Kia Niro Review: A bold and brilliant electric car for the family

This new-look electric SUV breathes life into the historic Niro name

Kia are assembling a strong and competitive line up in the electric sector, with the Niro standing out in a compelling range.

The Sportage has historically been Kia’s best-selling and most popular model in the UK, and for good reason.

However, following its recent facelift, increased efficiency and overall impressive performance, you have to wonder how long the Sportage can keep that title from the Kia Niro.

Kia’s fully-fledged electric SUV, the all-new Niro has been rejuvenated following the initial release of the e-Niro way back in 2016.

The Niro slots into a competitive sector of the electric market and it rivals the likes of the Peugeot e-2008, Renault Megane E-Tech and even the Volkswagen ID.3. 

Promising style, efficiency and everyday practicality, we’ve been testing this Niro 4 and this is how we got on.

What did we drive?

Model: Niro EV 150kW 4 64kWh 5dr

Transmission: Auto

Power: Electric (201hp)

Colour: Orange Flame                   

OTR: £37,295

Price of the model driven: £42,295

*Prices correct at the time of publication

Price

If you start at the entry-level ‘2’ trim, prices start from £37,295. This progresses to £39,545 for the ‘3’ trim, or you do have the option to add an additional heat pump, where prices start from £40,445.

The range-topping ‘4’ trim that we were testing also has two variants to choose from, with or without a heat pump. Depending on your choice, this will be £42,295 or £43,195.

Our Niro was very well-specced and offered a lot of perks, but the ‘3’ also offers tremendous value. Compared to the entry-level trim, the addition of vehicle to load, front and rear parking sensors and driver lumbar support makes it great value.

For a more affordable driving experience, a choose the Niro for your next Kia lease deal to spread that cost into competitive monthly payments.

Batteries, electric range & charging

If you choose to lease a Kia Niro, you’ll have the choice of a fully electric model, like this one we’re testing. You can also drive away in a plug-in hybrid and a hybrid electric.

Regardless of the trim level you choose for the fully electric Niro, all models are powered by the same 64.8kWh lithium-ion battery. It offers a claimed range of up to 285 miles, which is narrowly more than rivals like the Renault Megane E-Tech (280) and even the Tesla Model Y RWD (283).

If you need more range from your next electric car lease, it’s hard to look past the Skoda Enyaq as one of the class-leaders in this sector. For a very similar price, you can look at the Enyaq iV 80, which offers a claimed range of 339 miles.

Both hybrid variants are powered by a 1.6L petrol engine, with the plug-in option supported by a 11.1kWh battery pack.

The hybrid electric option has a much smaller 1.32 kWh battery, with the caveat being it is not one you’ll need to plug in to charge.

Drive

The Niro offered a composed and assured drive that was hugely popular with the team at Carparison HQ – always a good sign.

It didn’t excel in one particular area, but instead did everything well and performed excellently across the board. From power output to steering and comfort levels, it was a 7/10 in every category.

That may sound like a backhanded compliment, but once you add it all up, the Niro was excellent in almost everything it did.

At just over 200 horsepower, it has all the power you’ll ever need for a vehicle of this size. The combination of smooth handling and instant torque means it’s a nice, light drive around town, but also perfectly suited for motorway driving too.

During our time with the vehicle, we were averaging 3.8 miles per kWh, which translates to a real-world range of around 250 miles. We’re confident this could be increased comfortably into the 4 mile region over a longer period driving the car in real-world conditions.

You have the option of customisable regenerative braking. The brakes did feel noticeably ‘grabby’ and heavy, even when the regen braking was set to auto, but this could be lowered to suit your preference.

Design & interior

Design choices and opinions are all subjective, so feel free to disagree here, but I’m not sure there are many models that can confidently say they’ve made a bigger positive step forward in design as the Niro has.

When compared to the e-Niro of old, the new look makes the Niro appear modern and futuristic, while dating the former quite considerably, even with the updated Kia badging that featured as recently as 2021.

The big bulging headlights are no more, and the Niro is now far more rounded and box-like in its shape, complimented beautifully in this Orange Flame colour scheme with contrasting black roof rails and finishes to the body.

The new look adds stance and presence that simply wasn’t there with the e-Niro and it continues Kia’s impressive offering in the electric market.

Throughout the interior, high quality materials have been used to give the Niro a premium aura, without the cost of its more expensive alternatives.

Space & practicality

The higher driving position gives the cabin a spacious feel. Your visibility ahead is great and the Niro offers fantastic space for a family vehicle.

Being the ‘4’, our Niro featured a sunroof, which is only available as standard on the highest trim level and this added an abundance of natural light to what was already a bright and airy cabin.

In the back, boot space is competitive at 475L. Because of the boxy shape of the Niro, the rear opening is generously wide and there is only a marginal load lip to contend with, making it a practical space.

Elsewhere in the cabin, the glovebox was a reasonable size but the door bins aren’t worth writing home about – there’s enough room for a small bottle and that’s about it.

The Niro beats rivals like the Megane E-Tech for boot space (440L), but if you do need a car lease that offers more space, you will have to consider the likes of the Enyaq (585L) or Tesla Model Y (854L).

Head and legroom was generous, even for taller passengers, so this isn’t a family car you’ll find yourself outgrowing anytime soon.

There’s even 750KG of towing capacity on the all-electric Niro (1,300KG on hybrid variants) for any caravan holidays you might have planned.

Technology

The infotainment system in the Kia Niro is as reliable as the rest of the vehicle.

It’s not as advanced as a Tesla Model Y, but it does offer easy usability and a crisp, high-quality display.

The system has been neatly divided into sub menus, but everything is clearly labelled and you have lots of options to choose between shortcut buttons and the touchscreen.

You’re not short of connectivity options, including a USB and USB C in the front, wireless charging and a 12V socket. For passengers in the rear, there are a further two USB C ports mounted to the side of the front seats.

Safety

The Kia Niro scored five stars during its Euro NCAP safety tests, with a 91% score for adult occupants and an 84% score for child occupants.

It is filled with impressive safety features as standard, including smart cruise control and a host of driver assists like rear parking sensors and collision avoidance.

Model lines & equipment

2 - from £37,295

• 17” Alloy Wheels
• 8” Touchscreen Display
• 10.25” Supervision Cluster
• Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• Cloth Upholstery
• Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist
• Rear Parking Sensors
• 11kW On Board Charging
• Smart Cruise Control w/ Stop & Go
• Towing Pack

3 - from £39,545

(In addition to/replacement of 2)

• 17” Alloy Wheels
• Cloth & Artificial Leather Upholstery
• Driver Lumbar Support
• Front & Rear Parking Sensors
• Heated Front Seats & Steering Wheel
• Integrated 10.25” TFT LCD Cluster w 10.25” Touchscreen Navigation
• Rear Privacy Glass
• Vehicle-to-Device

4 - from £42,295

(In addition to/replacement of 3)

• 17” Alloy Wheels
• Heated Front & Rear Outer Seats
• Head-Up Display
• Power Opening Tailgate
• Premium Relaxation Passenger Seat
• Remote Smart Parking Assist
• Sunroof
• Vegan Leather Upholstery

Verdict

The Niro is one of the most well-rounded and assured electric SUVs that we have had the pleasure of reviewing.

It didn’t excel in one area, but instead, Kia have created a family-friendly electric SUV that is as practical as it is efficient.

The technology is reliable, the interior quality matches many of its premium rivals, there are very few factors that let the Niro down. Not only that, it looks the part too.

With the EV6 already under their belt and the much-anticipated EV9 coming out soon, Kia remains one of the manufacturers to watch in the electric space.