Kia e-Niro Lands In Paris With 300-Mile Range

Oct. 02, 2018 5:32 AM ET by Jared Rosenholtz 2018 Paris Motor Show / 6 Comments

Along with a bunch of cool hatchbacks we can't have in the United States.

Kia has already shown off an all-electric version of its Niro crossover in the form of a concept and has revealed the production version to its home market of South Korea. Now, the electric Niro, which will be given the name e-Niro, has arrived for its global debut at the 2018 Paris Motor Show along with a whopping 301-mile range.

The e-Niro's 64 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery enables greater range the initially predicted 238 miles, though this is based on the European WLTP standard, so US range may differ slightly.

Kia says the e-Niro will go on sale in Europe by the end of 2018 and rumors have predicted a similar arrival time for the US market. The e-Niro will join the standard hybrid an plug-in variants of the car, both of which we have enjoyed tremendously. With this new all-electric variant, Kia will look to steal buyers from the Chevy Bolt and Nissan Leaf - and with a range over over 300 miles, even would-be Tesla Model 3 shoppers may be swayed to the e-Niro.

As expected, the e-Niro derives styling cues from the concept car including a tiger-nose grille with an integrated charging port and a newly-designed front bumper. Along the side, the e-Niro features new 17-inch wheels with a two-tone finish, housing a regenerative braking system. Inside, the biggest change is the lack of a traditional gear level in favor of a shift-by-wire rotator - a similar system is used on the Hyundai Kona EV and upcoming Kia Soul EV.

Other new interior features include new color schemes and seat fabrics with blue stitching, blue trim on the dashboard, and a new mood lighting system. The interior changes may not be groundbreaking, but what's under the skin is extremely impressive. Kia says under the WLTP urban cycle, the e-Niro is capable of driving up to 382 miles on a charge with the larger 64 kWh battery pack (a smaller 39.2 kWh battery pack is also available).

The larger battery pack is mated to a 201 horsepower electric motor, allowing the e-Niro to hit 62 mph in 7.8 seconds. With the smaller battery, power is rated at 134 hp with a 9.8-second 62 mph sprint. Charging the battery from 20% to 80% will take just 42 minutes using a 100 kW fast charger.

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Alongside the new e-Niro, Kia also arrived in Paris with its new Ceed and ProCeed, both of which will be available with a sporty GT Line trim level and full-on GT performance models. The GT Line is mainly an appearance package that can be had with any engine while the Ceed GT and ProCeed GT are the hot, performance models powered by a 201 hp 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. Kia has said that both the Ceed and ProCeed aren't the same as the US market Forte, but a hotter version of the Forte could be on its way very soon, borrowing design cues from the Ceed and Proceed GT.

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Kia e-Niro Lands In Paris With 300-Mile Range

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Kia e-Niro Lands In Paris With 300-Mile Range

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