Kia Niro Electric Coming Next Year With Hyundai Ioniq’s Powertrain

Kia Motors are following in the footsteps of sister company Hyundai, by launching hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric versions of the same car.

With the Niro in mind for the transformation process, the automaker will be applying the same hardware found under the zero-emission Ioniq, as the brand’s Europe COO, Michael Cole, revealed in an interview with AutoRai.

The procedure will basically be a formality and once completed, the Niro EV will be powered by an electric motor that produces 120 PS (118 HP) and 295 Nm (218 lb-ft) of torque, fed by a 28 kWh battery pack.

Expect similar performance numbers to the Ioniq, which has an estimated driving range of 200 km (124 miles), needs 9.9 seconds to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) from a standstill, and will keep going up to a top speed of 166 km/h (103 mph).

Since it will use the same technology as its cousin, the Kia Niro EV will likely get the fast charger too, which fills the battery up to 80 percent in 33 minutes, from a 50 kW CCS Combo Rapid public charger.

An exact reveal date for the zero-emission crossover has yet to be divulged, but the Kia official talked about a 2018 presentation.