The folks on staff at Green Car Reports claimed
after a few drives that the Niro EV piles the features on: a 7.0-inch
touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is included, as well as a power
sunroof, heated and ventilated leather front seats, Harman Kardon Premium
audio, adaptive cruise control, active lane assist, and automatic emergency
braking. Underneath the passenger floor is where the 64 – kwh battery pack is
positioned, making for added capacity under the rear seat, and the entire
battery is sealed and liquid-cooled together alongside the power electronics.
The motor that sends power to the front wheels in
the Niro EV is permanent-magneted, cranking out 201 horsepower and 291 lb-ft of
torque. The testing team for Green Car Reports enjoyed the
simply-laid out interface for the predictable regenerative braking and the
range meter that proved to be extremely reliable. The brake regen comes in
three steps and an added coast mode, and holding the left paddle during
deceleration allows for an eventual complete stop without any touching of the
brake. There's even an “Auto” regen mode that puts radar and camera inputs to
the task of conserving and recreating energy.
What everyone understandably is most concerned
within the long run is how fast charging is, and what it means is they are
relying on the car for their very necessary daily driver. Incorporating 100 kw,
fast-charging on CCS DC fast charging hardware can yield 100 miles of charge in
30 minutes or finish at 80 percent in around an hour. On a 50 kw charger it
just takes 15 minutes more, and if you're on Level 2 standard 240V charging,
you can do an overnight stint of just less than 9.5 hours. This writeup also states that among the
three finalists for the year, the 2020 Kia Niro EV is the only one that has the
capability to find a place in the mass market, and all of us on staff here to
serve you for the holidays at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis would have to wholeheartedly agree!
