Electric Kia e-Niro: a fully charged experience [YouTube]

Fully Charged has posted a video of the official presentation of the Kia e-Niro / Niro EV / Niro EcoElectric, which took place in Seoul, South Korea in November 2018. The car impressed the driver with its technical capabilities and thoughtful design, and the headlights disappointed a little. Overall, however, the car was highly praised.

The first curiosity that caught my eye was the mention of the battery: in the UK it will not be possible to buy a version with a 39,2 kWh battery. Only the 64 kWh option should be on sale. We have already noted that the French price list is similar - it does not have a model with a smaller battery (see: here).

The interior of the car was defined as traditional and classic - in addition to the center console. The equipment is modern but standard and The biggest disadvantage of Kony Electric is the lack of a HUD... The steering wheel paddle shifters are sports cars, but they are used, as in the electric Hyundai, to regulate regenerative braking force.

The center of the steering wheel seemed not very charming to the driver (we have the same opinion - something is wrong), and one of the readers of www.elektrowoz.pl did not like the center console with the gear knob. However, it’s hard to find fault with the rest, and the white carving on the steering wheel and seats is pleasing to the eye.

There is more room in the back seat than the Konie Electric, which could mean families with larger children will opt for the Niro EV. Or just people who have more than one other adult.

Specifications Kia e-Niro: 204 hp, weight 1,8 tons, without long LED lights

The car weighs 1,812 tons, which is more than 100 kilograms heavier than the Hyundai Kona Electric (1,685 tons). However, it does 100-7,5 km/h in 0,1 seconds - 100 seconds faster than the Kona Electric! However, manufacturers' statements can be very conservative. There are already recordings on YouTube of a Kony Electric that hit 7,1 km/h in just XNUMX seconds.

Returning to the e-Niro: the maximum speed of the car is 167 km / h, the power is 204 hp. (150 kW), torque: 395 Nm.

The biggest disadvantage of the car that was seen from the outside is no xenon or LED spotlights... LEDs are only used for daytime driving, and behind the low and high beam lenses is a traditional halogen lamp. It's the same with the front turn signals.

The taillights and brake lights look like LEDs, but the turn signals seem to be a classic light bulb. From the point of view of other drivers, this has a definite advantage: the LED lights go out and on very quickly, and the classic tungsten lamp has a certain inertia that makes the blinking smooth.

Niro EV battery and range

Kia's electric battery consists of 256 cells and has a capacity of 180 Ah. At 356 volts, this is equivalent to 64,08 kWh of energy. The entire package weighs 450 kilograms and protrudes quite a bit at the bottom of the machine. The approach is tricky: it is better to release something 10 cm from the chassis than 10 cm into the trunk or cab.

Charging socket - CCS Combo 2, hidden under the cover and characteristic plugs. From above, they are illuminated by an LED lamp.

It is also worth adding that The range of the Kia e-Niro according to the WLTP protocol should be 454 kilometers – i.e. slightly less than previously stated, allegedly as a result of an error. 454 kilometers according to the WLTP procedure is approximately 380-385 kilometers in real terms (= EPA). This means that the electric Kia is among the leaders in the currently produced crossovers in the B-SUV and C-SUV segment. BYD Tang EV600 (China only) and Hyundai Kona Electric 64 kWh are better than it.

Real model ranges of electric vehicles B-SUV and C-SUV (c) www.elektrowoz.pl

Stance: Niro EV vs Kona Electric

The car's trunk is 450 liters, while the Konie Electric's is almost 1/4 smaller, which could make a difference when packing for a longer trip. Out of curiosity, it is worth adding that there is a smart cable compartment under the boot floor of the e-Niro, in which the cable is additionally clamped by an umbrella.

> Police tried to stop Tesla 11 km away. The drunk driver slept on the steering wheel

Thanks to this, the trunk is not cluttered with a cable several meters long, which is sometimes dirty and certainly does not look aesthetically pleasing in nature.

The vehicle must arrive in the UK from April 2019. The waiting time is about a year. The availability of the car in Poland has not yet been announced [as of 5.12.2018/162/39,2], but we already estimate that its prices will range from approximately PLN 210 for the basic version of 64 kWh to at least PLN XNUMX for the most equipped version. kWh.

> Electricity prices for Kia Niro (2019) in Austria: from 36 690 euros, which is equivalent to 162 thousand PLN for 39,2 kWh [updated]

And here is the video:

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