After much waiting, the Kia Niro EV is launching in Singapore on Wednesday (June 12).
It’s Kia’s first electric car in Singapore and the nation’s seventh all-electric model.
Current electric vehicles (EV) available to buy in Singapore include the BMW i3/i3S, the Hyundai Kona Electric and Ioniq Electric, the Jaguar I-Pace, the Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe.
What can you expect from the Kia Niro EV?
The Kia Niro EV looks similar to the Niro hybrid sold here, with minor external differences.
Externally, the Kia Niro EV looks very much like the standard Niro hybrid sold here aside from some minor differences.
The nose will be the most obvious change from Niro hybrid model.
Up front is a sleek, covered nose grille, similar to the one on the Hyundai Kona Electric with a charging port on the right side.
The lower front fascia is also different, incorporating arrowhead-shaped LED daytime running lights (DRLs).
Some subtle light blue trim on the outside rounds off the external differences.
The interior will see some changes too.
Most of the standard Niro’s interior will be carried over with the exception of the gearshifter, which is replaced by a rotary knob.
If you’re interested in how the interior looks like, check in with our Facebook page for updates from the launch!
Powertrain
No hard details have emerged, but the Niro EV’s powertrain is similar to one in the long-range version of the Hyundai Kona Electric.
That means a high-capacity 64kWh battery and a potential range of up to 482km on WLTP testing standards, in line with Kia’s early mentions of “over 450km” on a single charge.
It also means you get 201hp and 395Nm of torque, all going through a single-speed reduction gear transmission.
In the Kona Electric, 0-100km/h takes 7.6 seconds so expect to see similar performance on the Niro EV.
Like the Kona EV, you can also change the amount of regen you want just by pulling paddles located behind the wheel.
Pull the left paddle for more regen, and the right paddle for less.
The Niro EV launches in Singapore on Wednesday, June 12, so check back in for more details!
