Kia e-Niro has European debut

The Kia e-Niro made its European debut at the 2018 Paris Motor Show and will go on sale in select European markets by the end of 2018.

The first fully electric crossover utility vehicle produced by the Korean auto maker has a high-capacity 64kWh battery with a 485km WLTP range and a 39.2kWh battery pack with 312km range.

The front-wheel drive e-Niro is to be Kia’s second globally-sold electric vehicle after the Soul EV.

The new e-Niro joins existing hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants of the car – of which more than 200,000 have sold globally since the Niro’s introduction in 2016.

A range of dedicated EV in-car technologies, new safety features, and stand-out exterior and interior design are included.

“Annual sales of electric vehicles across Europe are expected to reach 200,000 this year, rising to nearly one million units by the end of 2022, while the crossover market is also forecast to continue expanding in the coming years,” Kia Motors Europe chief operating officer Emilio Herrera says.

The e-Niro rides on new 17-inch aluminium alloy wheels, housing Kia’s regenerative braking system.

The cabin incorporates a range of new features and design elements.

The biggest change is the centre console design, which has a ‘shift-by-wire’ rotator dial drive selector in a panel extending from the central arm-rest. The panel also houses buttons for the electronic parking brake, heated and ventilated seats, heated steering wheel, drive mode selector, parking sensors, and the Niro’s braking ‘Auto Hold’ function.

The shelf at the base of the instrument panel features a high-grip rubberised surface to hold the driver’s smartphone. Buyers can specify this shelf with an optional wireless smartphone charger.

A seven-inch touchscreen HMI (human-machine interface) in the dashboard centre locates nearby charging points and monitors charge and range.

It also lets owners gauge their trip and lifetime carbon dioxide reduction compared to a similar sized gasoline car.

The seven-inch colour-LCD driver instrument cluster shows driving and battery charge information, also gauging driving style.

The e-Niro’s 2700mm wheelbase ensures generous legroom. Its body is 1805mm wide and 1560mm tall, ensuring maximum head and shoulder-room too. At 4375 mm in length, it offers 451 litres of cargo space.

Plugged into a 100kW fast charger, it takes 42 minutes to recharge the e-Niro’s battery from 20% to 80%.

Models equipped with the long-distance 64kWh battery pack are paired with a 150kW motor, producing 395Nm torque, enabling the e-Niro to accelerate to 100km/h in 7.8 seconds.

The standard 39.2kWh battery pack is matched to a 100kW motor, also producing 395Nm torque, and accelerating to 100km/h from a standstill in 9.8 seconds.

The e-Niro provides owners with a range of technologies to enhance battery efficiency and improve the car’s range.