Kia Niro EV: performance, motor & drive

Like the e-Niro before it, the Niro EV is far from the most exhilarating electric car you can buy, but it was never meant to be. The Niro EV instead promises simple and sensible zero-emissions motoring, with decent refinement and ride comfort that’ll make it an easy EV to live with wherever you’re driving.

Kia Niro EV 0-62mph, top speed and acceleration

Every Niro EV comes with a 64.8kWh battery that feeds a single electric motor producing 201bhp and 255Nm of torque and sending power to the front wheels only. It takes a respectable 7.8 seconds to get from 0-62mph, which is slightly slower than the old e-Niro could manage. There’s still enough punch on tap to make the front tires scramble for grip if you floor it away from the lights, plus the Niro EV has much less trouble getting up to motorway speeds than, say, the Vauxhall Astra Electric.

Handling

The Niro EV is smooth and quiet around town, as you’d expect, with several modes for the regenerative braking that you can adjust using paddles on the steering wheel. The strongest of those is capable of one-pedal driving, but if you’re not a fan of that, the physical brakes are much easier to modulate than they were on the previous generation. The Niro’s steering is incredibly light regardless of which drive mode you’re in; while this means the electric Niro isn’t as fun to drive as a Renault Megane or Cupra Born, it’s a doddle to manoeuvre traffic and around tight car parks.

Hit the open road and get on the motorway, refinement is decent with both motor and wind noise kept at bay. There is a rather noticeable amount of tyre noise though, which isn’t something you can say about the MG4 EV, despite that being a much cheaper car than the Kia. Ride quality is on the firmer side, but never uncomfortable, managing to soften the blow from most bumps or potholes pretty well. However, over particularly uneven roads things become a bit bouncy, which your passengers might not enjoy so much.