‘As soon as it got colder, consumption increased rapidly’
Kia did good business with the first electric Kia Niro, then called e-Niro. With sufficient interior space, a relatively large battery pack and an associated range, there was simply little to complain about. In 2022, Kia presented the new Niro EV, with very limited battery pack growth. Based on our own reviews and those of users, we discover how far the newcomer has come.
Kia used the renewal round to simplify the offering. Previously there was a choice of two battery packs, the new Niro EV is only available with a capacity of 64.8 kWh. This supplies its energy to a 218 hp electric motor, which drives the front wheels. According to the WLTP test cycle, this should result in a maximum range of 460 kilometers. What you need to do for this is not entirely clear, because with the specified consumption of 16.2 kWh/100 km you will not get more than 400 kilometers.
This really consumes the Niro EV
During our double test against the Renault Megane E-Tech Electric, the Kia Niro EV surprised with a consumption of 15.4 kWh/100 km, lower than the factory specifications and good for a practical range of 421 kilometers. If we combine this data with that of the user reviews, the average consumption is only slightly higher. For example, the electric Niro has 15.6 kWh/100 km and a corresponding range of 415 kilometers. With the old Kia e-Niro we achieved a range between 360 and 413 kilometers. The differences are almost negligible, but the new one seems to do just that little bit better.
Please note, as always, these are average values. Consumption can vary considerably per trip, as the driver of a Niro EV Comfortline indicates. “The right foot is decisive, but also the weather to a large extent. As soon as it got colder, consumption quickly increased to 19 to 20 kWh/100 km for quiet journeys (100 km/h on the highway, no overtaking, 80 km roads).” This driver uses photos from the on-board computer to show how consumption varies.
Maximum range
Another rider also provides insight. “On average, I achieve 375 km of driving range in winter (using Eco mode and i-Pedal) and in summer I achieve 435-445 km, of course with the same settings.” The most economical driver for the time being performs considerably better. “The range in January and February was 420 km. The range after charging last week was 522 km,” he wrote in July 2023. “My consumption was between 12.6 and 13.4 kWh per 100 km.” If we divide the battery capacity by this consumption, this results in a range of 514 and 484 kilometers respectively. We look forward to an update with ‘year-round’ consumption.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl