Kia Niro EV revealed
An all-electric version of the Kia Niro SUV has been unveiled at a special event in Korea, with expectations that it will be able to drive at least 380 kilometres on a single charge.
Kia New Zealand has confirmed it’s interested in bringing the new Niro EV into New Zealand to join the other two Niro models already on sale early next year.
Following the successful introduction of the Niro Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid models locally in March, Kia Motors New Zealand says there is strong anticipation for the EV version.
“The acceptance of the Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid Niro models by New Zealand buyers has been exceptional,” says Todd McDonald, General Manager of Kia Motors New Zealand. “It has proved to us that there is a place in the regular market for a well-designed SUV that delivers astonishingly low fuel consumption. With petrol prices set to jump as a result of the incoming fuel taxes, there is every expectation that demand will continue to climb for all variants of Niro.
The Niro EV is powered by Kia’s next-generation electric vehicle powertrain, using new production technologies developed for Kia electric vehicles.
The Korean-spec Niro EV is available with two battery packs: 39.2 kWh, and 64 kWh. Equipped with a high-capacity 64 kWh lithium-polymer battery pack, the Niro EV is targeting a zero-emission range of over 380 kilometres on a single charge, or up to 240 kilometres when paired with a 39.2 kWh battery system.
Kia will introduce the new Niro EV to its home market in Korea during the second half of 2018, with other markets, including New Zealand, to follow in 2019.
Pricing
The pre-sale price of the Niro EV for Korea has just been announced by Kia Korea, which gives us a ballpark figure of how much they could cost in New Zealand.
The starting price (before incentives) of the 64 kWh battery pack is 43.5 million KRW (NZ$61,770) and 43.5 million KRW (NZ$57,790) for the 39.2 kWh battery pack.
Kia hasn't announced international pricing or availability yet, but the company says it has already received 5,000 orders for the Niro EV in Korea.
