Kia Niro EV: Norwegian range test and shipment

The E-Niro was the car that Kia could have sold so many copies of when it launched in 2018, if only the importer had been able to deliver enough. Because the car was in short supply at the time: good range, without being damaged.

At the same time, it is quite appropriate to say that the car is gradually becoming a hit, also in terms of sales. In total, there are now more than 9,000 e-Niros on Norwegian roads, and there are sure to be more when the successor Niro EV now appears immediately.

New car from the agency

The car has become completely new inside and out. It’s larger, has a ruffle under the hood, and has received a decent range of standard equipment and accessories, support for two-way charging (V2L), head-up display, remote-controlled parking assistant, support for trailer weights of up to 750 kilograms and more. so much. It is simply upgraded to the 2022 level in most regions.

And the price? It starts at NOK 399,900, which is well within the budget of many families looking for a new electric vehicle.

But we won’t repeat too much, because we’ve already tested most everything about the car – except for range and charging. If you haven’t picked it all up, you’ll find everything else in this case:

THE TEST: The brand new Kia Niro EV

Now it’s time for what many of us are interested in, namely range measurements on Norwegian roads, as well as charging tests where we look at how long you have to stand at a fast charging station to top up the battery on a long trip.

The Kia Niro EV is a compact SUV with plenty of space. Photo: Bjorn Eric Loftus

The Kia Niro EV is a compact SUV with plenty of space. Photo: Bjorn Eric Loftus

The Kia Niro EV is a compact SUV with plenty of space. Photo: Bjorn Eric Loftus

The Kia Niro EV is a compact SUV with plenty of space. Photo: Bjorn Eric Loftus

In total, you get 495 liters of luggage space, including 20 liters under the hood. Photo: Bjorn Eric Loftus

Note the completely flat floor in the back. Photo: Bjorn Eric Loftus

Plenty of room for children in the forward-reclining seat. Photo: Bjorn Eric Loftus

My height is 180 cm, and I have a good height in the back seat. Photo: Bjorn Eric Loftus

Convenient location of the USB port on the side of the front seats. Photo: Bjorn Eric Loftus

Pocket behind the front seats. Photo: Bjorn Eric Loftus

Photo: Bjorn Eric Loftus

Photo: Bjorn Eric Loftus

Photo: Bjorn Eric Loftus

Photo: Bjorn Eric Loftus

Photo: Bjorn Eric Loftus

This is where we come from

This time we had to wait until November before we could drive the Niro EV on a long drive.

Elbil24 rarely takes any shortcuts when we test its range of electric vehicles. We fully charge the cars, then drive until there is 0 percent and 0 kilometers left on the meter. It takes a long time, but it is the only way that can say something completely certain about the range, since consumption varies – among other things with the remaining capacity in the battery.

At the same time, the start and end must be in the same place, or approximately the same height above sea level, so that the number of ascents and descents is the same. The tests are usually taken on a selection of roads in eastern Norway, and include both country roads, city driving and motorways – as well as a small mountain pass over Legna.

When we drove the Niro EV, it was about 7 degrees. The road was also wet on parts of the stretch. Both parts aren’t naturally ideal for as many kilometers as possible on the table, and to make a long story short, we got 402.1 kilometers before it finished.

That’s 57.9 kilometers shorter than the stated range, which is completely within range when we take into account the weather and temperature conditions. On dry asphalt and in the Norwegian summer temperatures, it should certainly be possible to manage 460 kilometers in mixed driving.

And it’s not easy to match the consumption: 15.4 kWh/100 km is very good given the conditions.

Now it’s over

Charge test 0-100 percent

Recently, there have been many electric cars on the market that can be quickly charged with an output of more than 100 kW. Some run more than 200, including the Kia EV6. Considering all the upgrades the Niro has undergone, we were hoping that the charging speed has also been upgraded since the e-Niro.

Unfortunately, the needle stopped at 82 kW, and the average charging power between 10 and 80 percent was as low as 57.74 kW. This took 46 minutes, which isn’t impressive as we so soon enter 2023, and remains the biggest complaint against this car as we head towards the end.

It is also worth noting that after 80 percent the speed drops significantly. Charging from 80 to 100 percent takes 44 minutes. Ideally, you should stop at 80 percent, but it’s possible to charge fully if you have to and have time for an extra run around the shops while you wait.

You can read the details of the charging test from the chart below.

Conclusion

Kia has once again made a good electric car, which seems like a reasonable buy. Those who opt for this vehicle won’t be in for any major negative surprises: Kia has a long history of electric vehicles, and that’s good safety in itself.

It’s also good security to know that the car comes with a 7-year warranty, which is a rare expense.

But the Niro EV has many more competitors now than it did when the e-Niro launched, and more are coming in 2023 — many of which also offer better charging speeds and more attractive prices, not least the BYD Atto3 and the price bomb MG4 — which, by the way, is equipped with Also with a 7-year warranty and, like us, everything He drove in a duel against the Niro EV.

Then the question is whether the Niro EV will make the crowd’s pleasure muscles tingle, at least we think it will appeal to the many e-Niro owners ready to upgrade.