Kia is bringing its refreshed electrified Niro compact SUV lineup to North America for 2023 with new exterior styling and more interior space. The company is introducing three new Niro models at the New York International Auto Show this week: the hybrid Niro HEV, the plug-in hybrid Niro PHEV, and the all-electric Niro EV. Kia plans to launch them nationwide, including the all-electric Niro EV, which previously could only be purchased in select states.
The Niros all share dark door panels and an “aero blade” profile plate, which together give the car a Swoosh-like look. New daytime running lights and a “tiger nose” grille adorn the front, while the rear taillights are now boomerang-shaped and no longer intersect with the tailgate. The changes allow for a new low drag coefficient of 0.29 to make these front-wheel drive CUVs even more efficient.
In particular, the new all-electric Kia Niro EV has an improved range, now 253 miles over the previous model’s 239. Previously, the Niro EV had an option for a smaller 39kWh battery, but now there will only be a larger 64.8kWh package option. The battery doesn’t get in the way of the space though; You get eight cubic feet more passenger room and a sizeable 22.8 cubic feet of cargo space — although at 30.2 cubic feet it’s less than the Tesla Model Y.
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The Niro EV also has the Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) capability of the Kia EV6, allowing you to power devices using the Niro EV’s battery. However, this one uses an older platform instead of the EV6’s Hyundai-developed E-GMP platform, which allows for fast charging at up to 350kW DC. Instead, the Niro EV will max out at 85kW DC fast charge, which is good enough to get you from 10 to 80 percent state of charge in around 45 minutes.
At this point, the redesigned Niro EV doesn’t have a price, but the previous model started at just under $40,000 — which isn’t significantly cheaper than the sportier Kia EV6’s starting price of around $42,000. But if you like the looks of cars that don’t try to be too flashy and just want the practicality of a modern CUV, then the new Kia Niro EV could shine.