Kia e-Niro

[sjg]

Embargo up, reviews/pricing out.

Johnny Smith, Fully Charged review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR5sDwF5aBM

https://www.drivingelectric.com/DrivingElectric-20...
https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-6...

£32,995 - UK only gets the larger 64kWh battery and one trim level. You get heated leather, adaptive cruise, 8" touchscreen with Carplay/Android Auto, etc. Useful bit bigger than a Kona but same powertrain.

Orders from early Jan, first cars should be over in April.

[budgie smuggler]

Like the fact they're keeping the 7 year warranty. I watched the FC review of the Kona last night and I must say it looked pretty good. The reviewer said the powertrain was great. Of course it's still a little expensive still compared to the petrol, but these things are coming along in leaps and bounds.

[granada203028]

Come on Nissan where is this 64KWh Leaf?

My 2012 can barely do a round trip to Bristol airport now, 10/12ths to do just 36 miles and that's with the heater off for the outward bound trip

Interesting 64KWh in 457Kg. 140Wh/Kg still a long way short of the state of the art cells 250Wh/Kg but much better than the gen 1 Leaf pack 100Wh/Kg. So still scope to improve battery packaging.

[speculatrix]

I'm disappointed Kia cheaped-out on some features, so it's mostly like the Kona Premium and not Premium SE.

[lost in espace]

granada203028 said:

Come on Nissan where is this 64KWh Leaf?

I read today it will have not have active thermal management. I am oot.

[kharma45]

speculatrix said:

I'm disappointed Kia cheaped-out on some features, so it's mostly like the Kona Premium and not Premium SE.

I was surprised they've got halogen lights on it and not LEDs. You'd think you'd want the most efficient lighting possible to maximise battery power.

[granada203028]

lost in espace said:

I read today it will have not have active thermal management. I am oot.

Not sure about the significance of that for some one who would never envisage fast charging and of course living in temperate Britain.

On the present car the battery temperature doesn't significantly change with use and only slightly with the weather. In summer mostly 5 bars occasionally 6, winter mostly 4 though for a couple of times 2 during the cold snaps last winter. The first 4 years I had the car it never went below 4. FSD is 10 or something.

So if Nissan don't think it is necessary then I would trust their engineer's judgement.

Maybe a heater for the cold snaps but that isn't really full thermal management.

[Daaaveee]

speculatrix said:

I'm disappointed Kia cheaped-out on some features, so it's mostly like the Kona Premium and not Premium SE.

I agree. Things like memory seats are missing, which while very much a 'first world problem', its annoying that you can't even spec it for a few hundred quid.

[Otispunkmeyer]

kharma45 said:

speculatrix said:

I'm disappointed Kia cheaped-out on some features, so it's mostly like the Kona Premium and not Premium SE.

I was surprised they've got halogen lights on it and not LEDs. You'd think you'd want the most efficient lighting possible to maximise battery power.

That Bjorn guy on YT did a back to back on the Niro and Kona EVs in a car park. I know its Norway? but both had LED headlamps.

[Car-Matt]

I'd probably buy a diesel version, the name would be much cooler

[budgie smuggler]

Car-Matt said:

I'd probably buy a diesel version, the name would be much cooler