We hope you enjoy our drive review of the 2023 Kia Niro EV! Make sure to like, comment and subscribe, join our Discord sever at discord.gg/s3GqXHgRmX . And if you've missed the FIRST part of our exploration of this great car, check out part one here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_IT4u2Er_bE.html
I agree with your comments on buttons, and the need to look away from the road Nikki. In general, this car is very attractive, but yes, I would like the button controls.
As a 10-month EV6 owner, I'd like to share my experience with the new Kia multi-mode HVAC/Infotainment panel. Yes, it sucks. Until it doesn't. Truth is, this is an interface where there's a right way to use it, and a wrong way to use it, and the obvious way is the wrong way. Worse still, Kia makes no attempt to teach people how to use it correctly. When used correctly, it's actually pretty awesome. There's definitely some "best practices" here. First of all, PRO Tip: there's a gazillion buttons in the new Kias that are dual function: they have both PRESS and PRESS AND HOLD. There's more functionality at your fingertips than you're aware of. Now back to HVAC: There's three things you should do to make it much, much easier, but they all boil down to the same thing: Use the two knobs for temperature control and pretty much otherwise ignore the touch screen. 1) PUSH AND HOLD the mode selector on the touch screen. A menu comes up that lets you set the display to be always HVAC or always infotainment. Set it to be always HVAC. Now the two knobs are always the temperature controls and the master on/off for the HVAC. You don't have to ever look down to see which mode the panel is currently displaying. Just reach down and twist. 2) Need to make other HVAC changes? Use the touch screen. No, not that little tiny touchscreen with the knobs down by your knees. Use the big touchscreen that's up at your hand level. Hit the main "Climate" icon. It brings up a beautiful full screen climate system. Very easy to use and short of a HUD it's as close as you're going to get to not taking your eyes off the road. Even better, you can do almost everything with voice commands. 3) Don't use that little panel for music. You have volume, channel, and mode controls under your right thumb on the steering wheel. You also have voice commands. As for why they did this, it's cost, but your commentary overlooked the real cost savings. It's not only how much it costs to manufacture the parts. That touch screen is versatile. They can use it in every trim level. They can use it in every model. They can use it in every year. But the real savings come when you think about supply chains -- you know, that mysterious thing that has screwed up, well, everything, for the last couple of years. Not only do they only have to manufacture one part, they only have to stock one part, they only have to ship one part to distributers (for repairs), service centers only have to stock one part (which might actually be in stock when you need it). And finally, at the other end of the chain, if you're doing your own repair, the panel from nearly any 2023 Kia in the junkyard will probably fit your car. If you try to use it as if it came out of your grandfather's Oldsmobile, you're not going to like it at all. But there's much better ways of using it.
Any interface that requires this much explanation is a failed interface. Smartphone manufacturers LOVE their swipe and hold features, and for most of us those features are not only completely opaque, but an absolute annoyance when we accidentally hold too long or accidentally move our fingers when pressing. And despite the ability to supposedly disable "gestures" in many UIs, they still use them everywhere. Just as anyone suffering from tremors how they like using a smartphone. Now compound all of that with trying to use a touch interface in a MOVING VEHICLE and you absolutely will have frustrated users accidentally running into these "expanded" features whenever they hit a bump. Nope. Not at buying that this is a good thing.
I love my 2023 Kia Niro EV Wave. I brought it at the end of October so it was straight off the boat. I brought a wireless Android Auto adaptor from Amazon and that solved that problem for all time.
The comparison to the Golf or that comfortable pair of shoes is perfect. It reminds me of a hot hatch, but more grown up. Our Niro has been unwaveringly polite and civilized over its last 40k miles. We have 4 vehicles, but 9 times out of 10 we choose to drive the Niro. It was a bit more money than its competition at the time, but it is a far more impressive car.
My first and current EV, a 2016 Kia Soul EV+ that I bought used in 2020, is the best car I have ever owned. It is my first Kia and, based on my two year impression of it, I will definitely buy Kia again in the future. Every switch, dial, knob, lever, handle and button has a well-made feel to it and it has been rock-solid reliable. And without exaggerating I'd say that every person who I have given a ride has said their next car will be electric.
My biggest issue with this car? The pricepoint. The difference with the EV6 over here is too small. Also, I somehow wish my car would tell me like that it started charging. The original Ioniq had an issue with the lock of the chargecable where sometimes it didn't lock and therefore didn't start charging. No fun when you arrive at your car in the morning and you don't have enough charge to make it to work.
I just checked in my local area. Currently, no. There are at least two BEV in the same segment I can buy new that are cheaper than this in its base model. Your area may be different
Thanks for the informative review. I'll probably buy an EV in the next few months, and plan to test drive a 2023 Niro EV next week. It's the perfect size, and Kia did a great job restyling it. But the dealer is going to have to ditch their $4,000 in junk add-ons before I consider the car. And, with Tesla's big price drop this week and it's renewed eligibility for the $7,500 tax credit, Kia will need to provide some attractive incentives to make the Niro EV make sense financially.
Of the three BEVs my local car hire place has (2020 Renault ZOE, 2022 Kia Niro EV, 2022 VW ID.3 - all years the registration year rather than model year) I have to say the '22-registered Niro was by some margin my favourite to dive as someone who drives rarely, so wants a reliable (possibly even same-y) experience over an exciting one. The ZOE was nice enough but I found the adaptive cruise control in the other two very helpful from a cognitive load standpoint. The ID.3 had all the toys, but I found the UX (particularly for the climate control and the binnacle-mounted gear shifter/handbrake) to be unintuitive at best - the Niro EV had that right for me, and it's a bit of a pity that seems to have been shed a bit in the new version - not enough to change my personal rankings though :)
(For other UX oddities with the ID.3, having the binnacle-side shifter was the worst thing - it felt like trying to be unusual for the sake of it - but they also had the 'start' button where the old key-fed ignition used to be, which felt oddly conservative given the above and the way push-button start cars have gone recently.)
More and more, it looks like Kia is the best of what VW used to be. Given to unreliability of some charging experiences, an audible confirmation that charging has started seems okay to me, though it needn't be so loud.
I agree that haptics and menus to alter often used controls, is a step backwards. They’re great if you’re reviewing a stationary vehicle or sitting in a showroom and not having the distractions of driving. But driving is hazardous enough already, without cabin control, that requires the driver, to spend more time looking at controls, than looking outside.
I appreciate this review. We have a 2020 Niro Electric and this appears to be an improvement as Kate eludes to in the video. This car is a great affordable option and recommend to anyone. We also have a 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV and while I agree with some of the negatives that were presented, I like it better than the leaf and is also an affordable option to look at. I caution the dealer mark ups and the torsion bar rear suspension on the Bolt make it feel a bit more bouncy in the rear.
Thanks Kate and Nikki , great review … here in Australia this Niro is $76k …! More expensive than a model 3 ( don’t want that type of car !!!)… I wonder what they are thinking
My Kia Niro EV 2023 does have wireless android or apple carplay. Also I love the Touch buttons in the middle. I have driven the car 30.000 Km and I can find them without looking at them.
I loved it when you did a short version and a long version of your reviews. I'm interested in the short version to stay informed on EVs. I'm only willing to watch a half hour review if I'm thinking of buying the car.
I've owned the 2020 for about 8 months. 100% agree about AWD. Even a small 50kw motor in the back would be great. I do feel it's also over priced compared to the bolt and leaf. It's too close in price to the next class of cars, the ev6 and machE etc.
Great video as always. It would be interesting to try the snow mode. I have a Kona EV and live in Canada where we have a number of months of snow. Snow tires do a lot for the Kona in the snow. Not sure if 4WD is needed!
Nice car ... BUT, in Australia, the 2023 Niro is about AUD20k more than the BYD Atto 3: I can't see how anyone could justify that sort of price difference.
This car, get rave reviews by loads of reviewers. Well done KIA now build them and hopefully they will come. I am on the EV6 bandwagon as I need AWD and more beans.
Great Review. We don’t get the start charging voice on EU cars. The ‘2’ trim comes with wireless AA & CP in the UK and works well in place of a Satnav which it does not have. Having had an e-Niro MY20 as my first EV before moving to an EV6 i agree it’s a great drive and puts a smile on your face. I walked away from the test drive with the same buzz as the first time i drove the MY20. I’m wondering how all the pricing will get shaken up by the Tesla price cuts today. It’s going to be very interesting.
I'm looking at trading my 2017 Chevy Volt Premier for a 2023 Kia Niro Wave (with the preserve package because I live in Michigan). While I too would like to have AWD, it's not a deal breaker for me, because I have been driving FWD vehicles in the snow for about a decade now. I was originally considering the Bolt EUV, but after reading about the Niro, and then test driving one, it really took me by surprise, and many of its features are things I'd like to have. The fact that it DCFCs a *little* bit faster than the Bolt and that I won't have to pay a monthly fee (after three years) for its driving assist are added bonuses for me. I don't do a lot of medium-long road trips, so I can't justify paying a monthly fee for Super Cruise, despite it being technology that I want to have; and the faster charging means less time at the fast charger when I do go on those trips.
I think the audio warnings are for less intelligent drivers who need a reminder how their battery is behaving. I can also justify the audio alert for charting by knowing when a public charger starts racking up fees. Just my thoughts. Love your content, as always. 😍
I hope that both the front and back seats are (available) heated? The steering wheel should be heated, certainly. Here's a thing that we really *should* have with all EVs - a direct heated windshield defroster. Only VW has it as an option (or maybe it's standard on the AWD?) ID.4. We need to be able to defrost the windshield as efficiently as we can defrost the back window! The caveats for me with this car - is the long(er) hood, the FWD, the charging speed (did you mention its DC charging speed?), the touch buttons The very good things about this car for me - the adjustable regen - *coasting* rules for better efficiency, the charging port in the center of the nose (with a light?) , the hatchback.
Yes, I very much miss the electric defrost on the windshield. I had it on my 1970s Enfield 8000 EV and on our Toyota Rav4 EV. Even my Morris Minor has one now! (Although I admit it's not an OEM item ;) ). It seems so retrograde to not have it in our more modern cars.
@@transportevolved Exactly! The e-Golf had it - but it was a wimpy version, and could barely clear a fogged windshield. We live in New England, and when you are driving in an ice storm, or in -13C/8F type of temperatures then a good ~500W direct heating defroster is a must. VW's current version (in the AWD ID.4) is a couple of molecules thick layer of silver inside the glass, I think? This should be *standard* on all EVs.
Note to self don't be eating lunch whist watching this video - "It's a car that wants to work for you and it's happy to with you" - now I have a keyboard and screen to clean.
I think that really depends on your use case and where you live. For me, sure, I'd have really loved them to get to a reliable 30 min 10-80% with good battery preheating (my ideal for that would be automatic on navigation and a UI button you can press at about 30 mins from a charger). But around here, there are a lot of people who truly believe you need awd/4wd for snow, and also who like to head out to the boonies and up into the mountains for whom 4wd is more of a necessity and while the Niro would suit them in every other way, there lack of 4wd takes it out of the running, which I think is a shame. ^Kate
@@transportevolved Thanks for the reply Kate :) Most of my 50 years of motoring has been in the English home counties and I've never found a need for awd.. As you rightly say, depends on circumstances... Will probably order my second Niro-ev in about six months time :)
@@transportevolved Yup, here in the Appalacians, Subaru has had market dominance for exactly that reason. Many a pickup truck owner discovers the hard way their first winter that their expensive luxury truck is just a useless gas guzzling, fish tailing paper weight in the snow.
Was on my short list when it first came out but couldn't get one in IL (easily). Don't need a car for a while but looking forward to the used BEV market in about 5 years and by then there may be some viable new EVs in the $20K's.
Nice calm review. I personally just use auto climate control so why the need to look and fiddle with controls? I disagree on sound proofing. There is basically none, and it has much more road noise than the likes of ID4. That to me is the biggest weakness. Aside from that a really solid EV all rounder.
Great question, I don't think I hate Musk enough to be the decider. I'm not confident in reliability and repair $. Also as used cars, Tesla's never seem to be cheap enough.
I think it also depends on your quality preferences. I've not seen any recent Tesla's up close, but they consistently get more complaints about assembly quality than Kia, which is often high up in the quality charts. ^Kate
@@transportevolved once again you're showing your hatred of Tesla. The question was how does it compare economically with Tesla, not asking about your social justice opinion.
My Kia Niro 2022 has wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay, i had an iPhone until thankfully this Christmas I got an Android, and it has always connected wirelessly..
@@transportevolved All I know is I start my car, my phone automatically says "Android Auto is connected" after which I can no longer use my maps or some other applications on my phone but instead can only access them on my car's dash screen, it has GPS and Music to name only two apps.. I do all this without using the charge cable or anything I could walk away from my car, and it would still be connected.. is that what you're meaning? because I don't know any other version of Android Auto, I had a Kia Niro 2019 before this 2022 and it did not connect automatically, I had to constantly use my charge cable
That gray chevron looks great, I saw a BMW i3 with similar treatment (the rear doors), also works very well, a different look. I think Audi did it 1st. Someone should figure out the right abrasive to dull the piano black. Stick-on plastic, or Plasti dip ? Maybe some nice 70s woodgrain sticker.
Kate, you need to replace your older Niro. Would your buy the old 2022 Niro or the new 2023? Does all the changes make the car better, or would you keep the tried and true.
Doesn’t Kia/Hyundai have constant battery supply issues and low desire to build their lower priced EVs in volume? It was pretty impossible to find Niro/Soul/Kona and original Ioniq EVs even in the states they were sold in even before new supply chain issues since Covid. Don’t see how a Niro EV is going to be any more accessible to find purchase than a RAV4 Prime that’s also produced in comically low volumes.
Agree, one of the points that makes me favor Bolt. Also seems like a better future for parts and repairs. Old Fiat 500e, every model was virtually identical, Chevy Bolt sold tons.
I’m struggling to figure out your wording, but I had absolutely no issue finding my old Soul EV and my Kona EV, but those were before Covid (2018 and 2020, respectively). I can’t figure out if you’re saying they were hard to find before Covid or after. In my case, I got excellent lease deals due to massive cap cost reductions on both vehicles because they had so many of them sitting around. Now, it’s practically impossible to find any desirable vehicle.
@@ouch1011 The original Ioniq and the Kona have always been low volume compliance that were difficult to find. The Soul EV was dropped for the new generation because Kia couldn’t get enough batteries to even bother with continuing to sell them in the US at all.
Price point is the hard sell for me with this car. I’d buy this over an EV6 because I strongly dislike the interior space and lack of headroom in the EV6, but I’d buy an Ioniq5 RWD over this, considering it is not substantially less expensive than the Ioniq5. I wish they’d updated the Niro to ride on the egmp platform. I used to own a Kona Electric and I’ve also owned a Bolt EV and an EUV. By far, the biggest complaint I had about those cars from a daily driver standpoint is that they were FWD. Especially with eco tires, it is impossible to put even the 150kw down to the ground in anything less than perfect weather. Trying to turn on to rural highways is tricky, even though you have the power to do so, because you don’t have the traction. I don’t think it even needs to be AWD, but just make it RWD. Also, although the faster charging isn’t a huge issue, the 18-minute 10-80% charging time that is available with any of the batteries in the egmp platform is hard to ignore. The maximum charge level can be adjusted. No car has great regen braking at 100% SOC. The “charging started” sound can also be disabled in the menu, which I did on my Ioniq5, because it’s incredibly annoying.
I think Kia has many strengths as mentioned, but the biggest deficiency in the US are the dealers. And I'm not one who dislikes all dealers automatically. Kia dealers tend towards all the bad stereotypes.
Nice review, nice car, but now more expensive than a Tesla Model 3. If you care about range, charging, safety, tech and performance who would buy this Kia?
I feel like this is aimed at GenY/Millennial professionals who are only just now making enough money to buy their first new car. They are starting families and need to trade in their Uni/college run around. Gen Y is very worried about the environment especially those with families, so they are actively looking into EVs.
@@AlanTov whelp I guess I am wrong. I just associate cross overs with young families. But I guess older people don't like climbing in and out of lower cars.. Still I just want hatchbacks, yet this car seem like better value than an ID3/Born.
Where does this assumption come from that, if you can afford to buy a new car...you will buy a new car...!?!! I've always worked on the principle that the new car buyer takes the hit on the heavy depreciation from new over the first two years....then I come along and get a bargain low mileage/one lady owner example ...! Works every time ....
As a big fan of home repair (and someone who works on her own cars), probably not at the moment. Kia are no right-to-repair saints, but they're certainly better on spares availability to non-professionals than Tesla at present. If that ever shifts, then things might change. But for me - the super low cost of consumables for Kia brand vehicles is definitely a draw. As for the driving experience, I'd say there's not a ton between the Niro and the Telsa - I'd say that the Niro definitely feels better put together than all the M3s I've been in, but I've not been in a really recent one. For me, I prefer the Niro's road feel and ADAS package over the last time I tried Autopilot, and since I wouldn't fork out for FSD, and you can't install a Comma unit in a M3, then... I'd have to stick with the Kia. If you do a ton of long-distance driving with charging needs, I can definitely see the draw of the Supercharger network though. ^Kate
I wish here in Australia they offered that lighter interior, but no in a country that gets 40+c temps they go for the all charcoal interior instead as the ONLY option...total fools Kia Australia!
@@transportevolved Turmoil!! Too many things to explain. Short answer, Tesla is forcing legacy crapmakers to reduce their prices, and Tesla can still reduce their prices by 20% and make good margins.
@@KSpaceyRulesabsolutely not the case. Tesla are struggling to sell cars. They are trying to stimulate demand and prop up new and used car sales. It’s a back foot move.
@@AlanTov 'spacyrules' thinking is classic, wide-eyed Fanboi naivety!! 'Tesla can do no wrong'......!?!? In reality, of course Tezzler ARE seeing a 'reduction in demand'...at least partly due to the INEVITABLE competition from other manufacturers.... ....but, not if you're a Fanboi.....! Oh, no ...
