2022 KIA NIRO EV Review

2022 Kia Niro EV Overview

With three versions of the Niro hatchback, Kia offers an all-electric version. The truck shares its electric drive train with environmentally-friendly vehicles such as Hyundai’s Kona Electric and Nissan Leaf Plus. Kia Niro EV model features strong range anxiety-free driving capabilities that will compete against some established players in its field like Chevrolet Bolt or even Ford Focus E.V. 

Pros

• Spacious rear quarters
• Competent driver-assist features
• Solid range

Cons

• Too much road noise
• Anonymous styling
• Not fun to drive

What’s New

• Standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Standard rear-occupant alert
• The remote start function will preheat or pre-cool the cabin.
• Drive Wise suite adds leading vehicle departure alert, highway driving assist, and navigation-based adaptive cruise control.

What We Think

Looks aren’t everything, but they can be a lot of fun. The Niro has an attractive design with room for the whole family and some storage compartments in its trunk!

The small hatchback isn’t thrilling to drive – especially if you have long commutes or plan on driving throughout your daily routine. But it offers plenty of practicality thanks to behind-seat legroom and ample rear headrests that make even taller passengers happy during short trips around town. 

The 2022 Niro comes standard with an excellent suite of driver-assist features, too. In past reviews, we noted the lane following and parking assistance do an excellent job keeping your vehicle centered in its lanes even when you’re going around turns on adaptive cruise control activated. We all agreed that the driving experience was mixed. Some staffers complained about unsatisfying brakes and steering, while others liked how it handled on imperfect pavement or praised its stability at high speeds during our road test. 

The 2022 Kia Niro EV promises to be a capable and affordable means of transportation for those who suffer from range anxiety. At 239 miles, it’s enough to keep your worries at bay without sacrificing too much time or money on gas-powered cars that can’t provide you with all-day usage. That said, though, some rivals may have longer ranges than this vehicle–like Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus, which goes up Stark Road 621mi between charges (and costs less). If these factors don’t work out favor an e-Vehicle, then there are still many reasons we should consider buying one, including their low prices starting around $45k before incentives.

Performance & Range

The Niro EV Engine comes with an electric motor good for 201hp and 291 lb-ft of torque. We clocked the little hatch going from 0 – 60 mph in 6 .2 seconds, making it slightly quicker than Nissan Leaf Plus (6 5 ).

The Kia Niro EV is rated at 239 miles on a full charge. It falls a little short of the 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric’s 258 and Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus, but it is more than double that seen in Nissan Leaf Plus models, which can only manage 226 miles. 

With a Level 2 charger, Kia Niro EV takes about 9 hours and 35 minutes to recharge the battery. A 50 kW D.C. fast charger can replenish an 80% charge in just one hour! The 100kW version reduces this time down even more—to only 45 minutes. 

Safety Ratings & Features

The car has an outstanding safety feature set with features like automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, automatic high beams and rear cross-traffic alert. It has been included with adaptive cruise control to maintain your speed within range. 

The 2021 Niro EV is equipped with several safety features that help to ensure driver attention and reduce the risk involved in an accident. These include lead Vehicle Departure Alerts, and highway drives assist for increased peace of mind on longer trips or when navigating through traffic more efficiently than before. Navigation-based adaptive cruise control can be set at different speeds depending upon your surroundings (fastest during acceleration). The IIHS has not released crash test ratings yet, but we’ll let you know what they find out.

Cargo Space & Interior Room 

The Niro EV offers slightly less legroom and cargo space than the traditional hybrid model. Both models feel spacious inside due to the large windows that make for an open-plan cabin environment with plenty of natural light coming in from outside.

Cargo space (behind first/second row):

• 2021 Niro EV: 53.0/18.5 cubic feet
• 2021 Niro Hybrid: 54.5/19.4 cubic feet

Legroom (first/second rows):

• 2021 Niro EV: 41.7/36.0 inches
• 2021 Niro Hybrid: 41.7/37.4 inches

Technology

The digital dashboard of the Niro EV is fully equipped with an 8.0-inch touchscreen featuring wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It also has a 10.” 3″ version that includes navigation for those who want more than just their smartphone connection on board. 

Trim Levels

The Niro EV is an all-electric luxury sedan that offers two trims: the base model and premium. The starting price for the base dose is more than $40,200, while EX Premium starts at around $45,800. 

EX offers an intelligent key with a push-button start, heated front seats and cloth seating. It also has an 8-inch touch screen for all your entertainment needs! It includes 40% more horsepower than standard vehicles. The sound system is a four-speaker system which makes it easy to enjoy music.

EX Premium includes rear LED combination lamps with a power tilt and slide sunroof with interior mood lighting that can be adjusted to six different settings or turned off completely. There are also ventilated front seats for increased comfort during your drive–and 10″ touchscreen navigation, so you don’t need all those tiny buttons on the dash anymore. With wireless phone charging capabilities as well8-speaker Harman Kardon sound system is included. 

Next Generation of Kia Electric Vehicles

Kia has announced their first dedicated electric vehicle, and it will be followed by other new electrics wearing the E.V. moniker. By 2026 they plan on launching seven different battery-electric models globally. 

Pricing

The 2022 Kia Niro EV Price is as follows:

MSRP- $39,990

Fair Market Price- $44,222

5-Year Cost to Own / Rating- Coming Soon / N.A.

Kia Niro EV Specifications

• Engine Name Motor, Single Electric
• Horsepower 201
• Fuel Electricity
• Class Subcompact Utility
• Drivetrain FWD
• Trim EX
• Body Style Hatchback
• Transmission- Transmission, 1 Speed Automatic
• Standard MPG 123/102
• Seating 5/5