I’ve driven the new Kia Niro – it’s an EV for everyone

IF you asked me to list the best cars of the year so far, at least three of them would be a Kia.

While other household brands have seemingly stalled, failing to bring out any new models or get new cars to customers, Kia is absolutely bouncing.

Sales are up 27 PER CENT — in a market down 12 per cent — and Kia will top 100,000 sales for the first time this year.

It’s all down to good product, right?

You’ve got Sportage, heartland do-it-all SUV which doesn’t cost the earth. And looks great. It is the UK’s fifth best-seller.

You’ve got EV6 GT, which offers Porsche Taycan 4S performance and charging speed but costs £23k less.

And then you’ve got the car I’m driving now: Niro.

Henceforth SuperNiro.

Available as a self-charging hybrid (no cable), plug-in hybrid or pure electric.

Which means there’s a Niro for everyone, no matter where you live or where you need to get to.

The outgoing electric Niro is already the second best-selling EV after the Tesla Model 3.

But this new one is even better.

It goes a bit further — 285 miles — thanks to that “aero C-pillar”.

Sorry. That’s a bit nerdy. Speak English, Roberto.

See that grey cladding thingy at the rear?

Air passes through it to improve aerodynamic performance and help add another three miles of range.

It’s not particularly handsome but it does a job.

Niro also charges nine minutes faster than before, has a bigger boot, a frunk (front trunk) for cables, plus it has a three-pin plug socket.

Use it to blow up an air bed. Or power a microwave. Or whatever.

The most obvious uplift, however, is the cabin, which is next-level, having been lifted straight from EV6 and Sportage.

It has the same Merc-like curved twin screens and a super-slim touch panel which swaps between radio and air con at the push of a button. It’s a nice piece of design.

Other things that please: Comfy seats. Giant cup holders. Apple CarPlay. Wireless phone charging. Buttons to warm and cool your back. USB-C ports in the side of the front seats for people in the back. Head-up display.

Kia also uses eco-friendly materials if that is important to you.

The headlining is made from recycled wallpaper. The seats from eucalyptus leaves. BTX-free paint is used on door panels.

So what’s it like to drive?

Easy peasy. Press and go. All electric cars are quiet and nippy and single-speed. Impossible to stall.

Niro has steering-wheel paddles to adjust the regenerative braking levels to slow the car and replenish the battery.

If you are good at anticipating traffic flow, you’ll hardly need to touch the foot brake.

Steering is light. Body control is excellent. Progress is smooth and stress-free.

As for prices, Niro Hybrid starts at £27k (finance from £359 a month) and Niro Plug-in Hybrid is £33k (£467 a month).

Both use 1.6-litre petrol engines paired with a six-speed auto. Both reverse in electric.

The hybrid does 60mpg. The plug-in hybrid does up to 40 miles as an EV.

That’s a good company car with benefit-in-kind tax at eight per cent.

It’s also quicker. But you lose a bit of boot space.

The pure-electric version starts at £36k (£509 a month) but costs pennies to run.

Whichever you choose, Niro is a thoroughly-modern, right-size family car punching way ahead of the rest.

Kia recently introduced zero-deposit, low-rate finance deals on the newest models to help Sun readers combat the cost-of-living crisis.

He said: “We have put all of our focus behind the PCP product because residual values are so strong right now.”