Enlarged version of original generation, in hybrid and full electric, to arrive next month.

A NEW version of the original Kia Niro, created to appeal to taxi and ride share drivers, has been added to the New Zealand roster.

The Niro Plus is a development of the DE generation line that dates back to 2016, with a stretched body that frees up interior room – for benefit of luggage as well as passenger space - and some specific commercial use-inspired enhancements, such as additional grab handles.

Though comment from Kia New Zealand suggests it hopes the model might be picked up for the working applications Seoul has shaped it to meet, the local distributor also seems to anticipate it being a private consumer choice.

Due to avail from October, the model will present in hybrid for $37,990 and as a full electric, with a range of 455 kilometres, for $64,990, both in an entry Light trim.

Kia NZ says it taken the car as an adjunct to the just updated Niro SG2, announced only weeks ago, to provide “another compelling reason for many more Kiwis to consider low-and-no emission motoring and become part of the switch to Kia electrified vehicle solutions.”

AS pricing currently stands, the Niro Plus sites only $2000 below like-outfitted equivalents in the SG2 line, which adopts a radically-revised front end as part of a clever rebody of the DE.

However, Kia NZ has indicated the SG2 Light and next-step $5000 dearer Earth hybrid models have special introductory pricing, a signal that the gap is set to widen.

The SG2 cars are unlikely to be mistaken for the Niro Plus editions, which maintain the more snub-nosed and conservative styling that has been familiar to Kiwis for the past six years, but with a body that is longer by 80mm.

The ride height is raised by 10mm. Extra storage and modified seats are also part of the package; so too additional grab handles for passengers and door reflectors.

With the SG2 line (above) already presenting in 10 formats – four hybrid, four plug-in hybrid and two fully electric – Kia NZ will have a dozen Niro models here.

While drivetrains are the same, the SG2 models adopt refinements that may or may not be on the Niro Plus.

Kia NZ has been sparing in that detail, except to say the EV has a WLTP cited range of 423 kilometres and will recharge from low to full in 47 minutes. That information suggests it is the 64kWh battery drivetrain, rather than a 39kWh unit also provisioned to Niro Plus in its home market. The latter has a cited range of 288km.

The DE and SG2 petrol-electrics run a 1.6-litre engine and battery assist. The SG2 variants span four trim lines – aside from Light, it presents in Earth, Water and GT-Line – with the mild models pricing from $39,990 to $57,990 while the plug-ins run from $49,990 to $67,990. The fully electric SG2 editions configure in Light and Water trims, for $67,990 and $73,990 respectively.

With SG2, the hybrid has a revised 77kW/144Nm 1.6-litre non-turbo four-cylinder petrol engine, paired to a 32kW electric motor and six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission for 104kW/265Nm combined, and claimed fuel economy of 4.0 litres per 100 kilometres.

The all-out electric model uses a front-mounted 150kW/255Nm motor and a 64.8kWh battery pack for 460km of claimed driving range.

All Niros gain eligibility for the various Clean Car rebates, these being $3418 for the hybrid, $5750 for the PHEV and $8625 for the full electric.

When Kia in Seoul announced the Plus earlier this year, it said the car was a first step initiative “into the world of (purpose-built vehicles), a market that holds great potential for future development.”

Kia NZ says it is seizing the Clean Car initiative and introducing what it says is a competitively-priced new model range to stimulate the uptake of new low-and-no emission vehicles.

It says the Niro Plus range means 27 new Kia models qualify for rebates as part of the Clean Car programme.

“We’re proud to take yet another step in Kia’s global ‘Plan S’ strategy and, with the launch of this new range, we’re playing a key role in the introduction of attainable mobility services and vehicle electrification,” local managing director Todd McDonald says.

“We’re absolutely delighted to be able to offer a wide, new range of attainable electrified options for Kiwi motorists.

“Kia’s strategic development of an existing platform has resulted in a clever re-imagining of what is possible in the form of achieving enhanced accessibility to the world of electrified and plug-in motoring.”

McDonald cites the Niro Plus as a car catering for the changing demands of modern consumers. “It is an example of Kia operating as a leading sustainable mobility solutions provider, delivering an innovative option for people who desire a more attainable entry into this new and exciting area of personal as well as business transport.”

Though it has been improved for a second time around the block, the fully electric technology used by the Niro is a generation behind the 800-volt E-GMP architecture that underpins the EV6 and its Hyundai fraternal twin, the Ioniq 5.