@@rcpmac are you claiming that GM has pulled their head out and eliminated the 1910 battery design, replacing one antique battery with a new antique battery doesnt count. does the bolts level 3 charging now exceed most EVs level 2 charging?
12:25 - Woah, woah, woah... Kia's system knows not just the current speed limit, but also if it's a *SCHOOL ZONE* speed limit?! That is great! All my other cars with camera-read-speed-limit detection just drop to 20 MPH, without seeming to know that it's because it's a school zone. That is great info to show!
Did personal walk-around and test drive of a Niro-EV Wind (lower trim) last night. I was quite surprised when I could not get my toes under the driver’s seat and had my feet filling the open floor space, much like Nikki’s were (16:05-16:12). Sitting behind the passenger’s seat my toes to ankles EASILY slid under that seat. Difference? Motors/mechanisms for dirvers’ all electric movement vs the manual passenger that leaves room for the rear passengers feet. How’d Kia chose a layout that sacrificed rear passenger foot space for the seat mechanism? My son’s would never handle the cramped foot space on a long trip so the Niro-EV failed as a ‘family of 4’ car. If considering the Niro-EV - be sure to check rear foot space after setting the front seats for your positions.
I love the Niro EV and Kona EV. However, I remember their battery pack extrudes out a bit under the car, which I really have concerns about. I live with winter weather and running over things like road kill or chucks of snow would scare me with these two vehicles. If they can addresses that, I think I would definitely finance one. Thank you for covering this!
It’s really not a problem, there’s a guy in Canada who owned a Niro and now owns an EV6, he’s never reported any problem even in the middle of their snow covered winters.
The kia niro would be at the top of my list if not for the kia dealers in my area. One was fined 1.25 million dollars and has to video record all financial transactions with customers for 5 years and the others don’t appear to be much better.
An even bigger concern is the use of child labor in 10+ of the Hyundai/Kia suppliers in Alabama and Mississippi. Some of these suppliers are Hyundai/Kia owned and allegedly use child workers brought from Korea and forced to work under threat of being deported. Imagine the uproar if it was Tesla...
The rear truck/boot that the floor cover has another lower slot that you can slide the floor cover in the lower slot. This will give you a deeper truck/boot for luggage's/groceries etc. I have the Wave trim also called the Premium trim. It's amazing the extra space you get!! One pedal stopping is so good!!
A very good review. Thank you. It is good to see a HUD!! One "gadget" found in selected modern cars that should become universal ASAP. One old concept that I prefer to the modern cars are manual parking brakes. These electric ones are easy to use, but as a last ditch emergency device, the manual ones are safer.
Thanks for reviewing this variant in particular. The e-Niro has always been a car I fancied although a bit expensive for us. However the reviews I've seen over here🇬🇧 seem to have been of a lesser version because you say there are heated and cooled seats and heated steering wheel. The latter in particular is a deal breaker for my arthritic hands now I've experienced it in my Ioniq 38 kWh and I'd written off the Niro because it's never mentioned these days. It would be an "if we win the lottery" car or a used purchase much later on anyway, so I guess it doesn't matter so much at the moment! Looking forward to the drive review ladies, best double act on RU-vid btw.👍😄🇬🇧🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ Oh and I forgot to say that I'd love the V2L just to be able to boil a kettle for a cup of tea in a power cut! 🇬🇧😄🫖
I’ve a Niro 4+ 🇬🇧 and it has both heated and cooled seats up front and a very comfy heated steering wheel, it also has heated rear seats. It’s a brilliant car and although a bit pricey I love it. The new version is in my opinion the best EV on the market bar none.
@@wobby1516 ooh thanks for this info...heated rear seats too....great for drying off the lurcher! Always wondered what was extra in the 4+ versions but could never get my head around the lists and reviewers rarely go into so much detail as Nikki and Kate. 👍
thankyou Kate and Nikki. I have one on order as well as an Ioniq 5. I live north of 49 so we have to wait years to get an Ev it seems. If you could do a direct comparison of the two cars it would be fantastic, I trust your reporting. with my luck I could have both arrive at the same time and would then have to choose. Just a retired old guy and his wife who want to road trip and see the sights in North America.
One tiny thing that still makes me smile about the eNiro is instead of electrical contacts for a visor mounted vanity mirror light going through the hinge of the sun visor, the light is just in the roof panel with a light switch that gets knocked off when you close up the visor - simples ;) Seriously though there are things about the eNiro I would miss when I come to change cars - the charging level indicators on the front windscreen sill that you can see from your house, that after-market rear winscreen wiper adaptor that wipes the rear camera at the same time, regen on the steering column paddles, pretty good sound system, all the extra space under the boot (trunk) floor. I just cable-tied a plastic box to the invertor cover as a Frunk but an OEM one is handy. Vehicle to load is a welcome addition though, as is the somewhat improved Rapid charging speed. I think you're over-stating the boot space, but any increase is welcome and it's pretty good already.
Nice review! As a 2022 Kia Niro EV owner, I'm slightly jealous of the updates, but not enough to upgrade. 85 KW charging...it would be interesting what the entire DCFC charge curve looks like, but with 40-ish minutes 10-80% SOC, I get the picture. I normally drive mine a the lower end of the SOC range on road trips and charge more frequently when the charging power is highest.
The air flow behind the rear side trim should also help keep the rear window cleaner. SUVs generally suffer from turbulence near the rear window that deposits road grime on the back of the vehicle.
At 7:55 , not sure if it's an issue with the camera angle/perspective, but that definitely does not look like a "completely" flat folded rear seat? As in, it looks like if you put a tall fragile item (like a mirror, or some ikea flat packs), it might bend and break? "Completely flat" looks like it's pretty rare (at least these days, my 14y old estate car that I'm looking to replace does have it), so would appreciate if this could be clarified here.
I test drove one and it feels great. Too small for me, since I have a Sorento Hybrid, and Kia does not qualify for the EV credit at this point. Maybe when the march guidance comes out they will be part of it in some way?
Good review, gang, thanks a lot! Question, do your feet fit under the front seats when sitting in the back? I noticed Nicky’s knees were at an angle such that not much of her legs were actually on the seat. With a lower seat height like this, being able to stretch your legs forward that little extra bit adds a lot to your comfort on a long trip.
It's for safety so things like hazard lights can still go or electronic door locks can auto unlock even if something makes the main battery inaccessible. Think of it like a UPS for your safety systems. It does have a DC to DC converter that keeps the 12V battery charged.
It would be nice if Hyundai/Kia/Genesis made a V2L adapter that had a charging passthrough - so you could have it plugged in to charge the vehicle while also having the V2L available. Not necessarily for use at the same time, but in case of a power cut. Useful with a automated transfer switch for generators, too. Sure, it's only 120V, 15A, but that's better than nothing.
@@dwaneanderson8039 If you’re powering something inside, sure. But I’m thinking about “emergency power the house” use the way the Ford F-150 Lightning does - just keep plugged in to charge socket and you’re good to go. No running an extension cord in through a door.
Iv done nearly 5k Km in mine and only have minor gripes with it. Poor front storage (door pockets are very slim) They didn’t really think out the RHD conversion 100% Poor charge speed and integration of pre-heating the battery. Flimsy boot/trunk cover. Narrow high beam lights. Not very customisable drivers display. Poor sound insulation (ours didn’t come with the dual pane/acoustic glass door n the front) So far iv been getting 260-300 on a 100-20% charge. Interesting to see yours seams to come with more glossy black trim where the ones here are flat grey recycled finish.
Motorbiscuit reported that the Kia e Niro (and Hyundai's Kona) are no longer recommended by Consumer Reports due to "motor bearing failure". And InsiderEVs reports that Kia and Hyundai tried to hide the problem to avoid a recall. Question is, has this motor bearing issue been addressed in the 2023 version...
I really wish someone would cover the eSoul. I *know* it's not available in the US, but I suspect it's better than Niro/Kona; yet no one ever mentions it. It's still for sale in UK and Canada, right?
IMO, while I understand why, KIA comparing this CROSSOVER to the Model 3, it's a bit disingenuous because the model 3 is definitely a sedan. I think comparing to the Model Y is more appropriate because it is also a crossover AND is far more expensive. Finally, I doubt this vehicle has the performance of either of the mentioned Teslas.
The performance of the Tezzlers though, is ridiculously excessive, unnecessary and unusable for most people... and dangerous for many! It's utterly irrelevant, as pretty much ALL EVs have way more performance than nearly anybody needs, or can use ......!
@@andymccabe6712 Have you ever driven a Tesla? Unlike ICE engines, the motor(s) are software controlled and respond instantly to any slippage. The base model Tesla has an EPA range of 271 miles and a 5.8 sec 0 to 60. It feels faster because of its almost instantaneous response. The base price is ~$47K. Though you do have to pay $230 for wall outlet charger (we got 5 miles range per hour). My wife uses it as a daily driver replacement for her 2012 Infiniti M37 that was stolen at the beginning of Dec 2022 (technically, about the same performance numbers as the base Tesla). She drove it during the "cold snap", when the temps were in the single digits here in Memphis and thought it was FAR more confidence inspiring and safe than her old Infiniti. She never felt the rear wheels slip (base model). That lack of slip is a FEATURE of a ~4,000 lb, computer-controlled, motor-driven, vehicle (though stopping on ice/snow requires extra distance, compared to a 3K-3.5K lb vehicle). As for "more performance than nearly anybody needs, or can use...", I disagree. Being "peppy" allows you to SAFELY merge with traffic that a slower vehicle won't be able to or would cause a hazardous condition. Do people NEED 0-60 in sub-4 second times (e.g. Tesla Model 3 Performance)? No, not really, but that hasn't stopped ICE vehicle manufacturers from building MANY of them. And they don't get ANYWHERE NEAR the efficiency of an electric vehicle. A REAL benefit of ANY EV that gets sub-4 second 0-60 times is that they are ALL AWD, which is SUBSTANTIALLY safer than almost ICE vehicles that can move that quickly. Regardless, my point is that KIA, by their statements is comparing apples and oranges by comparing their CROSSOVER to Tesla's SEDAN. IMO, a FAR more favorable comparison would be to the Tesla Model Y crossover, which starts about $15K more expensive, with somewhat better performance/range, but, IMO, a roughly equivalent (plusses and minuses) driving experience... at least for the money. Then again, with the starting price at ~$40K (to about $48K, less if you qualify for federal incentives, and with a better warranty), it is in, IMO, a very nice spot. One of these days I might even go take a test drive just to see how it compares. My $.02... PS. This is our first EV and we've been enjoying every minute of it.
I am trying to convice friends to buy the hybrid version of this (or Kona) rather than giving more money to EV laggards Toyota. They have a young child and are looking to get a bigger car. Sadly Australia has a lot of infrastructure to build before most people are going to be confident in there ability to charge their EVs where-ever they go, so people are still hesitant.
@@theairstig9164 sadly i agree Plenty of EV6 only seen one Niro … if the price was right people would buy in volume as a neat car … like the BYD atto 3 is going crazy here coz the price is under $50 k… only 3 month wait too !!!
I'm not sure why you guys let Kia get away with comparing the storage space to a four-door sedan made by Tesla when the Kia is a four-door hatchback midsize or small size SUV in reality should obviously be compared to the Tesla Model y which also is a four-door hatchback midsize SUV. Usually you're pretty good at catching stuff like that, manufacturers flubbing numbers to misguide consumers. But just in case anybody is interested the Kia Nero is 63.7 cubic foot of storage with the seats laid down, and the Tesla Model Y is significantly larger with 76.2 cubic foot of storage with the seats laid down. Just in case somebody was thinking of buying this mid-size SUV versus a Tesla midsize SUV. If SUV can be the term used for these vehicles?
@@stevewausa no doubt price is not comparable, but at least vehicle catagory is comparable. This was almost like saying it had more storage than a Tesla roadster. Compare like to like if you want to compare prices then simply say it doesn't have as much storage as a model y but it's cheaper. But of course you get less with the kia, especially when it comes to resale value.
@@stevewausa The Niro is cheaper but the Model Y has AWD, much longer range, a real frunk, amazingly consistent over the air software feature updates, the reliable and widespread Supercharger network, etc. The AWD is almost a necessity where I live, maybe not down south though.
After YEARS of watching EV channels I STILL can't get my brain around why 'The Fanboi' has to obsessively defend Tezzler against anything and everything which comes over the horizon! I just don't get why you people DO it..!?!? How can you be bothered to care!? They're just cars, ffs.... ...and I don't think the world's (second) richest human being needs a slavish army of drooling accolytes........
