What's the news?
The fully electric Kia Niro has made its first public outing ahead of its official European debut at the Paris Motor Show later this year. It will join the existing Niro hybrid and Niro PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) versions but gets some unique styling to set it apart.
A blanked-off front grille contains a charging port, and there are some colourful blue flashes on the front and rear bumpers. We haven't yet seen the interior of the car, but it isn't expected to change much aside from some different graphics and driving data displays.
Kia has developed two versions of its electric powertrain. A high-capacity 64 kWh lithium-polymer battery pack is claimed to be capable of proving a 380-kilometre driving range on a single charge. A smaller 39.2 kWh battery pack that delivers a 250 km driving range has also been designed, but we believe that it is still undecided if this option will make its way to Europe.
The driving range figures claimed by Kia are based on the newer WLTP (World Harmonised light Vehicle test Procedure) standard, which is closer to what drivers are likely to get in real-world driving conditions. These are still to be officially confirmed, so the driving range figures may differ by the time the car goes on sale.
Anything else?
There's no official word yet on pricing, and it may not be confirmed until closer to the car's European debut in September. Kia Ireland expects to have the car on sale from late 2018 or early 2019 with deliveries starting soon after.
The Kia Niro EV will be another welcome competitor to the electric car market. Here's our current top EVs to choose from that are on sale today.