The new Kia e-Niro electric car will launch in First Edition spec with a price of £32,995 after the £3,500 government Plug-in Car Grant is deducted. Sales begin on 1 April 2019.
Kia is launching the e-Niro with a high-capacity 64 kWh battery, giving it an electric range of 282 miles. This is down from the earlier claim of 301 miles due to a test error.
The only option on the Kia e-Niro First Edition will be premium paint, costing £565. It’s offered in a choice of five colours, including e-Niro-unique Pluto Brown.
A more affordable version with a price nearer £30,000 is expected later, although Kia says it is unlikey to bring in the even cheaper lower-capacity battery e-Niro offered in other markets.
Standard spec of the e-Niro First Edition includes climate control, autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, touchscreen sat nav with an 8.0-inch screen and a 320-watt eight-speaker JBL sound system.
Leather upholstery is included and the front seats are heated.
Disappointingly, it has regular halogen headlights, rather than bright and energy-saving LED units, although it does have LED rear lamps.
The e-Niro also still gets the seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty of all Kias, which extends to the battery and electric motor. It’s fully transferable to future owners, too.
The electric motor produces 201hp for a 0-62mph time of 7.5 seconds – that’s warm hatch fast. The top speed is limited to 104mph.
The Kia e-Niro joins the existing Niro hybrid and Niro Plug-in Hybrid; it is marked out by a redesigned, aero-tuned front end with integrated charging port, and ‘arrowhead’ LED running lights with blue trim.
At the rear, a new bumper has more blue accents and the e-Niro has bespoke 17-inch alloys with a diamond-cut two-tone finish. The design tweaks give it a smoother aerodynamic drag coefficient Cd of 0.29; the standard Niro is 0.30.
