The Niro family was extensively revised for the 2023 model year. As you'd expect from Kia, the subsequent model year features little in the way of changes over 2023, beginning with a standard dual-level cargo floor for the Wind and Wave trim levels.
Probably due to low demand, the South Korean automaker dropped Fire Orange Metallic from the list of exterior paint colors. Another change for 2024 comes in the form of pricing: $39,600 for the entry-level Wind versus $39,450 for the 2023 model year.
The better-equipped Wave is $44,600 (excluding the $1,325 destination charge). As for the 2024 model's final change, Kia dropped the Light Gray interior color package from the Wind trim level. Both feature a front-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motor with 201 horsepower to its name. Peak torque is listed as 188 pound-feet (255 Nm), which is plenty enough for an SUV as small as the C-segment Niro.
Gifted with a 64.8-kWh battery pack, both the Wind and Wave are EPA-rated 113 MPGe on the combined test cycle. In terms of driving range, that would be 253 miles (407 kilometers), which is worse than the 2023 model year Hyundai Kona EV. The previous-gen Kona in EV attire manages 258 miles (roughly 415 kilometers) on the EPA's combined test cycle.
174 inches (4,420 millimeters) long, the Niro EV flaunts a wheelbase that measures 107.1 inches (2,720 millimeters) from axle to axle. Its cargo capacity is 19.4 cubic feet (549 liters) behind the second-row seats in their upright position. Still listed as a 2023 model by Kia's build & price tool for the US market, the Niro EV comes with a plethora of standard goodies, including 17-inch alloy wheels.
Photo: Kia
The list continues with black-painted roof rails, a smart power tailgate, gloss-black exterior trim and body cladding, dual-zone automatic climate control, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster joined by a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, power lumbar adjustments for the power driver's seat, SynTex and cloth seats, heated front seats, rear parking sensors, High Beam Assist, and automatic wipers.
Optionally available, the Wind Preserve Package adds a heat pump, a heated steering wheel, and heating for the rear outboard seats. The configurator also shows the dual-level cargo floor as a $60 option for 2023, although it's become standard for MY24.
The Wave adds a sunroof, LED projector-type headlights and fog lights, a heated steering wheel, and LED interior lighting. Once again, the heated outboard rear seats and heat pump are optional extras bundled in the Wave trim level's Preserve Package.
Slotted below the EV6, the Niro EV is joined by plug-in hybrid and hybrid siblings. They're priced at $26,840 and $34,290, respectively, excluding the aforementioned $1,325 destination freight charge. From January 2023 through August 2023, the South Korean marque delivered a grand total of 26,333 examples of the Niro stateside, a surprising increase from the 18,520 delivered in this period last year.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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