Kia e-Niro review

You sit a fair bit higher than you do in most hatchbacks, but the Kia e-Niro isn't a particularly high-rise SUV. Go for entry-level '2' trim and you'll get a manually adjustable driver's seat; an eight-way electrically adjustable seat (including lumbar adjustment) comes as standard from '3' trim, and 4+ trim adds memory recall settings. The steering wheel, meanwhile, is manually adjusted for height and reach on all trims, with a generous range of movement.

Overall, the e-Niro has a better driving position than the Hyundai Kona Electric, and, particularly, the Nissan Leaf, which lacks reach adjustment for its steering wheel. The dashboard layout is also conventional, which is wonderful because it means you get plenty of easy-to-find, physical buttons and switches to operate features such as the climate controls. Cars with touch-sensitive buttons, like the Volkswagen ID.3, are much more of a faff to use while you're driving.

There’s no great issue with forwards visibility in the e-Niro, plus you get a decent over-the-shoulder view – it's certainly much easier to see out of than the Peugeot e-2008 and DS 3 Crossback E-Tense, which is particularly difficult to see out the back of. 

As a result, parking it shouldn’t be too taxing and, to make life even easier, '2' trim gets rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera, while '4+' trim adds front parking sensors and brighter LED headlights. The standard halogen headlights are much dimmer.

Go for entry-level '2' trim and you'll get an 8.0in touchscreen that operates a DAB radio, Bluetooth, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone mirroring. Stepping up to '3' trim adds a larger 10.3in touchscreen, built-in sat-nav and wireless phone charging.

Both versions have responsive software that's as simple to use as the Renault Zoe's. The version with the bigger screen has sharper graphics and larger icons, which are a little easier to find while you're driving. The e-Niro’s infotainment system isn’t quite up there with the best in class – the BMW i3, Mazda MX-30 and Mini Electric have rotary controllers that are less distracting to use than touchscreens – but it’s better than the system you get in the MG ZS EV, Leaf, e-2008 or ID.3.

Most versions come with a six-speaker stereo, but the range-topping '4+' trim gets an impressively punchy, eight-speaker JBL sound system.

The cars that have the plushest interiors in the small electric car class include the i3, MX-30 and Mini Electric, with the Citroën e-C4, Peugeot e-208 and e-2008 following closely behind.

The e-Niro’s interior feels more functional than fancy next to those. It has harsher plastics on its lower surfaces, but, in the main, it's still well screwed together – apart from the wobbly centre console – and there's a decent mix of squishy plastics higher up and some glossy trims that push the e-Niro beyond the bargain-basement feel of the Leaf.