Kia’s only all-electric car for the U.S. market is returning for its second model year with just a few changes, none of which affect key specs like range or charging.
The 2020 Kia Niro (2019 model pictured) has changed slightly. It costs $590 more versus 2019, adding up to a starting price of $40,210 after factoring in the $1,120 destination fee.
The price hike applies both to the base EX version of the Niro EV as well as the better-equipped EX Premium. But features have been stepped up along with that.
Both of the 2020 versions include upgraded infotainment screens. Echoing changes given to the 2020 Kia Niro Hybrid, the Niro EV gets new 8.0 and 10.25-inch touchscreens replace the 7.0-inch and 8.0-inch units currently offered in the EX and Premium, respectively.
Some might see the upgraded styling as another bonus. The 2020 Niro EV also gets new rear LED combination lights with “more technological appeal,” and restyled headlights with more metallic surrounding trim.
2019 Kia Niro EV – Best Car To Buy 2020
The Niro EV was one of Green Car Reports’ Best Car To Buy 2020 nominees, as it’s one of the best new electric-vehicle entries of the past year—packing in a lot of driving range, relatively perky driving performance, and a lot of usable interior space.
It’s one of the best-equipped of the affordable electric vehicles to start with. At the EX level it comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, adaptive cruise control, active lane assist, and automatic emergency braking. Jump up to the Premium and it includes a heated steering wheel, wireless phone charging, and upgraded audio, among other extras.
2019 Kia Niro EV
The Niro EV carries forward with its 239-mile EPA range rating. We’ve observed some impressive real-world range from the Niro EV—range that might, in cooler temps especially, top the greater 258-mile range offered in the Hyundai Kona Electric. And it’s one of the few mainstream-brand EVs that can fast-charge at 100 kw—although the window in which it can use that rate is short, amounting to 54 minutes to 80 percent.
It can be equipped with a $1,000 Cold Weather Package that brings a heat pump and battery heater, and from what we’ve seen that’s well worth the extra outlay if you’re in a cold climate.
The model that’s still missing from Kia’s lineup is the eagerly anticipated Soul EV, which was originally slated to go on sale in spring 2019 but has now been delayed for the U.S. until 2021 at the earliest.
View original article at: “https://www.greencarreports.com//news/1127504_2020-kia-niro-ev-price-hike-brings-bigger-infotainment-screens-but-no-extra-range”
