Kia Niro News

What a month! The war in the Middle East has created serious panic for commuters stung by soaring fuel prices.A way out of that spiral is getting into an electric vehicle (EV), and there are still several models available at heavily-discounted prices to make the transition from internal combustion engines easier.Here are a handful of electric bargains we found online at a minimum of 30 per cent off retail, with odometers capped at 10,000km for that fresh-car feel. Many had barely breached 2500km.To be sure, there must have been at least three examples at the lower prices advertised to make this list at the time of publishing. Most are dealer demonstrators, and all will bring savings if you depend on your vehicle on a daily basis, since the bulk of their early depreciation has already occurred.Kia Niro EVThe second-gen Niro launched in 2022 from an eye-watering $65K, putting punters off from what was a pleasant, competent and likeable mid-sized crossover EV. Sales stalled, and Kia discontinued it. But there are still a handful of MY23 demos at under $40K. That’s over 40 per cent off retail!New price: $65,300 before ORCSeen for: $36,000 drive-away (MY23, demo)Hyundai InsterCharming, chuckable and ideal for urban commutes, the Inster can be had for over 33 per cent off retail if you’re willing to snap up one of the demos doted around the country.New price: $43,500 drive-awaySeen for: $28,990 drive-away (MY25, demo)Renault Kangoo E-TechAbout a half-dozen demo examples of Renault’s terrific little Kangoo E-Tech from 2023 are still available for under $40K, representing another 40 per cent saving. The little French van is also indecently fun. What a bargain!New price: $66,500 before ORCSeen for: $38,000 drive-away (MY23, demo)Hyundai Kona ElectricSpacious, agile and refined, the electric version of the Kona small SUV punches above its weight, as reflected by its current mid-fifties price point. Which means that a 30 per cent saving with just 3000km on the odo make this a no-brainer buy.New price: $54,000 before ORCSeen for: $38,000 (MY24 demo)Audi Q4 45 e-tronOne of our favourite premium EV SUVs, the Q4 e-tron combines high couture with sophisticated engineering, for an on-brand luxury experience that will have you seeking the long way home.New price: $93,000 drive-awaySeen for: $66,000 drive-away (MY25, demo)Ford Mustang Mach-E SelectThe Mustang Mach-E is an enigma. Disregard the baggage associated with the pony-car image and instead revel in a sporty, dynamic and surprisingly practical family car with ample range. Yes, it’s the pre-facelift model, but the savings are worth it.New price: $73,400 drive-awaySeen for: $50,000 drive-away (MY23, demo)Jeep AvengerArguably the most athletic Jeep in history, the Avenger is a sweet-driving, decently packaged and well-presented city-sized SUV with relatively minor off-road capabilities. Built in Poland, it’s related to the Peugeot 2008 EV.New price: $53,990 before ORCSeen for: $37,000 drive-away (MY24, demo)Subaru Solterra TouringSubaru’s version of the Toyota bZ4X has really struggled to secure buyers, with the up-spec Touring launching at nearly $84K before quickly being reduced to $77K. Though facelifted and improved, there are loaded demos advertised in the low-fifties drive-away, offering a lot of EV for the money.New price: $76,990 before ORCSeen for: $53,000 drive-away (MY24, demo)Fiat 500eItalians know how to make a chic urban runabout and Fiat’s stylish 500e is no exception. Rapid yet refined, its small battery is quick to charge, still provides over 311km of WLTP range and the handling is a lot of fun.New price: $52,500 before ORCSeen for: $36,000 drive-away (MY23, demo)

Kia's compact Niro electric and hybrid SUV has been discontinued in Australia, just as a new version breaks cover overseas.The brand already has diverse options in the compact SUV space, with the EV3 and soon-approaching Seltos hybrid offering a similar choice.The Niro EV’s comparatively high starting price at $66,590 (before on–road costs) saw it undercut by rivals like the Volvo EX30, starting from $59,990. Kia’s EV3 also starts at just $47,600. The Niro has received a new design, which is in line with many of Kia’s new models, such as the recently-unveiled EV2. It gets a sharper overall look with defined creases on the bodywork, along with a sloping roofline and rear spoiler.There are plenty of blacked out elements, including on the roof rails and on the lower door panels.The interior of the car has also been updated to feature thinner 12.3-inch digital driver and central touchscreen displays.It will continue to be available with hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric set-ups overseas, but more details will become available in March. Production on the electric Niro for Australia was halted in April 2025. Dealer stock of all Niro variants is expected to last until the end of March. The Niro is currently available in Australia with 1.6-litre hybrid (104kW/265Nm) or electric (150kW/395Nm) power set-ups. Kia will continue to bring across electric models in 2026 with its EV2 small SUV and EV4 sedan and hatchback on the list for Australia. Kia’s electric PV5 people mover and van will also be available on Aussie shores this year.

If you’re keen on a hybrid from an established brand but want something other than a Toyota, there might be a few more options on the horizon soon, with Kia set to ramp up its plug-in hybrid offerings.

Electric cars are finding their footing in the new car market, but used EVs remain mysterious. You can’t check the oil, the service records won’t tell you much and the single most expensive part — the battery — typically requires full replacement if there’s an issue, rather than repair. Good news is that data from online auction house Pickles shows that battery health is in line with — if not better — than manufacturer predictions. Which should help allay one of the biggest fears of buying a second hand electric car.The vast majority of electric cars on sale today have an eight-year or 160,000km — whichever comes first — battery warranty. These typically guarantee the battery health of any car will remain above 70 per cent. If not, the manufacturer will replace the unit free of charge. Battery health refers to what percentage of the battery’s original capacity remains usable and dictates maximum driving range. For example, if a car was capable of travelling 500km from 100 per cent charge when new, a battery health of 80 per cent would see your maximum range fall to 400km. Additional aspects, including fast-charge time, may be affected as well. Pickles has found the average battery health of vehicles sold to be in excess of 90 per cent, even for vehicles that have travelled more than 120,000km. Many of these cars would have travelled this distance in less than five years, which is an impressive result. Additionally, cars over four years old with lower kilometres retained, on average, more than 93 per cent battery health.Data was collected from the ‘Pickles EV battery health assurance process’, which uses consistent third party software and has been run on 250 vehicles so far. See the below table for observed battery health against kilometres travelled. “This underlines that Pickles is selling used EVs with very healthy batteries, as early data suggests battery health is in line with manufacturer expectations,” said Brendon Green, Pickles General Manager, Automotive Solutions.Some brands fared better than others, though exact reasons why would be speculative. Hyundai and BYD had the highest average battery health rates, followed by Tesla. Partially this can be attributed to Tesla being around for longer. With advancements in battery temperature management such as liquid cooling and heat pumps, lifetime health has generally improved. Admittedly, Pickles’ sample size is small compared to the 90,000-strong new electric car market last year. The auction house had 334 electric cars come through in 2024, a huge leap from 2023’s 115 units. Naturally, the used market has lagged behind the new one but there’s an important milestone coming up, with the government’s FBT exemption for electric vehicles coming up to three years old in July. This will see numbers increase as cars come off lease. Along with bringing broader choice, prices are only expected to fall further in response to intense new-car discounting and a flood of the market.Not ideal for those who purchased new electric cars, but a great thing for those looking to get into an EV without the capital for a new purchase. Pickles' data shows used petrol and diesel vehicles remain 20 per cent above pre-COVID prices, electric vehicle are back to, or below, those values.Interestingly, the report shows that a much greater number of electric cars are selling to private buyers (51 per cent) versus the split for petrol and diesel vehicles (24 per cent) which are motor trade heavy. Green said that EVs may have attracted a “marginally smaller” dealer pool, but the private buyer interest is a good thing for Pickles and its sellers as they are typically less outright price sensitive. “In general, EV buyers are far more educated than any other vehicle buyer category that we’ve seen so far. They do a lot of research, because they’re all stepping away, often for the first time, from a traditional ICE . “They’ve probably test driven them elsewhere and gone, right, I want a Tesla Model 3 with two years and 30,000kms and there’s three of them on Pickles already,” explained Green. 

In Italy, Kia will sell you a Niro hybrid that can travel an astounding 1600km before stopping for a fill-up.

Ever wondered how Chinese brands like BYD and MG are able to price their electric cars so much more affordably than any other brand? We did and so we decided to investigate.

Kia is set to branch out into medium and large-sized electric vans and people-mover/minivans in Australia from the middle of this decade, following the successful trial of the Niro PBV Purpose Built Vehicle.

Kia's updated 2024 Niro electrified small SUV line-up has become more expensive, with the full-electric versions now pricier than the Telsa Model Y and Volvo EX30.

Kia is on a roll when it comes to electric vehicles (EVs), due to the spectacular achievements of the EV6.

With doubts about the long-term future of i30 hatch, the small SUV may need to step-up and become Hyundai Australia’s new lynchpin model. CarsGuide attended the official reveal and detailing on the new model, so here’s everything you need to know about this all-important new addition to the Hyundai line-up.