Reporters test drive Kia Motors' Niro electric vehicle near Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. / Courtesy of Kia Motors



By Nam Hyun-woo



Just a month after its launch, Kia Motors' Niro electric vehicle (EV) became the bestselling EV in August, with 976 of the cars here.



With the domestic EV trailblazer Hyundai Ioniq taking a back seat, the electric SUV is quickly surging as the new market leader.



Kia Motors attributes the brisk sales to the vehicle's efficiency: it has a range of 385 kilometers on a single charge, seats five comfortably, and offers various safety and convenience features at prices that are in an affordable range.



During a test drive Tuesday, reporters drove the 100 kilometers between Jongno-gu, Seoul, and Paju, Gyeonggi Province. And the vehicle showcased why it has become the choice of many customers and is a strong candidate to become the new leader in the domestic EV market.



As Kia said, the Niro has its strength as a family car. The 4.375-meter body is not that sizable compared to midsize or large SUVs which are commonly seen on the road these days, but inside, the vehicle is quite spacious, giving enough legroom for the backseats. When these are folded, the vehicle can load a maximum 1,405 liters of luggage.



In the console between the two front seats, a big dial has replaced the gear lever. By moving the dial, the driver can choose between drive, neutral, reverse and parking without any shifting vibration.



Adding another appealing point to the car are various safety and convenience features. Like other Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors cars, the Niro EV is equipped with nearly all features that can be applied, including lane keeping assist, smart cruise control, front collision avoidance and collision warnings among others.



The Niro EV's driving performance is better than expected. The motor yields 150 kilowatts power, equivalent to 206.5 horsepower, which is enough to take a good amount of acceleration on the expressway. Combined with an EV's distinctive sliding acceleration, the slightly rigid suspension setting provided fine stability at high speeds.



In releasing the Niro EV, Kia Motors added paddle-shift-like levers behind the steering wheel, which control the level of regenerative braking in four steps. The higher the step is, the quicker the car slows when the driver releases the throttle pedal. When the driver presses and holds the right paddle, the car then automatically selects the level of regenerative braking depending on the road data it receives through sensors.



The Niro EV is powered by a 64 kilowatt-hour lithium ion battery, requiring 54 minutes for 100 kilowatt fast charge, charging 80 percent of the battery. During the 100-kilometer test drive, this reporter posted a 5.4 kilometer per kilowatt-hour efficiency, which was slightly higher than its official number of 5.3 kilometers per kilowatt-hour.



And the most attractive part is the price. When the subsidies from the central government and Seoul Metropolitan Government are taken into account, the Niro EV price starts at 30.8 million won, lowering the price barrier for consumers still in doubt.



While the Niro EV is making a strong presence in the domestic market, Kia Motors said it will expand its EV portfolio to cope with the ever-growing eco-friendly car market.



"By 2025, Kia Motors will release five hybrid cars, five plug-in hybrid EVs, five EVs and one fuel-cell EV to consolidate its status in the eco-friendly car market," Kia Motors Executive Vice President Kwon Hyug-ho said.

