EVs - Hyundai Kona Vs Kia niro

[Eyelashesoffire]

We're looking at EVs - we liked the Hyundai Kona for our budget but we weren't sold on the boot space, seemed quite small.

Any thoughts on either the Hyundai Kona or the Kia niro?

They are very similar cars. They drive the same, basically. I have a Niro EV and it's lovely. The boot space is fine for me, but then I never need to put more than a few shopping bags in it. It might be tight if you have a buggy plus other stuff.

I'm a big fan of Korean EVs and I don't think you'll regret buying either car from a comfort and smooth driving point of view.

Lovely, thanks! No buggies or big demands on the boot space day to day. Maybe some suitcases if we go away.

Niro is really nice. Boot space not massive but ok.

Kona. Every Kia I’ve test driven felt cheap!

"Kona. Every Kia I’ve test driven felt cheap!"

You realise that Hyundai and Kia are different brands by the same company? The cars have the same underpinnings charging system etc. their luxury cars are GV

A bit like Toyota and lexus

I've got a nearly 4yo Kia Niro PHEV, had it for a year and am really happy with it.

Boot is quite small, but like a previous poster fine for a few bags of shopping.
I swapped from a Passat Estate though so was used to massive boot space (which I no longer need).
I "think" the mild hybrid and maybe the full EV have slightly deeper boots as the battery is smaller (mild hybrid) or in the front (full EV).

My partner (motor mechanic) says it is like driving an ipad! I'm fine with that.

But have you sat in one of the newer Kia EVs? Plastic feel seats that are apparently recycled bottles but look like Aertex or one of those bags you get satsumas in from
the supermarket. Test drove on a hot day. Had to peel myself free and looked like I had honeycomb for legs for the next ten minutes. That was their top spec! 😭

We got Kia Niro PHEV earlier this year. I really like it. It's a 2022 plate. I don't think it feels "cheap" at all.

We’ve had a kona EV for 5 years. Love it. Best car ever and I’ve had a few.

I have a 74 plate Kona EV. Before that I had the Toyota CHR hybrid. My thoughts so far; the boot space is adequate and the floor does lower to create more space. We recently went to Orlando and fit 4 people plus 4 large cases and a cabin case in it. Range is decent, I live near Sheffield and made it to Newcastle and back on 1 charge. I like the dash layout and I’ve got used to the controls being on the steering wheel now. I also like that the floor in the back is flat, there’s no centre console bit in the middle so legroom feels better.

The negatives for me are that occasionally when I brake I feel like it slips gear and skids a bit. The lane control is way too sensitive and it over corrects sometimes which if I’m driving one handed scares the shit out of me. You can turn it off but you have to do it every time you get in the car. It’s perfectly fine but I don’t love it, much preferred my CHR and as it’s a company car I’ll be due a new one in 18 months and I think I’m going to go for a BYD.

I have a Niro EV 23 plate which i got a couple of months back. I love it. It’s so powerful and more than enough space for me and family and dog. Highly recommend

We just got a 24 plate EV Niro and very pleased with it so far. Family of 5, kids 11,8 , 8, finally needed a second car (main one is an s-max). This weekend we did our first long trip in it, from Surrey to Yorkshire, went really well. The kids were ok in the back (one on a booster, one on an HBB, eldest with no seat in the middle) and the EV boot is pretty spacious as there is a “false” floor we usually have in, which you can remove. We easily fit stuff for 2 nights away including towels, plus wellies for us all, 3 sleeping bags and a sleeping mat. It didn’t even go over the parcel shelf level.

We charged on the way up and on the way down at a rapid charger at a Morrisons each time - went from 20% to 90% ish in about 40 mins hour each time- actually we took longer to all go to the loo and have a coffee and some cake / lunch . There’s a 25% off deal on the new MFG chargers atm so it worked out cheaper than we expected!

What do you love about it?

Have a Kia EV and don’t find it cheap feeling.

Sure, compared to my DHs BMW you can see/feel the difference in price but I’m happy with my Kia.

I hate our Kia Niro 😂. No idea if the Kona is any better though.

I have a 25 plate Niro EV. It's the mid spec so it doesn't have aerated seats. They are heated, though, which I love. To me it doesn't feel like a cheap car or an expensive car. It's a decent mid-range vehicle with a matching price point. I've had Hyundai and Kia EVs and I'd happily buy either again and, as a PP has said, they're essentially the same company.

Particularly the way it drives. It’s comfortable and roomy without being big, easy to park, good visibility , spacious enough- have just been on holiday 3 adults and a dog with self catering stuff for a fortnight, does 340 miles to a charge, overnight home charging is currently 5.5p a kw so very cheap to run. 3 maindealer services are very cheap though every 40000 it’s an expensive one. It has real buttons as well as touch screen, lots of gadgets - heated seats steering wheel, control of locking, temperature control etc by an app very useful. When we bought it new I drove it home and I hadn’t gone 2 miles down the road and I thought I like this car! And I don’t use half its potential as it virtually drive itself!
What do I dislike? Not much, don’t like it applying the brake if it thinks you are going to crash!

We have an EV6 which has a very generous boot and a ‘frunk’. It feels pretty mid range to me. We had a top trim of another EV before and there’s not a massive difference tbh. Our basic EV6 still has heated seats and remote climate control and all that shiz.