The 2023 Kia Niro EV is incredibly efficient and a great all-around car

Last month, we reviewed a great little hybrid, the 2023 Kia Niro. In fact, Kia offers this little hatchback with three different efficient powertrains, and today we’re looking at the entirely electric version, the 2023 Kia Niro EV. Ditching the internal combustion engine and replacing it with a slab of lithium-ion cells pushes the price up somewhat—starting at $39,550, the Niro EV is almost $11,000 more expensive than the parallel hybrid version—but on the upside, you get a right-sized electric car that’s extremely efficient, particularly on short journeys.

This Kia Niro EV is in fact the second Niro EV we’ve tested—the first impressed us mightily when we reviewed it back in 2020. The technical specifications of the battery electric powertrain are actually very similar to those in the previous version. There’s a 64.8 kWh lithium-ion traction battery between the axles, which powers a 201 hp (150 kW) electric motor that drives the front wheels.

The contrasting panel on the C pillar conceals an aeroblade, which is a channel that directs airflow to the rear of the car to reduce drag.

Credit: Jonathan Gitlin

The all-electric powertrain adds a fair bit of mass to the Niro; its curb weight of 3,721–3,803 lbs (1,688–1,725 kg) makes it almost 20 percent heavier than the parallel hybrid version. But in addition to having more power, the Niro EV makes a lot more torque—188 lb-ft (255 Nm), in fact—so it feels much peppier to drive.

The Environmental Protection Agency rates the Niro EV at a combined 3.4 miles/kWh (18.3 kWh/100 km) and a range of 253 miles (407 km) but in practice, it should be possible to exceed that. On short journeys around the city, I regularly saw 4 miles/kWh (15.5 kWh/100 km) or better and averaged 3.8 miles/kWh (16.4 kWh/100 km) throughout the week we tested the Niro EV.

Recharging isn’t quite as fast as some of Kia’s other EVs, as this platform runs at 400 V, not 800 V, like the larger, more expensive EV6. Consequently, you can expect to wait about 45 minutes to fast-charge from 10 to 80 percent. It actually took me nearly 42 minutes to charge to 80 percent (from a starting point of 48 percent state of charge), thanks to an Electrify America charger that would not go past 35 kW. There’s an onboard 11 kW AC charger that helps the Niro EV get to 100 percent in under seven hours from an AC power source.

By happenstance, there was another Niro EV charging when I went to top up the electrons. Note that it has a body-colored aeroblade.

Jonathan Gitlin

By happenstance, there was another Niro EV charging when I went to top up the electrons. Note that it has a body-colored aeroblade. Jonathan Gitlin

Short journeys in the Niro EV were extremely energy-efficient.

Jonathan Gitlin

Short journeys in the Niro EV were extremely energy-efficient. Jonathan Gitlin

The Niro EV puts its charge port up front, which saves on cabling runs since the power electronics live under the hood.

Kia

The Niro EV puts its charge port up front, which saves on cabling runs since the power electronics live under the hood. Kia

Short journeys in the Niro EV were extremely energy-efficient. Jonathan Gitlin

The Niro EV puts its charge port up front, which saves on cabling runs since the power electronics live under the hood. Kia

Like the regular hybrid version, the Niro EV is an easy car to drive around the city. The throttle mapping is well-judged for urban speed limits, and there are varying levels of lift-off regenerative braking available via the steering wheel paddles, so it’s easy to adapt to, whether you’re a one-pedal driver or you prefer to lift and coast. A different button on the steering wheel toggles you through Eco, Normal, and Sport drive modes.

Visibility is good from the driver’s seat, and there is an entire alphabet soup’s worth of advanced driver assistance systems (I’m not joking—the assists include PDW-R, HDA, FCA-JT, NSCC-C, ISLA, ROA, HBA, SEW, DAW, LFA, LDW, LKAS, and RCCA). These systems keep watch on each blind spot to warn you of impending collisions, lane departures, and when it’s unsafe to open the door.

Some of these assists were a little overeager, specifically the BCA-R, or blind spot collision avoidance (rear), which freaked out and emergency braked the Niro EV more than once while I was backing out of a parking space, presumably cueing off the curb behind me, since there were no other moving cars in my vicinity.

The piano black trim will quickly look dated. The infotainment system uses a touchscreen, and there’s a capacitive panel below it that does double duty for the sound system as well as the climate controls.

Jonathan Gitlin

The piano black trim will quickly look dated. The infotainment system uses a touchscreen, and there’s a capacitive panel below it that does double duty for the sound system as well as the climate controls. Jonathan Gitlin

Kia says there’s eight cubic feet more passenger volume than in a Tesla Model 3.

Jonathan Gitlin

Kia says there’s eight cubic feet more passenger volume than in a Tesla Model 3. Jonathan Gitlin

The piano black trim will quickly look dated. The infotainment system uses a touchscreen, and there’s a capacitive panel below it that does double duty for the sound system as well as the climate controls. Jonathan Gitlin

Kia says there’s eight cubic feet more passenger volume than in a Tesla Model 3. Jonathan Gitlin

Overeager ADAS systems can be more than annoying—phantom braking problems with both Teslas and Hondas have generated plenty of complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, but at least in this case, problems only ever occurred while reversing and at very low speed. This issues should also only affect the more expensive ($44,550) Niro EV Wave; the cheaper Niro EV Wind trim does not include a rearward sensor for the blind-spot collision-warning system.

While I’m discussing annoyances, the rotary dial you use to switch from reverse to neutral to drive (which replaces the conventional shift lever you find in the hybrid Niro) didn’t always like it if I tried to turn the knob too quickly. I could also do without all the piano black trim, although Kia’s designers have told me they’ve recently moved away from using that material in new designs.