Kia Niro to soldier on alongside EV3

KIA Motor Corporation president Ho-Sung Song has told global media assembled for this week’s reveal of the EV3 compact SUV that the brand’s other small segment electrified SUV, the Niro, will continue to be produced and sold alongside the newcomer.

Speaking briefly on the matter, Mr Song said the Niro will likely appeal to audiences in markets where EV adoption is not yet fully developed, with hybridised versions likely to become more popular than the dedicated battery electric alternative.

“We will continue to sell the Niro EV together with the EV3 in the market, because each market has different tastes or customer preferences. Some markets will prefer to offer the Niro EV, while others will go for the EV3,” he said.

“In the meantime, Niro also has a hybrid model, and we expect that there will be more (buyers interested) in the hybrid model than the EV model when we launch the EV3. (That’s) because the EV3 is more focused on dedicated EV customers, while the Niro will become more for hybrid customers.”

The remarks indicate just how important the continued diversification of electrified offerings has become for vehicle manufacturers whose EV offerings vary with market preferences.

But, as Kia and other OEMs work to intensify the share of pure electric vehicles sold, Mr Song said it was important that vehicle manufacturers work alongside third-party EV charging providers to ensure greater take up of battery electric vehicles so that vehicles like the EV3 could be more readily offered into developing nations.

“Customers are thinking a lot about charging infrastructure issues, and Kia has a clear strategy to expand our infrastructure worldwide where we want to sell our EV models. For example, in Korea we are targeting a super-fast-charging station network of 5400 units by 2030,” added Mr Song.

“In the United States we belong to an association called IONNA, and this association is aiming to have a 30,000-strong charging network, also by 2030, and we are also a member of the IONNA team in Europe, where they are targeting 70,000 superchargers.”

“When we launch our EV cars, we are open to working together with local companies or other OEMs to help set up charging infrastructure so that we can accommodate convenient charging infrastructure for our customers.”

IONNA is an electric vehicle charging infrastructure provider formed by OEMs including BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis. It aims to provide what it says is accessible, reliable and convenient EV charging in North America and elsewhere.

Commenting on the collaboration in July last year (2023), Mr Song said, “Kia’s engagement and investment in this high-powered charging joint venture is set to increase charging access and convenience to current and future drivers and therefore accelerate the transition to EVs across North America”.

“Kia is proud to be an important part of the joint venture with other reputable automakers as we embark on a journey towards seamless charging experiences for our customers and further strengthen Kia’s brand identity in the EV market,” he added.

The Kia EV3 is due to commence sale in its home market in July (2024) and Europe in the latter half of the year. GoAuto understands the model will be launched in Australia in early 2025.