The new Kia Niro has been revealed at the 2021 Seoul Mobility Show, with an all-electric e-Niro again due to be part of the model line-up, to go on sale in 2022.
The new design is dominated by the two-tone wide rear pillar. Kia claims that this pillar isn’t just for visual effect, it also improves airflow and therefore aerodynamics and efficiency. Kia also says that the car makes extensive use of sustainable materials, for example, the headlining is made from recycled wallpaper, and eucalyptus leaves are used in the seat fabric.
The new Niro plug-in hybrid model will use a ‘Greenzone Drive Mode’ which aims to ensure that the car is always in electric rather than petrol mode in certain urban areas (assuming there’s sufficient battery charge – we’d instead opt for the all-electric Kia e-Niro lease option).
The current Kia e-Niro was one of the first EVs to offer a spacious, practical, family-friendly SUV/crossover hatchback body style with the ability to drive 300 miles on one charge if driven carefully, at a price which, at launch, started off closer to £30,000 than £40,000.
Kia has since launched the EV6 which is again an all-electric crossover/hatchback, and it’s also a genuine driver’s car, taking some genes from the Kia Stinger. It also pushes the boundaries with its styling, in terms of its exterior, and a very modern (and functional) interior. The EV6 is based on an all-new electric platform and moves from the front-wheel drive drivetrain of the e-Niro to rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
The EV6 is the first of 11 all-new battery electric vehicles to be launched by Kia by 2026. It was only a few years ago that Kia was seen as a budget brand, but the EV6 changes this completely. A number of mainstream manufacturers should now be very, very worried…
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