Price Pressure: The 2025 Kia Niro EV Wave

There are a lot of things I like about the Kia Niro EV.

First and foremost is its simplicity, its approachability. Apart from a charging port discreetly hidden in its nose, there's nothing that tells you it's an electric vehicle---nothing that screams "I'm different!" It looks just like the other Kia Niro models, the Niro Hybrid and the Niro Plug-in Hybrid.

Same with the inside---it's conventional. There's no learning curve. The controls, the displays---they're the same as the other Kia Niro models.

But---when you drive the Niro EV, there's not a drop of gasoline used---not a particle of pollution from the tailpipe (because there is no tailpipe). Just 253 miles per charge (EPA estimated). Charging time on a DC fast charger is roughly 45 minutes to go from 10% to 80%. Not the fastest available, but within the range of acceptable charging times.

The problem is price.

A Kia Niro Hybrid starts at $26,990. The Niro Plug-In Hybrid starts at $34,490.

The Kia Niro EV starts at $39,600. And the top-of-the-line Wave model you see here begins at $44,600 ($45,995 including destination).

Used to be that this is where I'd helpfully add that the EV tax credit meant you could take an immediate $7,500 off that price, which would bring the price with destination down to $38,495...but the EV tax credit expired September 30th.

And that leaves the Kia Niro Hybrid with a starting price higher than that of the sleeker, sportier, sexier Kia EV6 Light, ($42,900, $44,395 with destination), which has comparable range, quicker charging and a more robust standard features list.

The advantage the Niro EV has over the EV6 is cargo space and rear seat passenger room.

The good news is that almost everything is standard on the Kia Niro EV Wave---a comprehensive suite of active safety features, a 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a three-month Sirius XM satellite radio subscription, smart key, pushbutton start, remote start, wireless device charging, cleverly placed USB ports for rear seat passengers...

...power driver's seat with power lumbar support, heated front seats, cloth and synthetic leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control with rear vents, a dual-level cargo floor, 17-inch alloy wheels, smart power liftgate, LED rear combination lights and daytime running lights, rain-sensing wipers, roof rails, rear privacy glass, a power sunroof, on-board power generator, LED projector headlights, LED fog lights, power-folding outside mirrors and a Harman Kardon premium audio system.

The only extra-cost options on our tester were a cargo mat ($95), carpeted floor mats ($175) and a cargo cover ($150)....but that was just enough to nudge the price past a psychological barrier or two and up to $46,415.

The Niro EV and the EV6 are very different cars, and while I argue you should never buy your cars by the pound and you should always think value and usefulness instead of purely price, that is clearly not how most Americans buy cars.

For a lot of EV buyers, the Niro is the answer. The tax credit was nice while it lasted, but now we're playing with strictly our own money. Personally, I think the Kia Niro EV Wave is worth it.