Kia Niro EV priced at a premium

Kia Australia’s first electric vehicle – the 2021 Kia Niro EV – is now on sale in Australia as the headline act of a new model line that ushers in another small SUV for the Korean brand as well as its first hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants.

The Kia Niro has been a long time coming to Australia and is now nearing the end of its first generation – more than five years into the model’s lifecycle.

This has prompted Kia’s local division to forego its usual chassis tuning that tailors the suspension and steering calibration to our road conditions and which is a key selling point for the brand.

That’s because an all-new model is due to launch here next year, based on the Kia HabaNiro concept shown at the 2019 New York motor show.

Kia Australia has also admitted the Niro EV won’t carry a coveted five-star ANCAP safety rating, remaining unrated – unlike the hybrids (both regular and plug-in) which will make the grade – based on older 2016 testing conducted by Euro NCAP.

With all that in mind, Kia has still applied a hefty price tag to all six variants of the 2021 Kia Niro range – offered in S and Sport grades across Hybrid, PHEV and EV lines – starting at $39,990 plus on-road costs for the Hybrid S and topping out at $65,990 plus ORCs for the EV Sport.

In the case of the Hybrid and PHEV, the Sport versions attract a $3900 premium, while the EV Sport is $3400 more expensive than the entry-level S. See our full pricing table below.

The top-spec model’s pricing makes the Niro EV one of the most expensive vehicles ever offered by Kia in Australia, placing it upstream of the Stinger V6 GT sports sedan (at $63,760) and flagship Sorento large SUV (at $64,070) – and just below the new-generation Carnival people-mover that tops out at $66,680 plus ORCs.

But that’s the price you pay for the latest EVs from Korea, given the related MY21 Hyundai Kona Electric is priced as high as $66,000 plus ORCs.

By comparison, the most direct competitor to the Niro EV and Kona Electric, the MG ZS EV, is priced at $43,990 drive-away, making the Chinese-built small SUV more than $22,000 more affordable.

And while we’re crunching the numbers, it’s worth considering that the similarly-sized combustion-engined Kia Seltos small SUV is priced between $26,790 and $42,200, while the Sportage mid-size SUV ranges from $29,490 to $48,990, all plus ORCs.

As you’d expect, there is a high level of standard mod-cons, infotainment tech and safety equipment fitted standard across the 2021 Kia Niro range, but the main attraction comes down to the green credentials – in similar fashion to the Hyundai IONIQ small car which is similarly offered with regular hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery-electric powertrain.

The Niro EV’s permanent magnet synchronous motor develops 150kW/395Nm and combines with a single-speed transmission and a 64kWh lithium-ion polymer battery that enables a 455km range (WLTP).

Recharging times, from fully depleted to 80 per cent, can be as little as 54 minutes with a 100kW DC fast-charger, or as long as 29 hours using the 2.3kW ICCB (in-cable control box) ‘trickle charger’ supplied with the vehicle and a domestic AC power supply. In between, using a 7.2kW AC charger will replenish the battery in nine-and-a-half hours.

The Niro Hybrid and PHEV both use a 77kW/147Nm 1.6-litre naturally-aspired ‘Kappa GDI’ four-cylinder petrol engine combined with a six-speed dual-clutch auto transmission and an electric motor that develops 32kW in the self-charging model and 44.5kW in the plug-in. Maximum torque is 170Nm in both, while the combined system output is also identical: 104kW/265Nm.

The PHEV has a 58km electric-only range (ADR) and its 8.9kWh battery can be recharged in 2:15h using a 3.3kW AC charger. Its official combined-cycle fuel consumption is 1.3L/100km, with CO2 emissions of 29g/km.

The Hybrid (1.6kWh battery) returns 3.8L/100km mileage and 88g/km of CO2.

The Kia Niro EV does not allow over-the-air software updates and all Niro models are front-wheel drive.

Kia is providing a seven-year/150,000km warranty for the battery and electric motor on the three powertrains, while other parts of the vehicle have the usual seven-year/unlimited-km cover with seven years’ roadside assist.

Standard safety equipment across the Niro range includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, forward collision warning, lane keep assist, lane following assist, driver attention alert, tyre pressure monitoring and seven airbags.

Blind spot detection, rear cross traffic alert, LED headlights with high beam assist, and auto-dimming rear-view mirrors are reserved for Sport variants.

Elsewhere, the S models have an 8.0-inch touch-screen infotainment system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, partial cloth/leather seats, electric front seats, leather-clad steering wheel, keyless entry, rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and climate control.

The S Hybrid and PHEV have 16-inch alloy wheels compared to the EV’s 17-inch rims, while the full-electric model also has a 7.0-inch instrument display (up from 4.2), expanded drive mode options (adding Eco+ over just Eco, for example), and steering wheel paddle shifters.

Only single-zone air-con is available on the EV, whereas the Hybrid and PHEV have two zones.

All Sport models feature a 10.25-inch touch-screen with sat-nav, steering paddle shifters, ‘premium’ seats, alloy pedals and auto up/down front windows.

Hybrid Sport variants have 18-inch alloys compared to the PHEV Sport’s 16-inch rims, while the EV Sport (which has the same wheel/tyre spec as the S) adds a premium eight-speaker JBL sound system with subwoofer in the boot.

Premium paint adds $520 to the bottom line, which applies to most of the available colours (Clear White is a no-cost option). The rest of the palette covers Aurora Black Pearl, Runway Red, Snow White Pearl, Silky Silver, Sunset Orange, Platinum Graphite and Deep Cerulean Blue, with the latter three exclusive to hybrid variants. There’s also the EV-only Yacht Blue hue.

Related: Read the new Kia Niro EV 2021 Review

Based on the same platform as the Hyundai Kona, the Kia Niro rests on a 2700mm wheelbase and measures 4355-4775mm long, 1805mm wide and 1545-1570mm high, making it about the same size as the Seltos.

Luggage space varies across each powertrain variant due to battery placement – it’s under both the rear seat and the boot floor in the twin-battery PHEV (providing only 324 litres), under the rear seat in the Hybrid (410L) and under the floor of the EV (451L).

There’s a space-saver spare wheel in the Hybrid and a ‘temporary mobility kit’ in the PHEV and EV.

Kia expects to sell only about 100 Niros total a month, 20 per cent of which will be EVs – so up to 250 over its 12-month lifecycle.

The Hybrid is forecast to soak up 70 per cent of sales with the remaining 10 per cent going to the PHEV.

More than half of all buyers – 55 per cent – are expected to be private owners, with the rest going to fleets.

Kia’s senior management is also confident that all these sales will be incremental to its current volume, meaning Niro is not expected to cannibalise sales of its other SUVs such as Seltos, Sportage and Stonic.

How much does the 2021 Kia Niro cost?
Hybrid S – $39,990
Hybrid Sport – $43,890
PHEV S – $46,590
PHEV Sport – $50,490
EV S – $62,590
EV Sport – $65,990

* Prices exclude on-road costs