Kia Niro vs Honda Super-One

What's the difference?

The Kia Niro S Electric is a solid little SUV that has decent space inside and some nice specs, but it's more expensive than its nearest rivals. The EV powertrain can take a little getting used to and I would have liked a smoother ride, but the 460km driving range is good.

For first-time EV owners, this wouldn’t be a bad option if you wanted to dip your toes in the water but it will suit urban dwellers and smaller families, like mine, best. This gets a 7.5/10 from me.

My son wasn’t in love with this one. Not enough buttons for him to press and he did comment on how bumpy the ride was in the back. He gives it a 6.0/10.

Honda is on a roll, with the Super-One reflecting the brand’s excellent engineering essence more vividly than any other model.

On paper, the Kei-car based EV is big on price but small on power, space, battery capacity and range. Chinese brands must be laughing.

Yet the Super-One punches well above its (commendably low) weight for style, charm, fun and efficiency, while delivering larger-car levels of comfort, refinement and features.

Given the premium pricing is well beneath other premium retro EV rivals like the Mini Cooper and Fiat Abarth 500e, the Super-One even makes a convincing value-for-money pledge for itself.

We can’t wait to drive it more. Little wonder this has been such a big global hit.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer with meals provided.

It’s a compact SUV with a footprint that's 4420mm long, 1825mm wide and 1570mm tall. But while small, I wouldn’t call it cute. It’s boxier than its sibling and without any of the swoopy design elements that make the EV6 look cool. 

I do like the way the two-tone body panelling, which is seen most prominently on the C-pillar, breaks up the ‘blocky-ness’ and creates areas of interest. As do the high-mounted rear LED lights. 

Speaking of lights, the base model makes do with halogen headlights, which unfortunately stand out against the LED daytime-running lights. You’ll notice the dimmer light at night, too.

The 17-inch alloy wheels are thick for better aerodynamics but the clever two-tone colouring stops them from looking unfashionable.

The interior has a lot style cred with the curvature of the door panelling blending in almost seamlessly with the dashboard.

The gently sloping panelling that houses the multimedia systems and switchable touchscreen interface for the controls creates a very pleasing cabin space.

There are some harder plastics mixed in here but enough soft touchpoints that you won’t be bothered by them. 

Honda has performed a minor miracle beefing up its baby N-One into the Super-One you see before you.

The brief called for devising a ‘fun’ EV, but using the standard narrow Kei-car architecture wouldn’t cut it design-wise.

The result sees wider tracks, a fat new body kit with LED ring lights, blanked-out grille and bold blistered wheel arches boxing in larger wheels and tyres. These extend width and benefit stance substantially, while air intakes and tailgate spoiler improve aero.

Additionally, there are mods to the steering with stronger wheel hubs and suspension with a stronger rear beam and uprated springs and dampers, and a chip upgrade for more power when the purple “e-Booster” button is pressed.

Compared to the N-One, the Super-One’s length increases 185mm to 3582mm and width by 100mm to 1573mm. Height and wheelbase are 1616mm and 2520mm respectively.

That all said, the body remains the same dimensionally, but those colourful sports seats, retro-style cassette-player climate-control design and ambient lighting make the petite interior feel premium.

It’s surprisingly roomy inside and all passengers will enjoy decent leg and headroom, but taller passengers will find the backseat cosier than the front.

As such, two child seats will fit best but you do have ISOFIX child seat mounts on the outboard positions and three top-tether points, if you need them.

The synthetic leather/cloth seat trim cleans well and is nice to touch. The seats themselves, front and rear, are well-padded and super comfortable.

The backs of the front seats can double as coat hangers and have hardened kickplates, which are always practical for little feet.

The front row gets the most amenities and tech. The 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system has clear graphics but is different to other Kia’s I’ve sampled recently. It seems to have been simplified but you’ll get used to it quickly.

There are plenty of charging options available, too, with a USB-A and C port, plus a 12-volt socket. Not needing a cable for the wireless Apple CarPlay is a bonus, too!

The front row also has the most storage space with two retractable cupholders, dedicated phone tray, glove box, middle console and skinny drink bottle holders in each door.

Back seat passengers enjoy two USB-C ports, reading lights, drink bottle holders in each door plus an armrest with two cupholders. As well as, a standard three-pin socket in case you need to run electrical gear or charge anything up on the go.

The windows are wide and offer good visibility but I really like the 150mm ground clearance. It was super easy for my six-year old to climb in and out, plus he got a good view this week!

The boot is good for this size SUV with 475L of capacity available. It does look more like a hatchback, because while you can readjust the floor to sit lower, the back still slopes up.

However, it was fine for my weekly grocery and school run. The 'frunk' storage is small at 20L, which is just big enough for a charging cable.

You don’t get a spare wheel but you do get a puncture repair kit. And being the base model, it’s not a powered tailgate but it’s not heavy to close.

Generous apertures, a high roof and big doors that open nearly 90 degrees combine to make entry and egress easy.

The Kei-car narrowness is immediately obvious but, unless you’re more than 180cm tall, you’re unlikely to feel cramped. Deep windows, thin pillars and a lofty seating position help provide a pleasantly airy environment with excellent all-round vision.

Those bolstered sports seats are unique, and are superbly comfortable and supportive in a big sports car way. They could be out of a Prelude.

There’s little about the angular, layered and boxy dashboard that’s diminished by the Super-One’s diminutiveness.

Fit and finish are first class, all controls are within easy reach, physical buttons take care of most of important functions like that cool and very effective climate control set-up, and the 9.0-inch touchscreen, which will be familiar to other current Honda owners, is child’s play to operate.

Storage is sufficient, with door pockets capable of carrying a medium-sized bottle, while Honda provides simple access to USB-C ports.

Size does not compromise the Super-One, unless you’re above average height, as those brilliant front seats do not slide back far enough. And the steering column does not adjust for reach, adding a further hindrance.

Further back, things do become plainer, like Honda forgot to upgrade the second row from the donor N-One.

Plain (yet comfy) monochrome material is the overriding theme, yet there is abundant space in all directions for two adults (this car is strictly a four-seater), on a comfy pair of seats that recline slightly.

Plus, lots of light, overhead grab handles, a reading light and one map pocket.

Otherwise, it’s pretty bare back there. Don’t bother searching for cupholders, a centre armrest or air vents.

Those twin backrests fold down low and flat, Honda Jazz ‘magic seat’ style, to provide a huge cavity that goes from just 162 litres in four-person mode to 618L VDA to the window line and 967L to the ceiling. Combined with a tall tailgate and low bumper load height, and this doubles up as a stubby panel van. Plus, there’s a useful underfloor cavity too.

The only fly in this dinky ointment is the lack of a spare wheel, relying on a hopeless tyre-repair kit instead.

OK. $36,900 drive-away is steep in anybody’s language for a city car a whole size smaller than a Toyota Yaris. Particularly when it has one of the smallest batteries in the business at 29.6kWh offering just 202km of WLTP range.

Yet there is a certain logic to the Super-One’s appeal.

Yes, several larger EVs from China cost less, and even the smallest have bigger battery packs with better range.

Along with the Geely EX2 from $26,490 (all prices are before on-road costs unless stated otherwise), this even includes the base BYD Atto 1 Essential.

Previously Australia’s cheapest-ever EV from $23,990, that’s now been temporarily slashed to nearly half the Honda’s price, from $19,990 drive-away, creating this country’s cheapest new car, outright.

Who cares about resale values, anyway!

If you’re all about saving cents and sensibility, then the Super-One is a super bust.

On paper, it’s even dearer than that other adorable but pricey pint-sized EV, the Hyundai Inster. Now from a more palatable $35,990 drive-away, that’s had a $6000-plus haircut.

However, for us anyway, the penny dropped.

If you’re seeking a cheaper rival to BMW’s Mini Cooper SE or Fiat’s Abarth 500e – and, less face it, from about $60K, these are premium EVs bought with hearts, not heads – then the Honda starts making sense.

Think about it. All three are retro takes on beloved mid-century designs. All are four-seater sub-B superminis. And, of course, all embrace their respective unique cultural heritage.

In the Super-One’s case, it is exquisitely Japanese, being Kei-car born and based. But it also transcends those strict footprint and output limits, brandishing greater width, length and muscle, the latter courtesy of a power boost function.

Plus, the Honda is highly equipped, featuring:

• A decent level of advanced driver-assist safety systems

• Adaptive cruise control

• 9.0-inch touchscreen with reverse camera

• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

• Bose premium audio with eight speakers and subwoofer

• Heated steering wheel

• Heated, bolstered front sports seats

• Google Built-in

• Honda’s Connect app for remote car access with free subscription for the warranty period

Among the premium EV superminis, then, the Super-One represents its own special brand of value.

Plus, nothing else on the road quite looks like this boxy little tearabout.

The Niro is a full EV and has a front-wheel drive drivetrain with a maximum output of 150kW/255Nm. It’s not as powerful as its stablemate and only has the single-motor which is powered by a 64.8kWh lithium-ion battery but going from 0-100km/h can still be achieved in 7.8 seconds. With specs like those, this is most suited for an urban setting.

Being based on an internal combustion engine platform, you won’t find a frunk under the bonnet, which is choc-a-block full with a 47kW/168Nm electric motor.

It’s a good thing this only weighs 1093kg, which is about 300kg less than most rival EVs.

Press that e-Booster button, and power jumps to 70kW, slashing the 0-100km/h time from 14.5 seconds to ten-flat. Drive is sent to the front wheels via a single-speed transmission. Top speed is just 135km/h.

Boost is one of five driving modes.

There’s Econ for optimising range thanks to four regenerative braking levels via paddle shifts, City with unique single-pedal driving/braking and four regen brake levels, Normal that’s back with the six regen brake levels, and Sport that – along with Boost – swaps in simulated seven-speed manual ratios, complete with artificial exhaust note.

Such is the EV life but you can’t escape the charging.

The onboard DC charger has up to 85kW of capacity and that means on a 50kW fast charger station, you can get from 10 to 80 per cent in 65 minutes.

However, if plugged into a 350kW ultra-fast charger, you’ll only save 22 minutes because it can’t accept that faster speed.

On a 7.5kW system, you’ll go from 10 to 80 per cent in approximately nine hours, 25 minutes. On an 11kW, you’ll see that figure drop to six hours, 20 minutes.

The charging port is a Type 2 (CCS Combo2) and the car comes with an emergency charging cable that can plug into a standard three-pin domestic socket, if needed.

However, it’s slow going and you’re looking at a wait time of up to 27 hours, 30 minutes to get to a full charge. All other cables cost extra.

The official kWh/100km consumption is 16.2kWh and my average on-test figure was 14.3kWh after a mix of urban and open-road driving.

However, I did see figures getting closer to 20kWh on longer trips. Still, I would consider my average to be efficient.

The Niro S has a driving range of up to 460km (WLTP).

The Super-One has a WLTP range of 202km. The combined average energy consumption is just 12.1kWh/100km, though our hard-driven test car with air-con on a sunny day in peak-hour traffic displayed around 20kWh/100km.

Faster charging is the advantage of having a compact battery pack.

Using a 400-volt architecture, Honda claims its 29.6kWh Lithium-ion unit can be charged using a common 50kW DC charger from 15 per cent to 80 per cent in about half an hour.

More sensibly, plugged in at work/home overnight should only require about eight hours to 100 per cent full, or around four hours with a circa-7kW wall box.

Maximum AC power charging is 6.6kW in single-phase and 10kW in three-phase modes.

This is a pretty simple car to drive but it doesn’t feel as fun as some other EVs I’ve driven. It can even feel sluggish when you accelerate from a full stop and that makes it feel laggy in stop/start traffic.

Once you’re on your way, the acceleration is fairly responsive. You feel confident overtaking on the open road, too.

The car feels connected to the road with minimal shuddering through the steering wheel. The car responds in a timely manner when you have to make sudden moves, which I like.

Sometimes, the lane keeping aids make it feel jerky and I turned it off in some situations.

The regen braking delivers a big physical presence like the EV6 but isn’t as refined and can feel almost ‘bunny hoppy’ at times.

You can customise it up to four levels, zero being low regen and four being the iPedal. I’m not overly fond of the iPedal, so didn’t use it that much this week and kept it at level 3.

You do have to change up how you drive an EV, so this wasn’t that surprising and something I’m sure you’d get used to.

The ride comfort is pretty mixed. Around town, it’s good but there’s quite a bit of passenger movement in this. You kinda feel like you’re bobbing along sometimes, which is jolting.

You also feel the road but the seats are so comfortable, they stop it from feeling too rough. 

Surprisingly, the cabin gets very loud with wind and road noise. You can still chat but you won’t forget that it’s there, which is a shame.

I didn’t notice much difference between the drive modes, so it was kept on 'Normal', too. 

This is very easy to park! It’s a good size for even a tight car park with a 10.6m turning circle and the reversing camera is super clear, which is great. 

However, I would have liked to have seen front parking sensors, as well as the rear sensors. You can get them on the GT-line though.

At last, we’re behind the wheel of Honda's first EV for Australia, and the Super-One certainly lives up to its name.

Even though it only boasts 47kW of power, it is amply gutsy around town, which is where our brief launch drive was limited to.

Acceleration is lively, scooting eagerly off the line, relying on its instant torque and relatively light weight to make the most of what is available.

There is plenty in reserve for immediate and effortless darting about in and out of traffic gaps.

And that’s in Econ mode. Press the purple e-Booster button, and the Super-One feels supercharged, leaping into action with stronger responses across the board, thanks to a 23kW boost. Performance within the 80km/h confines we tested it in seemed rapid.

The Honda does certainly feel more than racy enough given its sporty aspirations.

Meanwhile, the Super-One’s beautifully tuned steering and controlled suspension also provide an enjoyable and easy balance around town.

It's sharp enough for the driver to get involved, and yet smooth enough for parking to be a cinch, aided by a tight turning circle and great all-round vision. This is the Samantha Jones of dinky superminis: it owns the city.

The ride quality is a fine compromise, too. Firm yet never hard or crashy, it soaks up the bumps well enough, while also being surprisingly quiet.

We wonder whether road and tyre noise intrusion is as muted out on the open road?

We even enjoy the artificial noise coming from the powertrain.

After our all-too-brief first drive, it is clear that the Super-One is the first cheap-ish EV that feels designed and developed for driving pleasure.

It's not a sports car. It's no Civic Type R, and it isn't meant to be. Instead, this is a charming, well-rounded and highly enjoyable urban runabout with style, class and sophistication.

We can’t wait to drive it more. On first impressions, the Super-One has exceeded expectations.

There is currently no ANCAP crash-test rating.

Honda says that the Super-One hasn't been crash tested independently as ANCAP hasn't asked for one.

But the company does fit a selection of safety-related technologies that at least match most of the competition, including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, traffic jam assist, road departure mitigation system and adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, as part of its advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) set-up.

In 90 minutes of peak-hour urban schlepping about town, not once did we experience any ADAS intrusion. No unwelcome tugging interference from the steering. No traffic sign shrieking. No adaptive cruise control fails when we finally picked up some extra speed along Melbourne's M1 heading back into the city.

Honda says that this car was tuned in Japan, but also tested in Australia and the UK prior to launch, and its nuanced ADAS behaviour shows.

Honda says that it has also worked hard on making the body as strong as it possibly can with beefed-up pillars.

Plus, six airbags are fitted, along with a pair of ISOFIX and child-seat tether anchorage points in the rear seats.

The ongoing costs are great on the Niro. It comes with Kia’s ‘better-than-average-for-the-market’ seven-year/150,000km warranty, which also covers the battery.

You get a seven-year capped-price servicing plan and services average $250 per year, which is good.

Servicing intervals are more in line with a petrol car at every 12 months or 15,000km. It’s usual to see those intervals doubled on an EV but it’s still reasonable.

The Super-One comes with a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty.

But if you choose to have it serviced at a Honda dealer, that increases to eight-years/unlimited. Intervals are 12 months or every 10,000km.

For the first five years, it will cost $199 per service, providing good value for money.

Currently there are 75 Honda dealers throughout Australia.