2023 Kia Niro EV pricing has a big problem with the EV6

There’s some good news and bad news for the 2023 Kia Niro EV and its new pricing. The good news is that despite the Niro EV’s major facelift, prices won’t rise much compared to 2022. The bad news is that you’ll now only have two trim options for this model year. However, is this really such a bad thing in the end? It depends on what the Niro EV has gained and what it has lost now that it has ditched the EX model.

The first thing to note is that the 2023 Niro EV model names have also changed in addition to the EX model being dropped. What was once an S is now known as “Wind,” and the EX Premium is now “Wave.” I think they really wanted to drive home the idea of ​​the sustainability of driving the Niro EV. When it comes to the EV’s specific parts and overall mechanical parts, 2023 and 2022 remain mostly the same. HVAC still makes the heat pump an optional part on the Wind and Wave models.

The big change to the Niro EV’s exterior is that dual-function projector headlights are now standard only on the Wave model, which was standard on all models in 2022. You also don’t get LED fog lights, LED position lights , nor are the outside mirrors with outside turn signal repeaters on the Wind model. To get all of that, you now have to level up to the Niro EV Wave.

Inside, both front seats remain multi-way adjustable, but the Wind’s front passenger now has a six-way manual (2022 was only four-way) and the Wave gets a 10-way power seat that wasn’t available in 2022. Both seat types remain The front has heat and ventilation, but the ventilation fans now have three settings for 2023. Heated outboard rear seats are also now available as an option for 2023. A heated steering wheel is standard on the Wave and optional on the Wind, and the heated and non-heated wheels are wrapped in vegan leather.

If you want more vegan leather in the interior, you’ll get perforated vegan leather seats as standard on the Wave while wind-adjusting cloth seats come standard. The 2023 Kia Niro EV’s displays are now 10.25 inches for the infotainment system and a color TFT screen. Both models come with premium Harman Kardon sound and a six-speaker system, but if you want a subwoofer, you’ll need to select the Wave, which also gets you an external amplifier for it.

For comfort and convenience, you can get dual-zone automatic climate control with driver mode only in 2023. You also now get a USB-C port on the front center console along with two standard USB-A and 12-volt power connections. port, and rear passengers get a pair of USB-A connections. If you want power rear windows and an auto up/down passenger window, you’ll need the Wave option, as the Wind only has the front driver’s window as an auto up/down window.

You can still get the latest smart cruise control in the Niro EV, but it’s now a navigation-based system that was originally only offered on EX models. You also now get Highway Driving Assist, Intelligent Speed ​​Limit Assist, Blind Spot Collision Avoidance with Rear Parallel Departure, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Avoidance, Driver Attention Warning, and a host of other driver assistance features that aren’t included in the 2022 model. A new option for 2023 and only on the Wave model is Highway Drive Assist II which includes automatic lane changing.

The starting price for the 2023 Kia Niro EV Wind is $40,745, which is up just $360 from the previous Niro EV S. For the top of the line Niro EV Wave, you can save $200 over the 2022 EX Premium, as the price is now $45,745 (EX Premium was $45,945). The bad news is that since there is nothing between the wind and the wave, the jump between them is now $5,000. For this amount, the difference in equipment between Wind and Wave is fairly minimal. It doesn’t seem particularly worth it when you consider that the ride feels fragile, the materials can feel cheap in places, and it doesn’t have a very fast charging rate.

In order for the 64.8 kWh battery pack to go from 25.3 miles to 202.4 miles (10 percent to 80 percent, adding 177.1 miles), it will sit for 45 minutes as the Niro EV’s maximum charging capacity is 85 kilowatts. However, you charge faster than the Bolt, which adds just 100 miles in 30 minutes (an average of 55 kilowatts and just 39 percent of battery capacity) and the Nissan Leaf (170 miles, or 80 percent, in 60 minutes). Larger battery option).

The Bolt goes further with its larger 65-kilowatt-hour battery pack with a range of up to 259 miles, according to Chevrolet. The Bolt and Niro EV are also nearly identical in horsepower, with the Chevrolet pumping out 200 hp and the Niro EV 201 hp. However, in torque production, the Niro EV’s 188 lb-ft of torque will make the Bolt feel like a trunk puller thanks to its 266 lb-ft of torque.

Then there’s the other kick in the teeth of the Kia Niro EV. It’s nearly twice the price of the Bolt ($26,595 1LT, a difference of $14,150 under the Niro EV Wind) and even the Nissan Leaf SV Plus ($36,895) undercuts the Niro EV Wind by $3,850. It really shows how affordable both the Bolt and Leaf are in this market. Even with their range and fast charging rates, these two small electric cars are still better value than the Niro EV. What if we compared it to the latest electric car in Kia’s stable?

Then there’s the floor comparison you’ll make while at the Kia dealership between the Niro EV and the EV6. For less money, you get something faster and can go further on a single charge. The Niro EV gets 253 miles on a single charge while the $48,795 2022 EV6 Wind RWD will get you 310 miles. That’s only a $3,050 difference in price between it and the Niro EV Wave, but with nearly 50 more miles of total range.

If you choose the EV6 Light RWD, that range drops to 232 miles at a cost of just $1,950 compared to the Niro EV Wind but with a $3,050 cost cut when comparing the price of the Niro EV Wave. Another advantage of both EV6 models is fast DC charging rates using the 800V battery system. This increases the rapid DC rate to 350 kilowatts of power (compared to the Niro EV’s pathetic-sounding 85 kilowatt rate) giving the EV6 a range of 217 miles in less than 18 minutes. This means that although you won’t be able to get farther in a rear-wheel-drive EV6 Lite, you’ll still be in front of the charger for less time.

There are some other drawbacks to the EV6, though, like confusing interior controls and limited headroom (for an SUV). Even when comparing cargo space between the EV6 and Niro EV, you only get 1.2 cubic feet of cargo space (24 cubic feet for the EV6 versus 22.8 cubic feet for the Niro EV). Headroom is also smaller than the Niro EV at 40.5 inches up front while the EV6 has only 39.0 inches up front. Despite this, rear headroom is about the same between the two at about 38.0 inches.

We have to say that the price of the 2023 Kia Niro EV does not make it a value leader in the small electric car market. This is even more true when compared to its stablemate, the EV6 RWD. Even when you lose a bit of range in the EV6 Lite RWD, you gain time back thanks to the higher DC fast charging rate compared to the Kia Niro EV.