It seems that at every moment a new tram lands here, one that should carry its shoulders, the burden of innovation.
Now it's the turn of the Niro EV - an all-electric version of a well-known and successful car in our districts.
From this it can be understood that this is not a vehicle that was originally designed as an electric, but one that uses an existing and familiar mechanical base, inside which an electric propulsion unit was placed.
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Kia of course has a dedicated all-electric car (EV6) and it will arrive in Israel soon.
In the meantime, the Nero must stand in front of the plethora of trams that come here from the ends of the earth, leaving Kia in the electric picture.
Almost the same overcoat
Kia Niro in its other versions is a very common car on the Israeli road.
As one of the market's bestsellers, it's hard to say it's eye-catching.
The basic design is solid and as mentioned there is a lot of it on the road.
The electric version uses the familiar papers of the genre (opaque grill for example), to differentiate itself, slightly, from its sisters there.
Even in the cabin there is no sense of preparation for space travel.
Everything is in place, the equipment and space are good and the resemblance to that familiar Nero is well felt .. until you wake it up of course, and the silent propulsion unit begins to propel us forward.
Not the same lady
So you can already pay attention to more things.
For the digital dashboard that heralds the range, km per kWh and the nature of driving.
It is also possible to test the electrical efficiency of the touch screen in the center of the console.
Its home screen looks a bit archaic and its response is a bit slow, but it is comfortable and very logical to operate.
Decent pressure on the power pedal and this niro accelerates quite impressively forward.
Do not let the acceleration figure fool you.
The feeling is much faster.
In fact, on leaving the place, the Nero has difficulty transferring its great power to the front wheels and traction control works overtime.
Only after a few meters can an uninterrupted acceleration be produced.
The traction control system of course prevents the front wheels from rotating but also prevents the Nero from achieving a much more impressive acceleration figure than a standing one.
The intermediate accelerations are immediate and efficient and the overall performance is excellent.
The driving range throughout the test days was quite impressive with about 400km between charges.
The Nero EV has successful regenerative braking with the option to choose between several modes and automatic operation.
Apparently this is responsible, among other things, for the said range.
Head to Head
Nero's familiar formula is expressed in a rather successful result, also in its electrical interpretation.
The only significant criticism is directed at the comfort of the ride.
Like other trams, here too the calibration is relatively hard in order to cope with the weight.
Here, too, the result is mediocre ride comfort on a bumpy urban road.
Beyond that it is an efficient and solid electric car, without futuristic design and gimmicks.
Which leads us to the price, which is simply too high and places it in front of more dedicated and impressive electric cars.
Kia Niro
EV
Motor:
electric
Power:
204 hp
Torque:
40.3 kg
Gear:
Out, 1 Hill
Wheelbase:
270 cm
Weight:
1,825 kg
Range (test):
396 km
From 0 to 100 km / h:
7.8 s
Maximum speed:
167 km / h
Price:
NIS 180,000
Pros:
Performance, Range
Cons:
Urban comfort
Bottom line:
efficient, expensive
