only use if running on empty), there is a more satisfying Sport mode that’s fun at the price of some electrons.

The underfloor battery gives the Niro EV a planted feel, though not without some body lean in the corners. The steering is very light but is precise with changes of direction. The ride is firm, not harsh, but a little brittle on rough streets - I’m not sure if that’s the suspension, the low-resistance tires or both. The regenerative braking system has an otherworldly feel at times, but there is no grab in the transition from regeneration to the standard brakes. My favorite braking feature is the variable regenerative braking paddles on the steering wheel that allow mostly one-pedal driving in the stop-and-go city.

The downside

The Niro EV, like the mechanically similar Kona and the significantly updated 2020 Kia Soul EV, which, manufactured in South Korea has to share (so says Kia) a currently short supply of batteries. So initial quantities for the U.S. will be constrained, with sales limited to California and a few dozen other states (mostly those where a percentage of EV sales is required). If you only have a limited number to sell, it naturally makes sense to start with the “must have to” states. Of course, there’s nothing to stop you from going to California and picking one up, you’ll just have to deal with the “certified” service center in your area, or the lack thereof. However, one has to ask the question, if the Soul EV is mass marketed, then why not the Niro EV?

2020 updates:

Kia has tweaked the Niro hybrid with fresh styling inside and out and some newly available tech features. The updated version of the gas-electric subcompact SUV, which is available in traditional hybrid and PHEV (plug-in-hybrid) forms - in addition to the all-electric EV, was revealed at this year’s Geneva auto show, meaning that the U.S. details are not available as of yet. But I think it's safe to assume that the The U.S.-spec 2020 Kia Niro to be out later in the year will benefit from these same tweaks.

Most recognizable at the front are reshaped headlights and a new bumper with interesting-looking arrow-shaped LED daytime running lights lower down. The LED taillights are new, too, and the rear bumper has a new silver faux skid plate. New 16- and 18-inch wheel designs are on order, too, and all these changes are meant to bring the hybrid Niro models in line visually with the new EV variant.

Inside, Kia says it has upgraded the dashboard materials with more soft-touch finishes and additional gloss-black trim, while optional colored trim in either Red-Orange or Plum spices things up a bit. An 8.0-inch touchscreen remains standard, but there's a newly optional 10.3-inch touchscreen that incorporates new software.

Other changes include an electronic parking brake, larger rear brakes, and paddle shifters for the transmission. Active-safety features that have been added to the options list include stop-and-go capability for the adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist.

Kia has yet to confirm any information about the 2020 Niro in the U.S., but we expect to learn more about these updates later this year as we approach the model-year changeover.

Niro’s Parallel Hybrid System pairs a gasoline engine with an electric motor, so they can both power the Niro simultaneously. The Niro’s 1.6L, gasoline-direct injection (GDI) engine provides necessary power to the hybrid drivetrain - so there’s no sacrifice in the fun-to-drive department.

Keep the excitement coming with the highly responsive, dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT).

Driver’s Seat

Niro features an available 10-way power adjustable driver seat with lumbar support with integrated memory system so you can save preferred settings.

Heat things up or keep your cool, with available heated and ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, and available power sunroof.

Cargo Space

The 60/40 split-folding rear seat lets you flex the cargo space to fit your life.