Is the Kia e-Niro any good?

The British public has already answered this question to a degree, because the Kia e-Niro continues to be a bestselling electric car in a market that’s filling up with newer, fresher rivals. And there’s a good reason for that – the e-Niro is well-priced, comes in a wide variety of versions, and comes in under the government’s £35,000 Plug-in Car Grant.

In a nutshell, it’s an electric vehicle that puts everyday usability within reach – it’s priced lower than other all-electric SUVs such as the Mercedes-Benz EQA or Audi Q4 e-Tron, yet offers more range than either. Newer arrivals such as the Skoda Enyaq iV, Volkswagen ID.4, and Ford Mustang Mach-E offer go further, but still cost more.

Together with its closely-related sister models, the Kia Soul EV and the Hyundai Kona Electric, the e-Niro provides one of the few truly convincing ways to completely ditch internal combustion and run an electric vehicle as your only car.

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What’s it like inside?

After its facelift, the e-Niro received a slick new interior that feels bang up-to-date. It pulls off the difficult act of being both stylish to sit in and look at as well as superbly easy to use. A Peugeot e-208 or Tesla Model 3 might be more immediately high-tech and desirable, but neither is anything like as straightforward as the Kia.

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The headline feature is a new, 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It’s seamlessly integrated into the dashboard, in stark contrast to many rivals and their tablet-style displays sitting proud – and high-set enough that you don’t need to take your eyes a mile off the road in order to see what’s going on.

With a big 451-litre boot and well-sized rear seats, the e-Niro’s well up to the stresses and strains of family life, while the cabin’s littered with useful cubbies. The glovebox and centre console can take care of most clutter, while the floating gear selector makes room for some extra storage underneath it. Top models also have a wireless phone charger just underneath the climate control panel.

What’s it like to drive?

With up to 282 miles of driving range available on a single charge, it’s beaten by the long-range versions of the Tesla Model 3, Skoda Enyaq, Volkswagen ID.4, Ford Mustang Mach E and Audi Q4 E-Tron for cross-country ability – but all of those still cost more money for marginal real-world gains.

With 50kW fast-charging capability, the e-Niro can be topped up to 80% in about an hour and 15 minutes – or overnight via a home wallbox system.

And once the battery’s all charged up, you can enjoy surprising performance from the e-Niro’s electric motor. Like all electric cars, it offers instant response from a standstill, and it’s powerful enough to surprise even a few hot hatchbacks off the lights. What this translates to in real terms is ample performance even for motorway driving, where the e-Niro doesn’t struggle to keep up with traffic or overtake.

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What models and trims are available?

The e-Niro range is nice and simple, starting with the ‘2’ model, followed by the ‘2 64kWh’, the ‘3’ and the ‘4+’. In simple terms, the entry-level model has a 180-mile range, and if you want the full 282-mile experience, you’ll need to go for the ‘2 64kWh’ and above.

Equipment levels are generous, with all models coming with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, reversing camera, rear parking sensors and smart cruise control. You get a larger 10.25-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system, leather interior and power seat adjustment with the ‘3’ model. The 4+ adds a premium audio system to all of that…

Read our full review to find out why we rate the e-Niro so highly and which version we recommend the most.