Kia e-Niro 2019 review

Electric cars may seem to dominate the mainstream media motoring coverage, but there really are not that many pure EVs you can buy yet in the UK, and even fewer with a ‘big’ range.

So the Kia e-Niro arrives at quite the opportune time, with electric cars – and the charging network to support them – gaining momentum with acceptance and awareness among the wider buying public beyond early adopters.

The Niro is a couple of years old now and launched as Kia’s dedicated eco-friendly model, promising hybrid, plug-in hybrid and, in time, all-electric drivetrains within the same range, and now the time has come for that electric version.

You’ll spot more than one or two similarities between the e-Niro and the Kona Electric from sister brand Hyundai. The drivetrain is common between the pair, consisting of an electric motor powered by a 64kWh lithium ion polymer battery.

While the Kona Electric offers a smaller battery, as does the e-Niro in Korea and in other markets, in the UK the e-Niro is set to be offered with just the larger battery, and a price that aims to come in below £30,000 when it launches early next year.

And that all-important range figure? Kia quoted 301 miles in its presentation, a very impressive figure.

Our test e-Niro is a Korean-spec model driven on Korean roads, but while the odd bit of trim and optional extra may differ, this is the drivetrain and chassis we’ll be getting.

Some drivetrain it is too. My, the e-Niro is brisk. It feels far quicker than its 0-62mph time of 7.8sec suggests, and even more impressive is the way it responds at higher speeds. Look for a bit of extra poke to make a pass on the motorway, and it’s all there before your right foot has barely touched the pedal. We even managed to spin the wheels accelerating out of a 30mph zone into a main A-road.

As such, the e-Niro is likely to have appeal to any enthusiast, but anyone swapping into one from their Ceed diesel is likely to be unprepared for such real-world pace and drivability. A test drive is essential, as such power – or rather torque in the case of the e-Niro – could catch many unaware.