Kia wowed the crowds at this week’s Paris Motor Show with its all-new e-Niro car – the first fully electric crossover utility vehicle produced by Korean company. Boasting a range of 301 miles on the WLTP combined cycle, it perfectly combines driving enjoyment, eye-catching design, crossover utility and a zero-emissions powertrain to create one of the most capable electric vehicles on-sale today.

The e-Niro joins existing hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants of the car – of which more than 200,000 have sold globally since the Niro’s introduction back in 2016. To date, Europe has accounted for more than 65,000 sales of the hybrid crossover. The e-Niro is to be Kia’s second globally-sold electric vehicle after the Soul EV.

Designed at Kia’s centres in California, USA and Namyang, Korea, the e-Niro incorporates the practicality and appeal of a crossover in a sleek, aerodynamic body with subtly sculptured surfaces. The car demonstrates that, in seeking greater on-road efficiency, electric vehicle buyers need not sacrifice engaging design or crossover versatility.

The e-Niro differentiates itself from the existing Niro Hybrid and Niro Plug-in Hybrid with a series of exclusive design features. For example, its futuristic and aerodynamic ‘tiger-nose’ grille features an integrated charging port bearing a de-bossed Niro logo. Redesigned air intakes and new arrowhead-shaped LED daytime running lights combine with blue trim highlights to help it stand out further.

There is a newly designed front bumper that aids aerodynamic performance and provides a sleek and purposeful character to the front of the vehicle. In profile, the slim character line, tapered rear windows and sturdy sill line help to emphasise and elongate the car’s profile, while allowing greater room for the muscular wheel arches. The e-Niro rides on new 17-inch aluminium alloy wheels with a diamond-cut two-tone finish, housing Kia’s regenerative braking system.

At the back, redesigned rear bumpers feature similar blue trim highlights to those found at the front of the car. A bold LED rear light design gives the e-Niro the same distinct and recognisable rear light signature as its hybrid and plug-in hybrid siblings. The e-Niro is available in a selection of 10 contemporary paint colours.

Inside the car, the cabin combines a modern design with generous space and technologies that complement its zero-emissions powertrain. The interior is differentiated from other Niro models with a range of new features and design elements.

The design of the centre console represents the biggest change for the e-Niro, with the all-electric powertrain negating the need for a traditional gear stick and gear linkage. The physical transmission has therefore been replaced with a new ‘shift-by-wire’ rotator dial drive selector. The drive selector dial sits on its own highly-ergonomic panel which extends out from the base of the central armrest. In addition to the rotator dial, this new panel also houses buttons for the electronic parking brake, heated and ventilated seats, heated steering wheel, drive mode selector, parking sensors, and the Niro’s braking ‘Auto Hold’ function. The new panel requires no bulky transmission tunnel, enabling Kia’s designers to create a larger storage area at the base of the centre console.

The dashboard features bright blue trim around the vents, echoing the trim highlights found on the outside of the car. The cabin is trimmed in a choice of fabric and synthetic leather, full synthetic leather, or real leather. In each guise it is available in black or dark grey, or in a dedicated new e-Niro interior colour scheme with black upholstery and bright blue stitching. For cars trimmed in leather and synthetic leather the perforated upholstery features a vivid blue inlay.

A new mood lighting system illuminates the centre console and shift dial with subtle lighting, in one of six colours – white, grey, bronze, red, green, and blue. New high-gloss black and blue trim also lines the doors of the e-Niro, further enhancing the futuristic atmosphere of the cabin. The shelf at the base of the instrument panel features a high-grip rubberised surface to hold the driver’s smartphone in place. Buyers can specify this shelf with an optional wireless smartphone charger.

The 7.0-inch touchscreen HMI (human-machine interface) in the centre of the dashboard offers a series of features specific to Kia’s new electric vehicle. It enables owners to locate nearby charging points, and monitor the level of remaining charge and range. It also lets owners gauge their trip and lifetime CO₂reduction from driving the e-Niro, compared to a petrol car of a similar size. The HMI lets owners set an approximate departure time for their next journey, enabling the car to heat itself to a set temperature before the driver departs. The charge management function also intelligently manages the flow of electricity to the battery when charging, to help extend the life of the battery.

The colour-LCD driver instrument cluster – also 7.0-inches wide – shows driving and battery charge information on-the-move. The display also gauges the driving style of whoever is sitting at the wheel, attributing a percentage to the amount of ‘economical’ driving they manage on each journey. For drivers preferring to enjoy the car’s low centre of gravity and instant off-the-line acceleration, the display also shows what percentage of a journey has been completed with ‘dynamic’ driving.

A lamp is integrated into the top of the dashboard, with a light displaying whether the battery pack is recharging or fully charged when plugged in. This enables owners to quickly see the car’s charging status at a glance when charging.

When the Niro was first launched, its new platform was engineered to accommodate a variety of advanced powertrains. The introduction of a battery-electric powertrain has had minimal impact on packaging and versatility, meaning the e-Niro offers greater practicality and versatility by design than many other electric and hybrid cars. Its 2,700mm wheelbase ensures all occupants enjoy generous legroom, while space and a sense of roominess is boosted by its crossover design. Its body is 1,805mm wide and 1,560mm tall, ensuring maximum head and shoulder-room throughout the cabin. At 4,375mm in length, it offers more cargo space – 451 litres (VDA) – than many other plug-in and electric vehicles. The boot features a dedicated storage area beneath its floor, providing space for owners to store the charging cable.

The Kia e-Niro has been designed to merge crossover-inspired design with long-distance, zero-emissions driving and enjoyable performance. It achieves this with a next-generation electric powertrain, using new production technologies developed specifically for Kia electric vehicles. In Europe the Niro will be equipped with a high-capacity 64 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack. On the WLTP combined cycle, it provides a driving range of more than 301 miles on a single charge, producing zero on-road CO₂emissions. On the WLTP urban cycle, the e-Niro is capable of driving up to 382 miles. Buyers will also be to specify their e-Niro with a 39.2 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack, with a range of up to 193 miles from a single charge on the WLTP combined cycle. Plugged into a 100 kW fast charger, it takes just 42 minutes to recharge the e-Niro’s battery from 20 per cent to 80 per cent.

Models equipped with the long-distance 64 kWh battery pack are paired with a 150 kW (201bhp) motor, producing 395Nm torque, enabling the e-Niro to accelerate from 0-62mph in just 7.8 seconds. The standard 39.2 kWh battery pack is matched to a 100 kW (134bhp) motor, also producing 395Nm torque, and accelerating to 62mph from a standstill in 9.8 seconds. Like the Niro Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid variants, the new electric model is front-wheel drive.

Regenerative braking technology allows the Niro to harvest kinetic energy and recharge the battery pack while coasting or braking, while the Eco Driving Assistant System provides drivers with intelligent guidance on how to drive more efficiently. The e-Niro is also equipped with a Drive Mode Select system, enabling owners to tailor their driving experience. Switching between Normal, Eco and Sport modes, Drive Mode Select alters the level of effort required to steer the car, and subtly changes the character of the powertrain.

The car will be covered by Kia’s quality promise, with the brand’s industry-leading seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty as standard. The warranty also covers the battery pack and electric motor.

The Kia e-Niro will go on sale in select European markets by the end of this year. Full UK specification, pricing and on-sale date will be announced in due course.