Kia Niro EV confirmed for Australia alongside hybrid, plug-in
Kia has confirmed the all-electric Niro EV electric SUV will go on sale in Australia in the second quarter of 2021.
It will be the first battery electric vehicle (BEV) to be sold by Kia in Australia and will kickstart a big year for electrification from the Korean brand.
The Niro EV – or e-Niro as it is called in some markets – will only be part of the family that expands Kia’s SUV lineup to five alongside the Seltos, Sportage, Sorento and Stonic.
As well as the all-electric Niro EV there will also be a Niro Niro Hybrid and Niro Plug-In Hybrid for a three-pronged electric attack.
The Niro hybrids will target the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid in the sales race.
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“There will be a fifth SUV joining our range [in 2021],” said Kia Australia’s general manager of product planning Roland Rivero. “We’ll be getting the hybrid, plug-in hybrid and EV.”
- Kia Niro arriving in Australia Q2 2021
- Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid and EV variants
- Niro Hybrid to be priced from about $33,000
- Niro Plug-in Hybrid to be priced from about $40,000
- Niro EV to be priced from about $60,000
- Full details below
Kia has big plans for EVs over the next few years.
The Niro EV is one of more than 30 electric and plug-in hybrid cars coming to Australia in 2021. Check out our comprehensive calendar showing every EV and PHEV coming to Australia in 2021.
Also see 6 reasons 2021 is a great time to buy an EV.
Kia Niro was a long-term project
Kia has been testing the Niro EV locally for years and the first batch will arrive in time to ferry VIPs and tennis players around for the Australian Open in Melbourne, which kicks off early in February.
“In quarter two we should see customers be able to order them,” said Rivero.
The Niro has been on sale overseas already for a few years and one of the things that delayed its Australian arrival was the lack of emissions standards locally. With regions such as Europe mandating stringent CO2 targets it means many car makers are prioritising their EVs and hybrids into those areas.
The three-pronged Niro electric attack will match system brand Hyundai with its Ioniq, which is also sold as a hybrid, plug-in hybrid and Electric version.
Throughout 2021 Kia will also begin selling the Sorento Hybrid and Sorento Plug-in Hybrid, cementing itself as a major player in the shift to electrification.
All three Niros have the same basic body and overall design but the Niro EV gets an enclosed grille to improve aerodynamic performance.
Here’s a rundown of the drivetrains and differences between the Niro Hybrid, Niro Plug-in and Niro EV:
Kia Niro Hybrid: full details
The Niro Hybrid is powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine mated to a 32kW/170Nm electric motor driving through a six-speed twin-clutch automatic transmission.
The combined output from the parallel hybrid system is 104kW and claimed fuel use in Europe is 3.7 litres per 100km, which would make it the most fuel efficient SUV on sale in Australia, just undercutting the Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid.
A 1.56kWh lithium-ion battery pack allows short bursts of electric-only running. While that may sound small in comparison with the battery packs on EVs, it’s still about double the capacity of the battery in various Toyota hybrids, including the Yaris Hybrid.
Like all Toyota hybrids, the Niro Hybrid runs purely on petrol and cannot be recharged externally.
The Niro Hybrid will be the most affordable of the Niro trio, likely priced from around $33,000.
Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid: full details
The Niro Plug-in Hybrid (or PHEV) uses the same 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine (good for 77kW) as the regular Hybrid, but it has a more powerful electric motor.
The e-motor makes 44.5kW and 170Nm.
Still, the combined claimed output is identical to the Hybrid, at 104kW and 265Nm.
The PHEV’s lithium-ion battery pack is larger at 8.9kWh, enough for a claimed EV-only range of 58km.
It’s that larger battery pack that will make the Niro Plug-in Hybrid more expensive, with prices likely to kick off close to $40,000.
Kia Niro EV: full details
Set to be the most expensive within the Niro family, the Niro EV – or e-Niro – has a 150kW/395Nm electric motor claimed to take it to 100km/h in 7.8 seconds.
Like the Niro Hybrid and Niro PHEV, the Niro EV powers only the front wheels.
A 64kWh lithium-ion battery pack provides up to 385km of range.
The Niro EV is also offered overseas with a 39.2kWh battery (reducing the range to 246km), however that smaller battery won’t be offered in Australia.
The Niro EV’s most direct competitor is from sister brand Hyundai in the form of the Kona Electric.
Like that car, the Niro EV is likely to be priced from around $60,000.
