Yahoo Praises Kia Niro EV For Being “A Solid EV for the Crossover Generation”

Very soon, electric fleets will characterize nearly every auto brand in existence. Amazing as it is, we even are seeing advancements such as an electrically-powered eCopo Camaro, boasting horsepower in the 700-range, and dominating the drag strip while running silent. Yahoo featured a great video story this week about our Niro EV, and addressed its history and finer points. It lays out a bit of history, and shows how Tesla's first big seller in the electric domain was the model S, while Chevy focused on their electric Bolt.

Since the sedan market is not doing so great right now, the next generation of electric cars will absolutely have a high focus on crossover SUV's, one area where Kia is proudly poised and ready. Editor Roberto Baldwin laments on camera that the first time he drove the Niro last year, he was impressed with the zero-to-sixty time right off the bat. While he thought the Niro was a “fantastic crossover”, he also deemed the Niro EV “undoubtedly even better”. The EV is quicker off the line than its hybrid sibling, and brandishes an impressive 239-mile range per charge, putting to rest any anxiety a daily commuter would have about running out of juice.

Roberto also highlights how the regenerative braking can be used during the drive to actually send more current back to the battery itself, helping overall range. The video does a great job of showing the legroom you'll enjoy during a test drive here at Jim Butler, and the 53 cubic feet of storage in the back for any goods you need on the trip. The battery pack actually lowers the Niro's center of gravity, allowing for a pleasant tight and grippy feel while taking corners. Urban driving is where the Niro EV thrives, as it's a snap to parallel park, and has plenty of power off the line to lead the pack effortlessly after a stop light.

Even though it is stressed here that the Niro EV may not necessarily be groundbreaking in it's design, we agree that it does a phenomenal job of simply “not looking the electric part”. Many of our customers that come to us interested in a hybrid or EV say that this is what they want to see more of, and where we feel it really stands out ahead of the Chevy Volt. It blends into everyday culture easily, and is not a loud, barking advertisement of your choice to embrace electric. The interior of the Niro is fairly no-nonsense, and everything is where you'd expect it to be while being easy to reach from the driver's seat. Adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist are standard, and we guarantee that you'll feel great about cutting out trips to the gas station while increasing the lifespan “in the positive” for the planet!

Wards Auto Details Kia's Plans to Launch Small CUV

During this past week, Wards Auto ran a story on their blog about the revealing of a new small CUV debuting this summer. Said to be heavily inspired by the '19 Kia SP Signature Concept, this is a model that is expected to stand apart from its rivals with the capabilities and space of a traditional SUV offered up in a compact package. Head of Styling Byung Chul Juh claims that Kia has now “created a car that stands out everywhere”, and its sporty and robust design will be matched by a wide range of technologies and features that will attract younger buyers.

This model is slated to go on sale in South Korea during the second half of 2019, with release in other regions set to follow soon after. The satisfied customers that have told us here at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis that they come back time after time for our awesome warranty department, outstanding service, and promise to provide the best vehicle for the daily drive and beyond. U.S. News.com released their “Best Cars” spread a month ago, and we were happy to see the Kia Sportage residing at the #2 spot for the year!

As we look to the future and speculate upon which models may come into fruition, we always reflect on how we pride ourselves on taking the time to assure our vehicles are heralded as the best quality available. Being a smart buy is a trait that nearly every shopper on the hunt for a vehicle is concerned with, and Kia has long been known for providing the best in value and longstanding quality. The current model Sportage was also the 3^rd place finisher in the “5-year Cost to Own” category from Kelley Blue Book this year. Above class category design elements, amenities, and the optional 240-horsepower turbo engine were all deciding factors for this particular victory.

Kia cars have won the International Car of the Year award every single year since 2013, and we are proud to stand behind a brand that has lately been recognized for environmentally conscious design and aspirations for not only the present time, but the future. It brings a smile to nearly anyone's face when they see our prominent “Tiger nose”: ranging from the compact Kia Soul on up to the full-size Sorento, it is a trait that conveys immediate comfort and familiarity. We invite you to visit us this spring and have a test drive of your own: the welcoming interiors, top-ranked tech, and pledge to be better to an ever-changing planet will leave you fully immersed and ready to take on ownership!

2020 Kia Soul Revealed in Boston.com as “Amazingly High on Fun Factor”

The 2020 Kia Soul is now entering its third generation this model year, after spending a decade wowing buyers with its candor and happily edgy presence. Other crossovers that sport very boxy appearances have made their way to the market and flopped a bit, while the Soul continues to evolve with two available engines, boosted cargo room, and an infotainment system that is instantly appealing and versatile. Nicole Wakelin of Boston.com agreed that the largest component of what makes the Soul attractive is its fun factor, which begins in the design stage with a concept that doesn't look like every other SUV out there on the road.

Everyone here at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis definitely agrees that the vehicle is cute no matter which of the six available trims you choose, but each one definitely displays a distinct personality. The Boston.com team spent their drive time in the sporty GT-Line, which gets unique front and rear fascia, 18-inch alloy wheels, gloss black side mirrors, and red exterior accents. It comes standard with the 2.0-liter 4-cylinder with 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque that the rest of the lineup sports, or you have the option of upgrading to the 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder with 201 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque.

The upgrade provides quite a bit of power for the small-size car, and it makes for a quick, responsive, and edgy handling that is responsive when you nail the gas, but also surprisingly quiet. The team drove both engine variants and while the smaller engine met their standards, they agreed that the turbocharged variant keeps the excitement factor high, and you feel the added juice at every green light. The fresh model flaunts the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that possesses amazing power allocation, with smooth, quiet shifts. There are an additional five cubic feet for your important stuff, and a lower liftgate opening as well as dual-level cargo board to make better use of the available space.

Front seats are very supportive, and there's plenty of headroom for the taller individuals along for the ride. Entertaining interior lighting is one thing the Soul is really known for: this year there's an upgrade that offers a selection of six available moods, including Midnight city, and Hey! Yo! Party Time. All except the base trim included Kia's Drive Wise safety features, and among them are forward collision avoidance with pedestrian detection, lane keep assist, lane change assist, driver attention warning, blind spot collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and smart cruise control. This review of next year's Soul from Car and Driver claims to boot that it is “instantly recognizable, iconic, and increasingly ubiquitous”, while praising it for being affordable, solid, and roomy!

Popular Mechanics Bestows “Car of the Year” Award to Kia Niro EV

Since its debut last year, the Kia Niro EV has gained nothing but praise and high marks for possessing unique style, minus the stiffiness and boxy pretexts that the competition displays. It is a vehicle that has proven to be cost-efficient while also thoroughly environmentally conscious, providing ample cargo space and convenient features for trips in the few-hundred -mile range. This year Popular Mechanics named the Niro EV as their “Car of the Year”, beating out other electric competitors from prominent brands such as Toyota and Tesla.

Editor Ezra Dyer claimed that “We picked the Niro EV for Car of the year because it's an electric car that would be appealing even if it weren't electric”. But all of us here on staff at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis know that it still delivers the usual EV benefits without much in the way of feeling anything is sacrificed. It is highly affordable, smooth, fast, and quiet. She went on to state that the car really does feel like a preview of the very near future, when cars such as this become the daily norm. But for right now, it's the fun-to-drive and feature-rich exception.

One of the features that we are noticing making customers so drawn to the Niro is that it never “crossed over to the other side” and conformed to the very boxy shape of the Toyota Prius or the Nissan Leaf. Even though the future had arrived quite quickly in the form of vehicles with decent range and high daily drivability factor, many who were wanting to purchase a sensible and eco-friendly car were just slightly pickier about its appearance. The Niro EV can still pack a reasonable punch when it comes to the rapid journey off the line, providing up to 201 horsepower by means of the electric motor.

The Niro EV was also commended for having a very quiet cabin, in spite of the various motors and other mechanisms situated under the hood. Featuring available paddle shifters and Sport mode, one could now have a bit of an aggressive driving stance and enjoy true pep in a car that is a front-line contender in the quest to ramp down dependence on oil. The driving assessment for the feature was a 345-mile journey from Washington, D.C. To North Carolina, and afterward editor Dyer simply claimed, “That was so easy”. This article from Car and Driver proclaimed that “big range, practicality, and sophistication” makes the Niro EV an amazing engineering effort, and we're sure you will agree after taking a spin in this world-class and planet-saving ride!