The Niro is predictably wrapped in eco-friendly materials — like recycled bottles in the headliners, and eucalyptus tree fibres in the seats — but how nice an experience you have depends very much on how much you spend.

The entry-level S Hybrid makes do with the most basic cabin tech, the S EV gets a little better, but the GT-Line cars get a genuinely impressive tech offering, with this kind of wall of screens that link the driver's binnacle to the centre screen. Also cool is the integrated touch sensitive infotainment and climate control, which helps pare back the busy in here a bit.

Kia reckons the Niro EV will deliver 460kms in driving range when fully charged. And when it does come time to plug in, a 7kW Wall Box at home will take nine hours and 25 minutes to go from empty to full, or a 100kW DC charger (also the charging max), will take 45 minutes to go from 10 to 80 percent.

The range starts with the Hybrid S, which gets cloth and artificial leather seat trim, LED DRL's and LED rear taillights (but halogen headlights), a 4.2-inch digital driver display and and 8.0-inch central touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a six-speaker stereo. You also get dual-zone climate, 16-inch alloys and electric mirrors and windows.

Stepping up to the Hybrid GT-Line adds a whole bunch of nice stuff, including twin 10.25-inch screens (one for the driver, the other for multimedia screen), bigger 18-inch alloys, perforated bio-leather seats, LED headlights, a better steering wheel and heated and ventilated front seats.

The Full Electric trim levels largely match the hybrid's specifications, except both ride on 17-inch alloys, and even the S model gets the twin-screen infotainment set-up.

The All Electric GT-Line also gets a better eight-speaker stereo, a sunroof, and what the brand calls a Premium Relaxation Front Passenger Seat — which tilts back so you can get comfy while charging.

Adults can ride in relative comfort when riding four-up, but squeezing an extra human in the middle could be stretching the friendship a little.

You'll find cupholders up front and for backseat riders, as well as bottle-holder storage in each of the doors. Also very cool is, in the All Electric model, a V2L plug (which is a traditional Australian plug socket) meaning you can charge bigger devices on the fly by simply plugging in.

The Hybrid is pretty conventional, pairing a 1.6-litre engine with a 1.32kwH battery and electric motor for a combined output of 104kW and 265Nm. It gets a six-speed DCT auto and front-wheel drive. 

But the EV is a bit different. It gets a big 64.8kWh battery and a front-mounted motor that produces 150kW and 255Nm, the latter of which arrives instantaneously, helping drop the sprint to 100km/h to just 7.8secs - and that's despite carrying almost half a tonne of battery with you.

The Hybrid is pretty leisurely taking more than 10 seconds to reach 100km/h while the EV will take just 7.8 seconds to reach that.