2019 Kia Niro EV – The Game Changing EV?

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#Kia is no stranger to electric cars and Soul EV was a pretty impressive offering a few years ago. Unfortunately, its limited 111 mile range was extremely limiting. For 2019, Kia has significantly beefed up the battery capacity and the electric motor, this is the all-new #NiroEV. With nearly 240 miles of range on a full charge and nearly 300 ft-lbs of instant #EV torque, it promises to offer all the range of a more pricey Tesla, without the strange looks of the Chevrolet Bolt. Put one on your test drive list if you're looking to kick gas and make the EV switch. The car goes on sale in late February and will be sold in 12 states: California, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. #KiaNiroEV

[brianboru]

We leased a 2019 Niro EV EX and are absolutely thrilled with the car. It's actually getting much higher range than Kia disclosed. We're averaging 265-270 miles on a full charge and we live in S. CA with the air con on at all times. Others are reporting 300. The base model EX gave us all the safety tech we were looking for including smart cruise control with stop and go which is terrific for CA's bumper to bumper freeway traffic. The seats are very comfortable with cloth inserts surrounded by "vegan" leather (using Tesla's terminology for their non-animal leather seats) and there's plenty of leg/head room plus good cargo space even with the back seats up. We love the multi system regen, the twist shift, and the fact the car has a cooling system for the battery because we live in Palm Springs in the Mohave desert. We were replacing a 2017 Hyundai Tucson and wanted the roominess of an SUV and the Niro EV provides that. The only complaint we have is the charging port. It looks and feels flimsy and they need to improve on that. This is our first EV and we're looking forward to what Kia/Hyundai offer in three years when our lease is up on this one. Thanks for your video. It helped us with choosing the Niro and we're really happy we did!

[theexmann]

What I also like about the Niro EV is that is has a sunroof which I prefer over the Tesla panoramic roof. I also like the hatchback design to take full advantage of storage capacity.

[Musings-From-Mike]

I purchased a Niro PHEV a year ago. I have a little over 5, 000 miles on it now. Most of my trips are 24 miles or less on a daily basis, so most of my driving is in EV mode. I calculate that costs me about 13 cents! I still prefer having a gas engine so that I don't have to hunt for a charging outlet or station at a destination 100 miles or more away and then have range anxiety on returning home.

[dlg]

I'm glad some brands are still installing halogen fog lights! Bright white LEDs are useless in bad weather and defeat the entire purpose of what fog lights are supposed to do. Fog lights should emit a warm, low and flat light beam, that is focused on the road and periphery a short distance ahead, 2500k to 2700k is best for visibility in snow and fog. I have been very annoyed by the move to "color match" all forward lighting in the industry. It's aesthetics (form) overriding the safety (function) these lights are supposed to provide. Just one more irritating trend in the auto industry, just like the tacked on infotainment screens.

[markuslc]

i am driving a kia niro ev for the weekend, we have atm arround 5 degrees celsius arround here in austria. i managed to drive 420km on a single charge, with heating, lights on, all the comfort sources, drivin in normal and sports mode, never in eco mode, and driving arr town, and on the highway, where was driving 140km/h and just4fun sometimes even 180km/h although i thought it was limited to 167km/h. its a great car, really good ride, great cabine, i am 196cm tall and a really heavy dude and i can sit perfectly. the only things that suck are the backup cam at night, sometimes the infotainment and the fact, that there is no app in order to check your cars status while charging like you get on BMWs or teslas.

[asdfghjqwertyu]

I used to think of Hyundai and Kia as fairly reliable but bland cars. With cars such as the Kia Telluride and the Hyundai Palisade, they are definitely making some great cars in recent times.

[JB-izju]

Great review! I’ve owned the e-Niro for five months and driven 12.000 km. Absolutely the best car ever. No problem what so ever.

[ymiinar]

Sometimes his personal tastes get in the way of an unbiased review. I don’t mind hard-touch plastic finish and 17 inch wheels, I care about less dependence on gas and less dependence on gas.

[dimples_dad]

I'm annoyed that your overall attitude is that all electric vehicles should be an upscale premium. So what if it's hard plastics or cloth seats? Some of us want an affordable run of the mill electric car. Please stop with the smug remarks .

[maeng]

To anyone says that “It’s still a Kia, ” this car comes from a company that is a major player in the automotive world, as well as built strict quality control standards that Teslas wish to be built to. There’s no point of making of eco-friendliness to the 1%, they use it as a tax-deduction or status-symbol, this Niro is for the person who really cares for the environment.

[riversdirect]

Awesome review! I can tell you’re used to reviewing high-end luxury cars like when you mentioned the backseats aren’t heated but actually this car amazes me with all the features it has for a Kia. I really want to get an electric car and I love the look of this one. Thanks for the review I’d love to see how it performs in cold weather.

[DirectCurrentRides]

This and the Model 3 are at the top of my list so I greatly appreciate your videos on them!

[Catalina._]

This is the kind of EV that 90% of people wanted and could afford, not that pointless $50k model 3 bs...

[woof]

Good review. Last year I was waiting for this car to come out, but ended up buying a Model 3, as I needed a car and only wanted to buy a good electric vehicle. While I do not regret at all spending more to get the M3, I suggest to people who are impressed with my car to look at this one along with the Kona and the Bolt. Having the hatchback for storage, good comfort & features, and what I call good “family usability” make this car vehicle very compelling to me. The lower price tag also helps. I plan on turning others onto this review and others you’ve done to see what EV could be right for them.

[Redmon]

My ex had an eye melting yellow Hyundai Scoupe back in the early '90s. It was a ginormous POS. The transmission was troublesome directly off the dealer's lot. Kia and Hyundai have come a very long way since then. Kudos.

[charlesyoung]

Kia has come a long way from the Sephia I rode in with rust in the floorboard and that droning tick tock coming from the engine.

[luuk]

0-60 in 7 sec disappointing? Why? It's not a performance vehicle?

[mrknowmyself]

Kona, niro, soul ev.
Those are my dream cars.
Ill buy them in 5 years for sure

[stephenhendricks]

For the viewers who believe that the 20th century was a time when dinosaurs roamed the highways, it's worth noting that for many decades drivers managed to use their RWD vehicles in challenging winter conditions when four wheel drive vehicles were few and far between. Moreover, in the late sixties I owned a Saab 96, one of the very few cars with FWD in those days. It was virtually unstoppable in the ice and snow of hilly upstate New York when most other vehicles sat immobilized in their garages and driveways. AWD is a welcome option in modern crossovers but for about 95% of winter driving it's no more effective than winter tires on the front wheels of a vehicle with the engine weight directly over those wheels.

[belvedere]

If and when most of us can buy one, definitely. Until then there's the Bolt which despite GM still not making enough of, can still be purchased in every state in the U.S.