Kia Niro EV review: performance, motor & drive
On the road, the Niro EV is a subtle evolution of the e-Niro that came before
| 0-62mph | Top speed | Driven wheels | Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.8s | 104mph | Front | 201bhp |
Like the e-Niro before it, the Niro EV is far from the most exhilarating electric car you can buy, but it was never meant to be. The Niro EV instead promises simple and sensible zero-emissions motoring, with decent refinement and ride comfort that’ll make it an easy EV to live with wherever you’re driving.
Kia Niro EV 0-62mph, top speed and acceleration
Every Niro EV comes with a 64.8kWh battery that feeds a single electric motor producing 201bhp and 255Nm of torque and sending power to the front wheels only. It takes a respectable 7.8 seconds to get from 0-62mph, which is slightly slower than the old e-Niro could manage. There’s still enough punch on tap to make the front tires scramble for grip if you floor it away from the lights and acceleration is brisk up to motorway speeds.
Handling
The Niro EV is smooth and quiet around town, as you’d expect, with several modes for the regenerative braking that you can adjust using paddles on the steering wheel. The strongest of those is capable of one-pedal driving, but if you’re not a fan of that, the physical brakes are much easier to modulate than they were on the previous generation. The Niro’s steering feels light, even in sport mode, so while this isn’t the most involving car to drive, it’s very easy to manoeuvre.
Hit the open road and get on the motorway, refinement is decent with both motor and wind noise kept at bay. There is a rather noticeable amount of tyre noise though, which isn’t something as you can say about the MG4 EV. Ride quality is on the firm side of comfortable, but never uncomfortable, managing to soften the blow from most bumps or potholes pretty well. However, over particularly uneven roads things become a bit bouncy, which your passengers might not enjoy so much.
