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Unless you drive like you’ve got an elephant’s
right foot, the mileage claim can be eclipsed
a
An instant burst of torque gives the e-Niro a jump on other cars in town traffic
One charge wil
l get youfrom the (^) Roya
l Albert
Hall to Hartlep
ool
It’s^ quiet^ in^ he
re,
especially^ with^ t
he kids^
plugged^ in^ at^ t
he back
The e-Niro reminds me
how far electric motoring
has come. It’s comfortable,
practical and likeable, and perfect
for my short urban commute. For
me, as for many living with on-street
parking, the problem comes with
charging. If I didn’t have a charging
point at work, it wouldn’t be viable.
That’s not the e-Niro’s fault, though,
and Kia should be applauded for
such a well-rounded car. RB
SECOND OPINION
24 APRIL 2 019 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 67
OUR CARS
to get beyond Hartlepool. If I planned
a f a s t c h a r ge e n r out e , E d i nbu r g h
would be possible with only a brief
stop. This is not a car that demands
many compromises – something
that will be important to remember
a s t he mont h s go on , a s w e p onde r i f
this isn’t just a great electric car but a
great car, full stop.
Suitably meted out, progress is
smooth and near-silent, only tyre and
wind noise intruding. Yes, you can
stamp on the accelerator and spin up
the wheels, but you quickly learn it’s
pr e t t y w a s t e f u l t o do s o, a nd t h at t he
car isn’t really engineered to
l i v e w it h D u k e s of Ha z z a rd
getaways. That said, the
instant torque of the electric
mot or s i s a b o on i n t ow n ,
helping you pop out of side
roads and onto roundabouts
with ease. Making good
progress on the motorway
is no trouble, although
anything over 70mph does
eat away at range. The ride
and handling are safe and
unexciting, dominated
by the battery weight and
steering that is short on any
feel, but if those are matters
of great concern, you might wonder
why you’re buying an electric SUV in
the first place.
It’s well appointed (all launch-
edition cars get leather, heated seats,
heated steering wheel and more toys
than you can imagine as standard)
and spacious. Certainly it stands the
test of a family of four heading off on
a long weekend away without issues,
just as any mid-size SUV should be
expected to. There are some neat
touches that add to its family appeal
too. Chief among the discoveries so
far is the inclusion of three USBs as
standard. Trite, you might think, but
k id s lov e t o pa s s lon g t r ip s on de v ic e s ,
and other car makers think nothing
of c h a r g i n g hu nd r e d s of p ou nd s for
anything more than one socket.
So who’d have thought it? Kia,
ju s t a de c a de a go l it t le mor e t h a n a n
upstart brand with big ambitions
and a low reputation, has now built
a car good enough to be declared
t he v e r y b e s t put on s a le i n t he
pr e v iou s 1 2 mont h s. To go ba c k t o
historiography, brief ly, and without
wishing to get too highbrow about
it all, I’m beginning to wonder if
the e-Niro won’t just be viewed
with the benefit of hindsight as a
breakthrough vehicle, but also the
car that crystallised the Kia brand’s
emergence as a 21st-century car
maker of choice.
JIM HOLDER
KIA E-NIRO FIRST EDITION
Price £32,995 (after government grant)
Price as tested £33,560 Options
Premium paint (£565) Range 282 miles
Faults None Expenses None
TEST DATA