Kia e-Niro for Australia mid-2021?

Kia expects to have its first electric car, the e-Niro, in Australia by mid-2021, joining a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Sorento to be introduced earlier.

Delivery of the e-Niro in Australia stalled late in 2019 as initial stock went to Europe.

Kia Motors Australia has been installing EV charging points and training staff in maintaining battery electric vehicles (BEVs) for a while, but had to wait as stock has gone to more EV-friendly markets, news.com.au reports.

Stock shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic have also delayed arrivals of new products, Kia Motors Australia chief operating officer Damien Meredith says.

He expects the PHEV Sorento in early 2021, followed by the e-Niro which has as standard a 100kW motor and 39.2kWh battery, while the premium model has 150kW power and have a 64kWh battery with an estimated 455km range.

The e-Niro is already available for order in New Zealand where pricing starts from NZ$77,990 (plus on-road costs) for the EV EX entry model, NZ$79,990 for the mid-spec EV SX and NZ$85,990 for the EV Premium model.