CES 2018: Kia teases its first EV

South Korean car-maker Kia has all but confirmed its first electric vehicle will be a small SUV by revealing a teaser shot of the Niro EV concept.

Set to make its world debut at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas on January 7, the small battery-powered SUV is technically a 'concept' at this stage, but is understood to preview a series production vehicle due in the near future.

Technical specifications are non-existent at present, the company issuing a vague press release that states the Niro EV will unite "Kia's design strengths with a highly efficient battery-electric powertrain".

Kia says the pint-size electric crossover concept "represents the next step in the brand’s ongoing journey to electrification".

The Niro EV is expected to leverage the electric powertrain from sister brand Hyundai's Ioniq EV, which incorporates a 28kWh lithium-ion battery good for a cruising range of up to 200km.

However, it could a slightly larger battery under its floor and hence extract more range. The Ioniq EV's electric motor develops 88kW and 295Nm of torque.

With a fancy new design festooned with modern slimline LEDs and a relatively conservative silhouette (this is no Tesla Model X) Kia's new small EV will also serve as a new platform for its next-generation interior technology.

It will debut a range of new features dubbed "Beyond Autonomous Driving" which will showcase how passengers will interact and interface with Kia cars of the future.

It will also show off new driver assistance technologies and what Kia claims is the world's first in-car 5G connection.

"At CES we will share our strategy and vision for future mobility, and exhibit a range of advanced technologies that our customers can look forward to," said the vice-chairman and head of Hyundai-Kia R&D Center, Dr Woong-cheol Yang.

The new Kia Niro EV is shaping up to be a technological tour-de-force, but the bad news is that any production model to evolve from the concept car is unlikely to arrive in Australia.

Media and corporate communications manager Kevin Hepworth told motoring.com.au that Kia Australia previously looked at the Niro hybrid and the business case didn't stack up.

Hepworth said the Niro hybrid was too expensive and customer demand wasn't there, adding that a "full EV would be even more difficult for us to sell in Australia".

Kia has since revealed another small SUV for Europe dubbed the Stonic, but it too has been kyboshed by Kia Australia, which says it is waiting for a next-generation small SUV that’s “more suitable” to slot beneath the mid-size Sportage here.

Despite Kia recording record annual sales Down Under in 2017, the company is not confident about launching an EV in Australia any time soon.

Hepworth explained that there weren't even any plug-in hybrid vehicles on the horizon because Aussies simply don't buy them because of their relatively expensive cost.

However, if there were government incentives to reduce prices he said things might change, adding: "We never say never about any vehicles, but we need to see more details [on the Niro EV]."