New Kia Niro SUV review: an electric Jack of all trades?

There was the hybrid for those wanting something as conventional and as kind of close to their old petrol and diesel car as possible. There was the plug in hybrid for those with home charging wanting to dip their toe into the world of electrification, and then there was the all electric e niro: an efficient, smooth, easy to drive EV, but now theres a new one, same ingredients sharp new suit. But is it as good lets find out those same ingredients mean yes as before you can have your Nero with either hybrid plug in hybrid or pure electric power. The stats for all three havent changed dramatically. Efficiency is still excellent and the range almost 300 miles for the EV is still competitive. But if you were to place this new car alongside the old one, you could be forgiven for thinking that they arent quite as closely rated as were making them out to be. The old Bonnet was a bit of a blob wasnt it designed in a hurry without any real flare or standout features, but this new one well just look at it. Its got cool colors, a nice LED lighting, signature, sharp creases, contrasting side blades on the top step models. Dare I say it? This is now a car that you could potentially buy with your heart as well as your head and its the same story in here. We love the Simplicity of the old Neros cabin. The infotainment system was really easy to use.

It had all the features that you wanted, but well its completely new updated system in here, its completely different. You get this slick single panel running almost two thirds of the dash now its worth. Noting, though, that if you go for one of the entry level cars you get a smaller eight inch Central screen and its just not as well hidden or integrated, you dont get this kind of single glass panel so worth stepping up. If you can, otherwise, though, the Nero feels pretty premium in here, youve got digital dials youve got a lovely leather, wrapped steering wheel. The way these panels on the door kind of Meet the dashboard just feels really kind of like designed with thought. If you like its got a lot in common with Kias Flagship ev6 actually – and that includes this touch sensitive panel down here – for both the navigation and the media controls, as well as the aircon as well, but were not going to moan too much. We would, of course, like physical dials, but you do get a twisty button for the temperature and lets be honest, thats. The thing that youre going to use most when youre on the move, so other manufacturers take note. If you want to do a touch sensitive thing. Do it like this now, what else can I mention? Weve got some gloss. Black plastic down here looks great at the moment, maybe not so much after Kias, seven year, warranty period but thats by the bar youve got wireless phone charging on mid spec models and above really intuitive gear.

Selector thats really simple. To use now, one thing that Im not so sure about is the noise. This thing makes when the engine isnt running, when youre kind of maneuvering around town its louder than it needs to be. And actually, if you ask me its not going to be your neighbors being woken up by the sound of a V8, its the noise that this thing makes at five oclock in the morning, what you get on your Nero wont differ hugely depending on whether you go For the hybrid, like this, the plug in hybrid or the electric car, as we said, its worth upgrading from the engine level, 2 spec, if only for the smarter infotainment system, it just lifts the entire cabin. But even if you dont youll get Apple and Android smartphone connectivity, a reversing camera, an adaptive cruise control, three and 18 inch wheels a park cloth, part vegan, leather, interior, that bigger screen plus heated everything and privacy, glass top spec for cars like ours, add a head Up display a sunroof and a power tailgate full specs, as always, can be found at carbuy.com, UK foreign ER Oak because of its compact size and the kind of cars it goes up against. Im thinking the Renault captor, the Ford Puma Toyota Yaris cross those kind of cars that it might not be able to do the family stuff, quite as well as baby cars in the class above, but take a seat back here and youll, be pleasantly surprised.

Ive got Acres of room and thats, because this car is around 65 millimeters longer than the car. It replaces, which means that yeah loads of knee room loads of Headroom, a nice kind of reclined seating position, its just a really spacious car back here. One Thing Worth looking at and trying before you buy is in the electric version the battery is situated under the floor, which means the floor is a little bit higher than it is in this hybrid version, which means that you rear seat passengers may be sitting a Little bit higher than they might like, with their knees a bit higher than they might hope. Otherwise, youve got some vents down here. Youve got a plug down there to plug things in and charge laptops, and the like youve got some Nets here. On the back of the seats, as well as some USB ports, there thats really handy but yeah. Just overall nice and spacious now remember those cars that I just mentioned. The Nero beats them for boot space as well. The Renault captor, with its seats, slid all the way back. That is a handy feature, I will admit, has 379 liters of boot space, this car, the hybrid Nero 451 liters, so its competitive and then some now, while the Nero EV, the electric version isnt. Quite a spacious in the rear, it beats this car for boot, space, 475, liters, well visually. The three neros might look similar theyre going to appeal to quite different people, and it goes back to what we said at the start, the hybrid, the cheapest of the three will, most probably for most people, be the easiest car to live with and the one that Feels most like a petrol or a diesel model, albeit with the ability to run around on electric power for short spurts returning up to 59.

8 miles per gallon on the combined cycle and then theres the plug in hybrid. It costs around five grand more but gets an 11.1 kilowatt hour battery. This will do up to 40 miles on electric power 10 miles more than before, and if you run it like a part time EV, you could dramatically slash your bills, whether youre, a company, car driver or a private buyer and finally, the electric version, the Nero EV With a 64.8 kilowatt hour, battery pack and small efficiency improvements over its predecessor, itll do officially 285 miles on a charge. These things are mightily efficient too, just like before. While each car will appeal to a different kind of buyer, they all feel well pretty similar to drive and thats because they all feel overwhelmingly electric and that might sound obvious for the EV for the pure electric version, its apparently quick enough. Its got loads of power. Naught 62 takes 7.8 seconds and theres loads of torque for quick, overtaking the plug in hybrid Blends, petrol and electric, but it feels more electric than it doesnt. If that makes sense, the motor in that car is twice as powerful, pretty much twice as powerful as the one in this car. So it can feel pretty quick, especially off the line, but even this hybrid version – theres, no slouch not 62 miles an hour in 10.8 seconds – might not sound that fast, but again that electric motor really benefits pickups. So it feels sprightly around town lets.

Try to prioritize electric power, though so, when youre driving around town or youre stuck in traffic, the engine will cut out for really quiet, smooth progress, accelerate harder or drive a little further and, of course the petrol engine will kick in, but still things remain smooth and Quiet all the way up to Motorway speeds spend a lot of time at 7 miles an hour, and the engine will take over almost completely its, not a sports car, but nor does it try to be. The steering is accurate, its precise so its easy to thread. The Nero down well, some pretty challenging roads. It feels more like a hatchback with a slightly raised seating position than it does a crossover or a 4×4 right. Then deal makers and deal breakers, no matter which version you go for youre, getting an efficient, cheap to run family car, no Nero will break the bank and every model of course gets a seven year. 100 000 mile warranty. The Nero is grown too. So its more practical than ever, if youre, considering a bigger SUV, try one of these for size. You might not find the need to step up wed, go for a mid spec car for the bigger screen, but every version gets an infotainment system, thats, responsive and easy to use, but its not all sunshine and Roses. Okay, most of it is but the difference between a basic, hybrid and the higher spec Plug In or electric versions can be quite significant.

Youll pay, 5K more for the phev and another three grand for the electric version. Youll save on running costs, but still I know I said its, not all sunshine and Roses, but well it very nearly is with this thing. The new Nero is an incredibly talented, all rounder. It takes everything we loved about the old one and builds on it with more Flair and more style, and makes that a car that you actually want to be seen, driving its a great family car and at least for the time being as people transition through petrol. To Electric theres something to be said: for that whole power is Choice: motto, ostensibly you can have two cars that look really similar but two cars that suit very different people and in our book that makes it a winner.