Kia e-Niro review: the most compelling Niro yet

Nearly a year after we tested the updated Niro in hybrid (HEV) form, it is time to assess the credentials of the Kia e-Niro, the fully electric version. There is no need to wait for the final verdict to call it the most compelling Niro yet, even if it is also the least affordable of the range.

It earns that distinction for several reasons, above all because it is the most powerful and quickest of the three available versions - HEV (hybrid), PHEV (plug-in hybrid) and the e-Niro (electric) - and, perhaps surprisingly, because it also has the largest boot of the trio. At last, its capacity is better suited to the family ambitions of this crossover.

Benchmark efficiency

What impressed most about the e-Niro, however, was the outstanding efficiency of its powertrain. Its claimed 15.9 kWh/100 km is good - exceptionally good, in fact - particularly as it matches, and can even better, the quoted figures of several electric vehicles that are smaller, less powerful and lighter than this e-Niro.

Initially, that seemed a rather optimistic figure. After all, this is an electric crossover weighing almost 1,800 kg, with 204 hp and 395 Nm. Yet, considering the other electric cars I have tested and those that have passed through the Razão Automóvel garage, I have to admit it was surprising to discover just how easy it is not only to match the official 15.9 kWh/100 km, but to beat it: readings typically sat in the high 14s and low 15s.

Even on the motorway, the Kia e-Niro proved highly competitive. Although its frontal area is greater than that of more compact electric cars - it has a taller and wider body, plus more ground clearance - consumption ranged from 20-22 kWh/100 km, entirely in keeping with those smaller EVs.

If your driving is mainly urban and suburban, without making too much use of the tempting 204 hp/395 Nm, covering more than 400 km on a charge is achievable without much effort - range anxiety? Not even a “flutter of the heart”... Unless you cover around 100 kilometres every day, the Kia e-Niro is likely to require just one recharge per week.

Longer journeys? No problem

The demonstrated efficiency, combined with its generous interior space and the performance on offer, makes the Kia e-Niro a good companion for venturing on longer trips, such as a weekend break - or at least once that becomes possible.

Its long-distance ability is further underlined by the high levels of comfort and refinement inside. This comes partly from the seats - which could offer more support, apart from the electrically adjustable lumbar support - partly from the very effective sound insulation, and partly from a dynamic set-up that favours softness.

The Kia e-Niro is happier on open, broad roads - where it displays great stability - than on tighter, twistier routes. The soft suspension calibration and Michelin Primacy tyres are not the ideal combination for exploiting the full “fury” of its 204 hp and, especially, its instant 395 Nm.

Treat the accelerator like an on-off switch and the sudden torque delivery can easily overwhelm the soft front tyres, which will make their objections very clearly heard. That said, the e-Niro always behaves competently and reacts predictably, even if it is not the most exciting vehicle - personally, I would “sacrifice” some of the softness for a more suitable chassis set-up and tyres able to handle the performance available.

Use the accelerator more progressively, so as not to provoke the tyres too much, and you would not want to give up the instant 204 hp and 395 Nm for anything. A slightly firmer press of the pedal sends the Kia e-Niro decisively forwards; overtaking becomes child’s play, while virtually every incline is dispatched as though it were flat, such is the ease with which it gains and/or maintains speed.

Paddle shifters: the available interaction

Unlike some electric cars, the e-Niro has no B mode on its transmission selector - a setting that applies maximum energy recuperation. Instead, it uses paddles behind the steering wheel, positioned where gearshift paddles would sit in an automatic vehicle, to control the level of energy recuperation during deceleration.

The system runs from level 0, with no recuperation, to level 3, providing maximum recuperation. It did not take long for the paddles to become an integral part of the driving experience, making it more interactive than is usual for this type of vehicle.

For instance, on descents, one or two pulls of the left-hand paddle increase the energy recuperation level to simulate engine braking and help maintain a steady speed. Hold that same paddle and the recuperation is strong enough to bring the e-Niro to a halt.

Holding the right-hand paddle activates Auto energy recuperation mode, in which the e-Niro automatically selects the recuperation level according to the vehicles ahead, detected by its radar.

Is the Kia e-Niro right for me?

As with many other electric cars, the Kia e-Niro, with an asking price of almost €50,000 before offers, is better suited to companies than private buyers. It was, after all, chosen as “Company Electric Car” at the Fleet Magazine Awards 2020.

Despite an extensive and comprehensive standard-equipment list - metallic paint is the only option - the Kia e-Niro’s price reflects the cost of electric technology, which remains very expensive, more than it reflects the car itself.

A comparison with the other, hybridised Niro models makes this clear. The e-Niro costs €10,000 more than the PHEV (plug-in hybrid) and €20,000 more than the HEV (hybrid). Fortunately, it counters this with a level of performance its “siblings” can only dream of, which does much to enhance the model’s overall appeal.

There are currently not many alternatives to the Kia e-Niro able to offer the same space/efficiency/performance combination. Its closest alternative is its Hyundai Kauai Electric “cousin”, from the segment below, which uses the same powertrain and costs a few thousand euros less. However, its more compact dimensions are reflected in inferior interior space.

This year will see the arrival of more electric crossovers/SUVs, including the Skoda Enyaq. In price and powertrain characteristics, it should be the Kia e-Niro’s closest rival, although it is significantly larger in overall dimensions.