After Kia’s EV6 presentation, the South Korean automaker continues testing a new electric vehicle, the next-gen Niro EV that will arrive under its eco-friendly offensive. This is the first time we can see the second generation Kia Niro, on its EV flavour. We can confirm Kia will also launch a EV variant of the new Niro, to be placed below EV6. Of course this Niro prototype (codenamed as SG2) is still under heavy camouflage but we can still make out some details that remind us of the concept.
As always the production car will
be toned down a lot compared to the concept so there will be no butterfly-wing
doors but the overall shape of the body seems to remain. That means a five door
body with a sportier design on the C-pillars. A longer wheelbase in order to
give the passengers more space, short overhangs and the boomerang shaped rear
lights are also features that have been moved over from the concept.
The HabaNiro Concept is the first Kia in
recent memory to do away with the brand’s signature tiger-nose grille, instead
receiving a front end that Kia says resembles a shark’s snout. Since the front
end is still heavy covered we cant see much of that new design. The front
lights also look like that are provisional at this point so they are not giving
us any clues either.
By the looks of it , the grey plastic
covering the wheel arches will keep on into the lower parts of the doors
reminding us of the design of the HabaNiro doors. The fully electric HabaNico
concept also shows that the next-generation Niro will continue to lead Kia’s
electric push. There’ll continue to be three variants: a fully electric version
as well as plug-in hybrid and full hybrid models for the production car when it
hits the market in 2021 as a 2022 model.
