The Kia Niro SUV e-range has landed in Australia with a variant to suit everyone’s EV journey
- Crossing over
- Hybrid: Same, same, but different
- Plug-in Hybrid: Best of both worlds
- EV: The full monty
- Explore the Niro SUV e-range. Build your own and explore current offers
Buying an electrified car that’s tailored to your needs and driving requirements is easier than ever – if you’re shopping in the right place.
As car-makers join the rush to electric vehicles, there’s understandably some hesitation from some who have often well-founded concerns about the prospect of a car powered purely by electricity.
Similarly, there are others with easy access to charging and a more consistent driving pattern who couldn’t think of anything better than never having to visit a petrol station again.
Which one are you? And which of the fast-evolving new technologies is best suited to your garage?
Crossing over
Kia hasn’t bothered to try to pigeonhole eco-focussed buyers into one type of technology over another.
Instead, it’s leaving the choice to those about to splash their cash.
The new Niro crossover SUV comes in three green-tinged flavours: Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid or EV.
Each is available in the same stylish five-door body that has good space inside but exterior dimensions well suited to the rush and crush of the suburbs.
It’s all about allowing buyers to make the best choice for their needs.
Hybrid: Same, same, but different
Hybrid vehicle technology has been available in Australia for two decades now. But it is constantly advancing and evolving, with newer models using lithium-ion batteries like those used in your phone or portable gadget.
It’s those batteries that form the basis of the Kia Niro Hybrid.
The regular Niro Hybrid can be driven anywhere a regular petrol-powered car can go.
Do you spend most of your time behind the wheel in the suburbs? A hybrid has you covered – and promises to save fuel in the process.
Or do you want to travel around Australia, surfboard on the roof and camp gear at the ready? Yep, you can do that to – and you’ll even have the assistance of advanced technologies like Lane Keeping Assist and Lane Following Assist to help keep you on track.
And in the Niro you’ll do it with the connectivity of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as DAB digital radio tuning and the safety of autonomous emergency braking (AEB).
The trick with a hybrid is it uses less fuel than a regular car. It does that by using an electric motor to assist the petrol engine.
In the case of the Niro Hybrid there’s an advanced 1.6-litre direct injection engine and a 32kW electric motor.
The batteries recharge when you’re coasting down a hill or slowing down by using regenerative braking technology.
So, yes, you’ll still need to visit petrol stations, but you won’t need to do it nearly as often. Claimed fuel use for the Niro Hybrid is as low as 3.8 litres per 100km. For a week of suburban running averaging 50km a day you can use less than 15 litres of fuel.
Plug-in Hybrid: Best of both worlds
Picture this: Driving in almost complete silence with only the sounds of waves or a calm forest in the background. You don’t even need to have the windows down for this snippet of motoring nirvana.
And you can do it all using no fuel courtesy of plug-in hybrid electric technology.
Do you have off-street parking or easy access to a powerpoint? Or does your local shopping centre have EV charging plugs?
A Plug-in Hybrid could be the perfect way to experience an electrified vehicle. Green technology is evolving and a PHEV is proof of that.
A PHEV – or Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle – can be electric most of the time. But it can also revert to petrol for those big drives. That’s why it’s often referred to as the best-of-both-worlds technology.
In the Kia Niro PHEV you can even tow up to 600kg.
So you can spend the week driving only on electricity before hooking up a jetski or small camper trailer and heading for your favourite weekend getaway.
PHEVs are ideal for those who have easy access to charging, whether that means plugging into a home powerpoint or taking advantage of the often-free public chargers that are popping up at shopping centres or council carparks. But they can also go weeks or months without ever needing charging, still benefiting from all that hybrid goodness.
In the case of the Niro PHEV it gets the same 1.6-litre engine as the regular Hybrid model, but there’s a much bigger battery pack and more power from the electric motor.
With 44.5kW and a hearty 170Nm there’s more than enough pull for driving around town. Even when cruising on a freeway the PHEV can do it in silence using only electricity.
There’s a rated NEDC range of 58km between charges that will cover off the daily driving needs for a large chunk of Australian motorists. Most of the time you probably won’t even need that petrol engine, but it’s there – just in case.
That’s the beauty of a PHEV.
The Niro hybrids are even available with Kia’s Sounds of Nature that provides the sound accompaniment of waves at the beach or rain or even a fireplace or café. It’s certainly a relaxing alternative to talkback radio.
EV: The full monty
No more petrol stations, and the whisper quiet promise of pure electric power makes starting every journey a breath of fresh air. Indeed, knowing that you are contributing to a greener future with every kilometre of your Niro EV is a bonus.
Apart from the aural and environmental pluses, there’s the real-world performance. The Niro EV has loads of pulling power that makes for effortless and fun acceleration. With more torque than some hot hatches, the Niro EV is an exciting way to keep pace with traffic.
If you’ve chosen the Sport model and you’re a bit sick of all the silence then you can bop along to an eight-speaker JBL sound system complete with sub-woofer for rumbling bass.
And in the Niro EV you can go a long way before having to charge. The WLTP-rated range is 455km.
So, yes, you can still get do all that suburban running around during the week while also planning a weekend getaway. And you won’t have to pack light; there’s 451 litres of luggage space or a full 1405 litres if you fold the seats down.
Charging can be done overnight at home or in as little as 54 minutes up to 80 percent if you’re using a DC fast charger.
Welcome to life in a modern electric vehicle.
Explore the Niro SUV e-range. Build your own and explore current offers
Keyword: Kia Niro – practical, fun and electrified