Does a full size spare wheel fit in a Kia eNiro 2020?

Fitting a full size spare wheel into the well in the boot of my Kia eNiro did not go as well as I had hoped, there appeared to be plenty of room and why would Kia produce a space that can not be used?

If you watch the video you see the solution reached and might be interested in some of the things I purchased to allow me to change a spare wheel.

Many of the products I obtained at trade price or discounted through a buying group I belong to so I will quote retail prices to give you some idea of cost if you want to fit a "proper" spare wheel.
Alcar KFZ Hybridrad 132200..............................................£78.00 inc V.A.T

Michelin Cross Climate 215/55 r17...................................£140.00 Fitted
Changing tyres to new steel centres..................................£15.00 each

The following items I obtained from a national Motor Factor, starting with Halfords
Halfords Extending Wheel Nut Wrench.......... 635236 ....£12.00
Halfords Wheel Chocks X2........................ .....657214.......£8.00
Alloy Wheel Nut Socket - Air Impact 21mm.. .697144....£11.99
Halfords Car Warning Triangle ........................124549....£12.99

Flashing warning lights various, less than ........................£5.00 each

Fluorescent/Reflective tabards various, less than ...........£4.00 each
Fluorescent/Reflective jacket various, mine cost me ....£26.00 each

A mechanics magnetic LED torch various, less than .......£10.00

Plus..

Boots Non-Latex Hygiene Gloves - 10 pack ......................£2.19
To remove the punctured wheel and replace with spare, whilst keeping ones hands clean, not shown in the video as I now store them in the car so I can give a demonstration of a particular situation/maneuver without have to completely clean the car again during this COVID-19 crisis, I chose non latex and non powdered gloves as if a pupil wanted to use them they can without fears of any allergic reaction to the gloves.

Luckily the original Tyre Pressure Sensing Valves did fit my steel centres as ATS could not tell me if they would fit until they actually saw what they were like.

Fitting an ordinary rubber valve to the spare does not 'confuse' the car as nowadays cars are normally only equipped with 4 wheels fitted to them and a bottle of gunk to temporarily fix a puncture for a maximum of 50 miles to get you to a garage, but after the tyre has been exposed to the liquid NO repairs to the tyre can be undertaken and it has to be scrapped even though it might have been perfectly serviceable if removed and taken to the tyre fitters.

It also has the advantage of allowing it to flex a bit to check on the trye pressure, something that would be impossible to do with the rigid steel valves fitted to the original centres and of course they are MUCH CHEAPER..

This video has allowed me to talk about wheel balancing and the problem one might encounter if you lose a balancing weight, namely shaking of the steering wheel in a very specific speed range of about 5 m.p.h. Easily ifxed by re-balancing the wheel a five minute job for a tyre fitter, or in the case of the Yeovil branch of ATS 15 seconds if the video is to be believed.. ;)

Although I did show quite a bit of things one should have in the boot in case of an emergency, I did not show all of the things I actually have but most are listed in the parts bits above..

I do hope you are enjoying my videos, it has been a very steep learning curve in learning video editing which I knew nothing about when I posted my first video (and how it shows) to now when I am using lots of different techniques, but this is really challenging my laptop, so much so that I am having to limit the amount of effects I do per session, however I think I might have found a solution, so in August I have very impressive plans but questionable ability, so in the meantime I will be producing some shorter less demanding (pictorially) videos in a quicker time frame..

[fredgray]

I have now fitted my spare wheel, following your instructions Peter and I am very pleased with the result. As it is for emergency use only I bought a budget tyre, a Mazzini ECO670, and I managed to put it in position while leaving the front insert in place. It was difficult because the wheel&tyre is very heavy (about 22kg) and it was gripping the floor and sides. Next time I will put some plastic sheeting underneath to help it slide in. I found removing it rather easier. I realise a Crossclimate may be more difficult because the tolerances are so small. To stop the rocking you mentioned in the video I tilted the wheel forward and put a piece of 38mm thick wood (38mmx70mmx100mm) underneath the back. This also allows space for some tabards etc under the wheel which can be accessed from the rear corners. I used a short piece of 8mm rod, a small metal plate and a wing nut to clamp the wheel securely. I managed to fit all the tools you listed in the front insert (even the jack with the socket adaptor). This leaves a large extra storage volume inside the wheel. Once again thank you Peter for providing so much information to make the job possible for me.

[andrewhannan]

Peter, thank you so much for making such an informative video including the full parts list in the description, a truly excellent video!!

My eNiro 4+ was delivered last Monday and I always want a spare wheel in my car so today I had 4x of the Michelin CrossClimate+ fitted (which I had on my Golf GTE and loved them!) and had one of the original Michelin Primacy 3 tyres put on the same Alcar 132200 wheel from Oponeo. When I got home I just removed the two side trays (only 6 screws) and slid the wheel in. Perfect. Took minutes so I’m happy removing 6 screws to get the wheel out in an emergency...

Therefore I’ve got 3x best part brand new (120miles) Primacy 3 tyres 215 55 17 as supplied and if anyone else is interested in this project then contact me if you’d like to buy an original tyre off the eNiro for your spare. Thank you again Peter and if you’re ever near Milton Keynes I’d buy you a beer for that!!

[ThePrawlin]

I have also gone the Peter Cary route (thanks Peter!).
However, I’ve developed the arrangement to make it somewhat easier and better. Firstly I discovered you only need to remove the right side plastic moulding (3 screws not 12!) in order to slide the wheel with standard size tyre into the boot cavity.

Then better still if you just cut away a small amount from the inner circle overhang on just the right side moulding, then no need to remove any screws at all. The wheel slides easily in and out without removing anything.

I also found the original centre retaining knob can still be used to hold the wheel in place. It’s just long enough to get a few turns of the thread. I place a small strip of wood under the rear of the tyre to stop the rocking looseness.

The Halfords orange 1.5 Ton jack and socket adapter and ratchet are wrapped in rags at the rear. The locking wheel nut thingy and wheel chocks are in the right side cubby hole.

I tested the whole system by jacking up the car and fitting the spare wheel on my driveway. All good no issues.

I got my wheel and tyre from Oponeo total cost £117. Cheapest correct spec tyre on their site. Interestingly, the tyre came from Madrid and the wheel from Poland! Both separately shipped via DPD but arrived the same day.

A great solution all round I think. Still loads of room under the floor for more stuff. I already had the Halfords compressor so I’ve removed the Kia one and it’s associated gunk which I utterly refuse to ever use anyway. Some may think cutting the plastic on a brand new car is unacceptable. But what the heck, this spare wheel is a permanent solution and in my opinion enhances the cars value.

I used a Dremel tool to cut the plastic but I’m sure you could use a hand pad saw, or jig saw or even an angle grinder.

Peter

For pics see post #22 here....

[andymurray]

Thanks so much for doing this excellent video Peter! I'm Shopping for an EV and am infuriated that many new cars (and NO EVs) come with a spare. It's great to see proof that at least one model has the ability to carry one (in spite of the manufacturer not recommending it)!

[peterassheton]

Now I have found your parts list it is really helpful. Thank you for all your work on this. It is much appreciated.

[peterassheton]

That is a really helpful video of fitting a spare to the well in an e-Niro. Thank you for the effort which is much appreciated.

[wendyannedarling]

Looks beautiful! I do like the idea of the Cross Climate tyres.

[macor]

Hi Pete, Thanks for the very informative video and for listing all the items. I'm a London Private Hire driver, own a first edition (June 2019) Kia eNiro. In the past year I've had 4 slow punctures, not having a spare wheel is always on my mind specially if you have a puncture late at night. Had a look at the Oponeo website, that steel wheel did come up, will have to give them a call sometime soon. Keep up the good work, looking forward to the next video.

[dcvariousvids]

From the looks of it, the spare wheel well was perhaps designed for a space-saver spare. The are invariably more narrow, both the wheel and the tyre. Plus the tyre tends not to have a pronounced squared shoulder, where the sidewall meets the tread. They sometimes also have an overall diameter of 1”/25mm less than the recommended tyre size. Which can play hock with sensors but then they’re only meant to get you to the next garage. A few tens of miles at the most.

[JohnRoss]

Great information! A time saver. .I'm in Canada 🍁and had 16" 215 60R snow tires from my Camry that I wanted to use on the Niro. The steel wheels don't fit because of the brake calipers (even Kia oem steel, 2 trips to tire dealers! ) and had to install 16" alloy wheels. I'll try the winter tire in the wheel well as it is the same diameter. Cheaper than buying a compact spare kit. I suppose your students must have bent a wheel in the past to go to all this effort.

[stuartlowe]

Several comments and questions. The various models of Nero came with different sizes 16 or 17 inches. Why not just fit a “get you home tyre !!!! 12:05

[timleunig]

Great video, although note that the luggage could not longer be stored under the boot floor once this is done.

[johnclift]

Hi pete
Had similar issues with fitting the “space saver “( weight/money saver) in my corolla which involved cutting the surround with a jigsaw and creating a custom bed for the wheel using a black bag and a can of filler foam - I stole the idea from forming a seat around the driver of F1 cars
A full size wheel will NOT fit
Another great video
See you soon

[dakm]

I have had my Niro 2. 2018. 2.5 years on lease, I bought a KIA parts ltd 16in wheel with plastic trim, put on a part-worn tyre and took out the centre part of the boot trim and it fits fine, turned the wheel upside down and even the screw clamp fits, looking at Niro 4 next time on 18in so don't know what to do next time maybe a space saver but prefer a full size.

[eyalmyers]

Hello, thank you very much for the video.
where did you get the steel wheel rims from and what is the specification as I’d like to buy one for a spare wheel for my e-niro.

[fredgray]

Thank you very much for this video and the wheel change one. Very practical advice. I'm planning a tour of the Scottish highlands next April and having a spare wheel on board will be more reassuring. Possible scenarios include getting a puncture outside mobile coverage, or too far from a tyre repairer, repairer does not have correct size of tyre etc. It provides more possibilities.
I have two questions I would like your thoughts on please. 1. Oponeo also sell alloy wheels for much the same price. Is there an advantage or not? 2. Draper sell a jack VERY similar to the Halfords but with a rubber top to protect the car's paintwork. Do you think that would be suitable?
Looking forward to your next video.

[markmcintyreastro]

my Toyota has a "skinny spare" that is about 1/2 the thickness of a normal wheel/tyre and rated for emergency use only /80mkh max. I'd guess the space is designed for one of those.

[itsthingiebob]

Found your spec list most helpful but you never mentioned which jack was used, ie model of car it came from.
With reference to one of the questions you had regarding the weight of the steel V alloy wheels. I think you'll find that there isn't much of a difference as alloys have to be of a heavier density. Cheers

[undyau]

Looks like the floor of the boot is lower in the 2021 models, so a full size wheel won't fit. But you can always put in an alternate false floor seated tyre width above the base of the wheel well.

[mediaofline]

why is the trunk different for every country ? Here in sweden the trunk is much deeper and without that trim that you took away.