2021 Kia Niro EV Sport review

Kia’s first electrified model on the Australian market, the Niro is available with hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery-electric powertrains including this flagship Kia Niro EV Sport.

If it looks a little dated it’s because it is. All three versions arrived Down Under in May 2021 despite the Niro first launching overseas in 2016, with the Niro EV – known as the e-Niro in other markets – first introduced in 2018. It’s getting so long in the tooth that its successor has already been revealed.

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Kia Australia has admitted that one of the reasons it brought the Niro to Australia in its twilight year was to familiarise its sales and servicing systems with electrified models in time for the introduction of the second-generation Niro and the EV6 in 2022.

So is there any advantage to buying one over other battery electric vehicles (BEVs) on the market, including a growing number of SUVs?

What is the Kia Niro EV like to live with?

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If you were hoping that the Niro's maturity will mean there are bargains to be had at Kia showrooms you’re likely to be disappointed. The BEV version is available in two spec grates, S and Sport, respectively priced from $62,590 and $65,990 before on-roads with drive-away pricing set at $67,490 and $70,990.

I could compare pricing with several rivals, but the fact you can hop into a next-generation EV like the excellent Ioniq 5 for just $6000 more, suggests the Niro EV Sport may be a tad over-priced.

So what do you get for your $70K drive-away? Well, it’s reasonably equipped with a 10.25-inch touchscreen, wired Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, JBL premium sound system, power-adjusted front seats, vegan-leather trim, keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, LED headlights/DRLs/tail-lights and 18-inch alloys.

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By comparison, the Ioniq 5 comes with a heap of extra features including a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, eight-speaker Bose audio system, heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated 12-way power front seats with memory, heated and power-operated rear seats with memory, eco-leather trim, sunroof, and 20-inch alloy wheels – and that's before getting into its more advanced powertrain and active safety technology.

Even the range-topping Hyundai Kona Electric Highlander, which retails for $64,000 + ORC, brings a 10.25-inch digital dashboard with blind-spot monitor, heated and cooled front seats, a heated steering wheel and head-up display.

The Kona looks fresher too and, while Kia has done its best to contemporise the Niro’s exterior, it still looks the outgoing Sportage with its narrow ’tiger nose‘ grille treatment and bulging headlights.

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The interior has also been updated, featuring stitched upholstery and piano black surfaces. It's pleasingly neat and uncomplicated but lacks the sharpness of newer Kia SUVs such as the Seltos and Sorento.

Notable features include a 'floating' double-deck centre console that offers several surfaces on which to place things and is free of clutter thanks to the electronic parking brake and rotary gear shifter.

Everything looks rather unassuming and it’s only when you get a closer look at some buttons and the analogue gauge cluster that you realise you're sitting in an EV.

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This can be a good thing. There is a place for uncomplicated EVs that closely resemble ‘normal’ vehicles for people who may feel intimidated by new technology – the $41,990 MG ZS EV is a case in point. But when you’re paying more than a Tesla Model 3 it’s fair to expect some state-of-the-art wow factor.

The rear seats are quite roomy for a small SUV. The Niro’s wheelbase is 70mm longer than the Seltos, which translates to plenty of knee room, though the short squab means longer-legged folk may lack under-thigh support.

Fitting three adults across the rear seat would be quite a squeeze, but two would be quite comfortable, even six-footers. But they will appreciate the ample headroom.

Rear-seat amenities include air vents and bottle holders in the door bins, but there are no USB ports.

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This is one of the more practical EVs in its price range, with a handy 451-litre boot space that is 41-and 127-litres larger than the Niro Hybrid and Niro PHEV variants respectively. Fold the 60:40 split rear seats down and you can carry up to 1405 litres of stuff.

Like the Niro PHEV, there is no spare wheel under the boot floor, just a tyre inflator kit to get you to a repairer.

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The Kia Niro EV is covered by the brand’s seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, but there is a separate seven-year/150,000km warranty for the high-voltage electrical components including the battery pack, on-board charger, motor and electric power control unit.

A seven-year capped-price servicing plan and seven-year roadside assist cover are also available.

Kia Australia has admitted it brought the Niro in late to familiarise its sales and servicing with electrified models in time for the second-generation Niro and EV6.

What is Kia Niro EV like to charge and drive?

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Both Niro EV variants feature a 64kWh lithium-ion polymer battery that powers a 150kW/395Nm motor driving the front wheels through a single-speed transmission.

Being a largish battery it will take some time to charge at home – about 29 hours from zero to 100 per cent if plugging into a standard 240-volt outlet. Installing a 7.2kW wallbox will cut full charging time to nine-and-a-half hours.

Charge the Niro at a DC rapid charger and you can get the battery from zero to 80 per cent in 75 minutes through a 50kW charger or 54 minutes when charging at 100kW.

The Niro EV is fitted with a CCS2 port, which is the most commonly used system for public chargers in Australia.

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The Niro EV has a combined energy consumption rating of 15.9kWh per 100km, making it one of the more efficient BEVs on the market. That will bring a range of 455km with a full battery or 364km from 80 per cent charge.

Unlike petrol vehicles that are more efficient on highways than around town, you get the best economy from your EV in heavier traffic as there is less load on the battery and you’re able to recoup energy with regenerative braking.

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Driving around town generally saw my consumption dip to about 14.5kWh/100km, while driving on highways and country roads saw the average climb to a still-reasonable 18kWh/100km.

Behind all those numbers is a lively driving experience for a bulky small SUV. As you’d expect from an EV, acceleration is instantaneous but unlike more performance-oriented models, initial torque delivery is tamed to prevent the front wheels from chirping.

While you don’t get that door-busting instant acceleration, the ride is quite slick once you get going and there’s always plenty of instantly accessible power in reserve should you need to further accelerate.

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The ride is zippy and silent, particularly around town, but its driving dynamics (and range) are compromised by the hefty 1791kg kerb weight (347kg heavier than the Niro Hybrid), which is most obvious when cornering.

Unlike most Kia models, the Niro hasn’t undergone an Australian suspension tuning program but the front strut/rear multi-link suspension handles local conditions pretty well but can predictably get a little busy on deteriorating country roads.

The ride is zippy and silent, but its driving dynamics are compromised by the hefty 1791kg weight, which is obvious when cornering.

What is the Kia Niro EV like for safety?

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Unlike the Niro Hybrid and PHEV variants, which have a five-star ANCAP safety rating, the Niro EV has not been crash tested and won’t be due to being so late in its life cycle. But like the hybrids, it comes with a decent list of safety features including seven airbags and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection.

Advanced driver assistance tech includes lane-keep assist, lane-follow assist, adaptive cruise control and driver attention alert, with the Sport spec bringing blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.

VERDICT

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The total score atop this review would be higher if it were written in 2019. There’s nothing wrong with Kia Niro EV in isolation; if you want a spacious and practical all-electric SUV that will provide well over 400km on a single battery charge, there is a lot to like.

However, placed alongside the rest of Australia’s current EV fleet, not least the box-fresh Ioniq 5, it really is hard to justify paying $70,000 for a vehicle that looks dated and lacks surprise-and-delight features.

Luckily for Kia, it has the new EV6 coming on, along with the recently revealed new-generation Niro to replace the car driven here. We'll look forward to testing those.

2021 Kia Niro EV Sport specifications