Kia launches electric Niro in Australia, along with hybrid options

South Korean carmaker Kia has launched a three-pronged approach to the “electrification” of the Australian auto market, announcing that its popular Niro is now available with an all-electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid powertrain after a delay of more than a year.

In an online event this week, Kia Australia chief operating officer Damien Meredith and general manager of product planning Roland Rivero said the Niro vehicles are available for order and deliveries will commence next week.

Pricing for the all-electric Niro, which will be known as the Niro EV in Australia in line with the HEV (hybrid) and PHEV (plug-in hybrid) was also revealed.

Kia is taking a competitive approach to its pricing against other popular players in the EV market. Notably, the base Niro EV undercuts the recently slashed price of the Tesla Model 3 by $400 to start at $62,590 before on-roads (drive away pricing is $67,490).

Pricing also aligns closely with its South Korean competitor, the Kona EV which starts from $62,000 before on-roads for the recently unveiled 2021 refresh model.

In addition to the base Niro S EV, Kia is also making a Sport trim available, priced from $65,990 before on-roads and $70,990 drive away.

Pricing for the hybrid and PHEVs start at $41,990 drive away for the Niro S HEV and range up to $53,990 drive away for the Niro Sport PHEV.

The delay of the launch – which was originally slated to coincide with the 2020 Australian Tennis Open – was covered by Rivero, who also noted the role that Australia’s absence of CO2 targets has had to play in securing Niro EV inventory for Australia.

“It’s a milestone that we’ve longed for, for a while now, but took a little bit longer than expected due to strong global demand exceeding production capacity,” said Rivero.

“Surely, in that situation, it’s understandable that (vehicles) were prioritised for regions with CO2 regulations and tax penalties.”

The decision to bring three powertrains to the Australian market – echoing Hyundai’s approach with the Ioniq fastback – is because, Rivero says, “We understand that policy drivers aren’t all the same and one type of green car tech doesn’t necessarily fit all.”

Kia seems to be on the front foot to appeal to drivers who are of the misunderstanding perpetuated on Monday by energy minister Angus Taylor that because Australia is a large country, anyone living outside the inner city will need an equally large battery.

For this reason, it is (also like Hyundai) only bringing the larger 64kWh battery Niro EV, which will offer around 450km driving range on a single charge, to Australia. There is also a shorter range (and more affordable) electric Niro which Rivero said Kia might consider if customer interest demands it.

That said, the 64kWh Niro EV promises a punchy drive. Its permanent magnetic electric motor delivers 150kW power and 395Nm torque and it has three drive modes: eco, normal and sport.

“Being on the driver’s circumstances, or in my case patience, those wanting to drive spiritedly on the open road can choose the red backlit sport mode and the throttle sharpens up and the steering lights up, you can actually fling the mirror around with unexpected punch for an eco-minded family car,” says Rivero.

“I find that even in normal mode there are no issues with merging with faster traffic or tackling a motorway drive and for bumper to bumper traffic, peak hour, you really don’t need to come out of eco mode.”

Driving and suspension

With the Kia Niro EV, drivers get the choice between three levels of regenerative braking as well as a shortcut to one-pedal driving via paddles behind the steering wheel.

The paddles can be used to either increase or decrease the resistance while driving to increase energy recuperation, while a long press on the right paddle will cause the vehicle to scan traffic and choose the appropriate level for you. Execute a long press on the left paddle and one-pedal mode will kick in, causing the vehicle to slow down to a stop whenever the foot is taken off the accelerator.

Because of delays to market due to Covid, Kia says it was unable to perform local suspension tuning, but that the standard European suspension will still deliver a fun and stable drive.

Aerodynamic elements include underbody styling to reduce drag as well as an “active air flap” behind the front grille and the rear spoiler. This gives the Niro EV an aerodynamic drag co-efficient of 0.29, not bad for an SUV.

Unfortunately, although the European specced e-Niro can be updated over the air, this capability is not available for the Australian model.

Charging

Also, Kia has not struck any deals for free complimentary driving, but assures that all its dealerships now have chargers installed. For those wanting to take advantage of the Niro EV’s 100kW maximum charge rate there are plenty of charging options including proprietary networks like Chargefox and Evie Networks as well as an array of car club chargers.

Charging at the top DC rate of 100kW will recharge the Niro EV in under an hour using a CCS2 plug, while charging at home or on a destination charger at a top rate of 7.2kW will replenish an empty battery in under 10 hours.

The PHEV has a top AC charge rate of 3.3kW which can recharge its smaller batteries to 100% from zero in 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Style and space

Inside, Kia has strived to keep styling clean – although still traditional compared with the Tesla Model 3. Drivers will find the flush touchscreen and floating console add to the sense of spaciousness.

The underfloor battery means there is oodles of space for both passengers and luggage compared to its hybrid cousins, and Kia has prioritized space for both the EV and the PHEV over adding a spare tyre, which comes standard with the hybrid.

All models are available in white, black, red, pearl and silver, while those choosing the EV variant can also go for “a deep “yacht” blue. The HEV and PHEV variants are also available in graphite, deep cerulean blue and orange.

The hybrid and PHEV are essentially the same vehicle: additions for the PHEV are a secondary battery under the boot to compliment the main battery that comes with the hybrid under the rear seat, and of course a charging port.

The hybrid of course cannot be plugged in but with a motor and battery to boost the 1.6 litre engine and recuperate energy will use a minuscule 1.3 litres per 100km according to Kia.

The plug-in hybrid can drive up to 58km on pure electric power, which means for the average daily commute it is possible to not use fuel at all although Rivero does note that the heavy-footed may experience the engine kicking in even when there is plenty of battery charge.

Kia recommends that if your main mode of driving the PHEV is pure electric (as it should be), that 60% of the fuel be used every six months to ensure it does not go stale.

All variants have an unlimited kilometre warranty with 7-year capped price servicing, with the exception of the EV’s motor and battery which are covered by a 7-Year 150,000km warranty.