Kia Niro EV Review

Price: £37,295 - £43,195

Electrifying.com score

9/10

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One of the UK's most popular electric cars gets a new look, more space and tech. The figures don't look like much of an improvement, but it's better where it matters.

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  • Battery size: 64.8 kWh
  • Miles per kWh: 4.2
  • E-Rating™: A+

    Click here to find out more about our electric car Efficiency Rating.​

  • Max charge rate: 72 kW
  • Range: 285 miles
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  • Battery size: 64.8 kWh
  • Miles per kWh: 4.2
  • E-Rating™: A+

    Click here to find out more about our electric car Efficiency Rating.​

  • Max charge rate: 72 kW
  • Range: 285 miles
  • Kia Niro ev, white, action shot, front three angles
  • Kia Niro ev, white, action shot, back three angles
  • Kia Niro ev, white, action shot, front three angles
  • kia Niro ev, shows cockpit, steering wheel, windscreen
  • kia Niro ev, shows backseats, black
  • kia Niro ev, white, boot shot, shows back seats
  • Kia Niro ev, white, shows charging cable
  • Electrifying.com E-Rating A

Ginny Says

“I'll admit I wasn't hugely impressed when I first saw this car and some figures are a little off the pace still. But Kia has improved in most of the places that matter and created a really impressive package. ”

Tom Says

“Like Ginny, I was disappointed when I looked down the spec sheet, but after spending some time on the road I think the reborn Niro EV is a car which will just slot perfectly into the lives of many families. ”

Driven and reviewed by 

Tom Ford

 - 
24 Jan 2024

Tesla may grab the sales headlines in the UK every now and again, but the Kia Niro EV is one of the UK's most popular electric cars. In fact, the Korean SUV has been a huge seller for Kia since its launch and has a devoted following in Britain. Fabled for its efficiency and loved for its affordable price, the Niro remains one of the best all-rounders you can buy. 

For the second-generation version, out goes the eNiro nameplate and in comes the Niro EV badge, along with a host of design and engineering updates, the biggest of which is a new set of underpinnings. The new Niro is now built on what Kia calls its K platform, which sits underneath a host of Kia and Hyundai products. 

This means that the Niro is more than a facelift. It might look like a reboot of the old car, but it's actually substantially different. The bodyshell is actually longer for a start. 

Rivals include its sister car, the Hyundai Kona Electric, as well as loads of other electric family cars including the VW ID.3, Cupra Born, MG4 EV, Volvo EX-30, Renault Megane and more. The Niro EV also treads creeps into contention with bigger electric family SUVs such as the Renault Scenic E-Tech and Nissan Ariya, given that the Kia is something of a crossover itself – albeit closer to a hatchback than a full SUV.

The Kia Niro is only offered with one battery option – a 64.8kWh battery, which is carried over from the previous eNiro with a slight boost in capacity of 0.8kWh. That’s good for a range of 285 miles, while charging speeds are a bit slower than most rivals at 72kW – more on that in the Range and Charging section of our review.


Verdict

Whatever you think to the sci-fi styling, you can’t get away from the fact that pretty much everything Kia has done to revise the Niro has made it a more functional, desirable and useful car. On paper, it might look like it’s gone backwards, but it really hasn’t. Add to that a big seven-year warranty package and it’s looking decidedly rosy. The name might have changed, but the Kia Niro EV remains an Electrifying favourite, and if you can get a good deal on finance then it’s one of the best family hatches out there.




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