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Electric cars are the new black in the automotive world, and the Nepali market is already hip to the new trend. Of course, it is more than just a trend. The shift to electric mode of transport could be a strong driving force powering the new world to a brighter and greener future. With this in mind, there are a couple of frontrunners undertaking the responsibility of pioneering the onslaught of electric vehicles in Nepal. This week we drive the Kia Niro EV, which is laying early claim to the throne of EV King of Nepal.

Exterior

The Kia Niro EV has a significant presence despite not having the busiest of designs. It embodies the crossover SUV design much like several others in the style segment. Of course, the front grille gives away the fact that it is an EV. The charge port finds itself on the grille, which is a little too visible for our liking.

There are significant design cues that give the car character. We absolutely loved the bonnet lines that accentuate the angular headlights. In fact, every curve, angle, and seam appears well purposed to give the silhouette composed confidence. It has a higher stance that provides more room inside and a good drive height. If it weren’t for the missing grille it would be difficult to discern if this was even an electric vehicle from the back and sides. They do, however, give it a blue accent, making it quickly identifiable. It isn’t flashy, but it certainly is not bad to look at. We see it appealing to a grownup crowd that doesn’t want to be the center of attention all the time.

Interior

It’s a dark and sleek affair inside the cabin of the Kia Niro EV, and you have the techy appeal, as you’d expect in a hi-tech electric vehicle. You settle in the car seat, which you immediately find comfortable, and push the start button to nudge the Niro into silent life. As you have side bolsters on the seats, you know you’re going to remain planted even when you’re making aggressive turns and maneuvers. The seats also get cooling and heating functions which are great if you’re getting into the car after it’s been under the hot sun for long. On cold winters you can heat your steering wheel for maximum comfort.

You put the car into drive via a slick gear selector, which is a large knob at the center console. You twist to the right for drive and the left for reverse. This is also from where you control the seat air-conditioning. The parking sensor controls, drive mode selector, and the auto hold function, all neatly find their place in the console. The new panel requires no bulky transmission tunnels, enabling Kia’s designers to create a larger storage area at the base of the center console.

The 7.0-inch touchscreen HMI (human-machine interface) at the center of the dashboard offers a series of features specific to Kia’s new electric vehicle. The color-LCD driver instrument cluster—also 7.0-inches wide—shows driving and battery charge information on-themove. A lamp is integrated at the top of the dashboard, with a light displaying whether the battery pack is recharging or fully charged when plugged in.

You will notice that there is plenty of space for people in the cabin. At 4,375 mm in length, it offers more cargo space (451 liters), and the boot features a dedicated storage area beneath its floor, providing ample space for owners to store the charging cable. We definitely liked the rear air con vents and the sunroof.

Performance

Let’s get right into it. We are not exaggerating when we say this, but off the line, the Kia Niro EV bolts like a stabbed rat in the sports mode. The power is immediate, something that you expect from electric vehicles especially one fitted with a high-density, lithium-ion polymer 64 kWh battery like the one on the Kia Niro EV. That’s the 395Nm of max torque getting to work right  from 0 rpm.

Even in normal mode, there is plenty of (silent) grunt to overtake almost anything you’ll find in our roads. Good handling helps enhance your driving experience. Steering is responsive. It is slightly light to the feel, but it does make for easy commuting. Thanks to the battery pack’s low center of mass, it keeps the electric Niro feeling planted and fairly nimble around bends. Range anxiety is now becoming a thing of the past. With the Niro EV you get a claimed 450km, more than enough to get you from Kathmandu to Pokhara and back in a single charge. Eco and Normal settings add a few kilometers to the trip computer’s estimated range but sacrificed the exhilaration that the sport mode provides. 

However, the range you get from the Kia Niro EV depends on how you use your accelerator and the regenerative braking. The Niro EV has four different settings for regenerative braking (0-3) which you can control through the paddle shifters. Zero is free wheel coasting and eliminates the regenerative braking system completely. To select zero, you have to pull the paddle on the right side of the steering wheel and hold it for a couple of seconds. If you just pull it and release, it will only reduce the regenerative braking down one level. The paddle on the left side of the steering wheel increases the level one notch, each time you pull it towards you. Pull and hold the left side paddle, and the car jumps to maximum regen, and quickly slows the car down to a stop.

With the (DC) Fast Chargers you can charge up to nearly 80 percent in about an hour; another half an hour or so will get you to 100 percent. However, there are only two DC chargers available in the country, at Kurintar and Bardibas, the latter of which is under construction. AC chargers can get a full charge in 9-10 hours. There are 10 AC charging points throughout the country, the ones in Kathmandu, Dhulikhel, Narayangarh, Pokhara, and Butwal already running and the ones in Dhangadhi, Surkhet, Nepalgunj, Dang, Bhairahawa, Biratnagar, and Birtamode under construction. However, if you’re charging it at home, a 0 percent to 100 percent charge will take 29 hours.

Verdict

Before you are taken aback by the 29-hour charge time, remember we’re talking about a 0-100 percent charge here. That means you’ve driven close to 450 kilometers before deciding to recharge. On a daily basis you’re more likely to drive within a range of 15-20kms if you’re living in the city. That means a few hours of charging should have you ready for the next day. Even your weekend trips out of the valley should not pose a serious problem as long as you are smartly charging your vehicle. So that essentially ends the case for range anxiety. 

In terms of driving enjoyment, few others come close to what the Kia Niro EV brings to the table. Long gone are the days where EVs were considered boring. The Niro EV proves to be a driver’s car, at least in the context of Nepal, and especially at this price bracket. And because it is an electric vehicle, you are looking at a lower maintenance cost. You also get a seven-year warranty on the battery, which is a comforting deal for any buyer.  Kia Motors is looking to bring about a paradigm shift in the automotive industry, which now seems inevitable. We for one would not mind riding this wave of change in the impressive Kia Niro EV.

The cars that we’ve seen for the past one century all operate on a simple combus­tion process, well not all that simple… you fuel it with a tank of petrol or diesel and it will go vroom vrooooooom. The electric cars on the other hand are completely different, they don’t go vroom…. fill them up with a dose of Micheal Faraday and they will go hissssssssssss. Hybrid stands in the middle of this table so we wouldn’t be surprised if you had questions about the “Hybrid” badge on your newest car. Today, we will do just that… answer your questions.

What is a hybrid car?

Hybrid car is a result of attempts to decrease our dependence on fossil fuels like gasoline. It is called a hybrid as it is part gasoline and part electric. There is an electric motor as well as an internal combustion engine powering the vehicle.

How do hybrids work?

Instead of relying solely on a gasoline inter­nal combustion engine, hybrids use both a gas engine and electric motors. The ener­gy used by the electric motors are stores in rechargeable batteries. The ability to par­tially use electricity as a fuel means that you burn less gasoline. The computer system on a hybrid makes the decisions about which energy source to use at different times, based on maximizing efficiency while pro­viding the same level of safety and comfort as conventional cars.

When does one motor take over?

For the most part, a hybrid vehicle traveling in the congested roads of a city will probably be running on electric power. A hybrid vehicle that travels the speedy highways will probably run on the gasoline engine.

What’s the difference between a hybrid, a plug-in hybrid, and an electric car?

The main difference is that an electric car is fully electric while both the hybrid and plug-in hybrids are essentially petrol/diesel-electric. Hybrid cars use a combination of both petrol and electricity in order to power the car.

However, when it comes to the hybrid and plug-in hybrid, the difference is that the plug-in hybrid can be plugged in and charged. This allows it to go solely on electric pow­er for what is typically a range of 30 to 60 kilometers. In contrast, a standard hybrid charges its own battery when moving, allow­ing it to provide assistance in low speeds and in acceleration.

What are hybrid car batteries made of?

The battery of a hybrid car may be one of three types: lead-acid, nickel-metal hydride, and lithium-ion. Lithium-ion batteries are becoming the more commonly used battery type in newer hybrid and electric cars as they are comparably less toxic than lead-acid and nickel-metal hydride, less likely to lose their charge when not in use, and they offer good performance even in high temperatures. Moreover, they can be recharged rapidly and are lighter in weight compared to nickel-metal hydride batteries.

Are there different hybrids?

There are two types of hybrids: a Parallel Hybrid and a Series Parallel Hybrid. The sim­pler and less costly is the Parallel Hybrid. In this configuration the engine and the electric motor are blended together prior to trans­mission. A gasoline engine propels the vehi­cle and the electric motor provides an extra boost or takes control at slower speeds. The gasoline engine does not recharge the battery and regenerative braking is the only source of recharge power.

The configuration of the Series-Parallel Hybrid has the engine and the electric motor feed into the transmission from independent paths. This allows full power to be achieved by either the gasoline engine or the electric motor. The gasoline engine can both power the vehicle and charge the battery. In this con­figuration, the electric motor is used more to propel the vehicle.

What happens if my hybrid runs out of battery?

It’s unlikely that the battery of a standard hybrid will run out since it’s recharged by the vehicle’s movement. The driver doesn’t need to charge the battery in order for it to work. The plug-in hybrid is different in that it is charged at home, work or at a public charging station. However, if a plug-in hybrid car runs out of battery, it works much the same as a standard hybrid in that it will run on petrol or diesel. In contrast, running out of fuel will see a standard hybrid come to a stop since it is not designed to operate without fuel. However, a plug-in hybrid can run on electricity only with a typical range of 30 to 60 kilometers if fully charged.

Who shouldn’t buy a hybrid?

There are consumers who should stick with a non-hybrid when buying a new vehicle, specifically, people who don't drive their cars that often. The hybrid battery packs must be charged by consistent use, or they will not function correctly and may go bad. Even after sitting for just a week or more, a hybrid's bat­teries will be affected. If you’re not a consistent driver or you travel often and have to let your car sit, a hybrid is not the right choice for you.

Are there safety risks?

Under most conditions, hybrid cars have proven to be just as safe as conventional vehi­cles. However there are several exceptions to this rule. When operating at low speeds in “electric only” mode, hybrids are very quiet and may pose an increased risk to pedestrians, especially the blind. Studies have shown that a hybrid car can be virtually impossible to hear under urban conditions

Mahindra have a certain degree of quirkiness to their designs, and they have had both hits and misses in their lineup. We’d say they hit the nail right on the head with the Mahindra XUV 500 and the Scorpio. The Thar has amassed a cult following and even the Scorpio Pik Up looks absolutely amazing. However, there are models like the Mahindra KUV 100 and the Quanto that are difficult to love.

Regardless, Mahindra have always had a certain air of nonconformity to their products. And now there is the new XUV 300: Mahindra’s newest representative for the compact SUV segment. We thus have in front of us a completely non-quirky premium crossover.

Exterior

Exterior The XUV 300 adopts a conventional design language that looks classy and sporty, but still has a robust feel to it thanks to the boxy design. The car is solidly built with 68-percent high-strength steel. Thumb down on the door metal and there is very little flex.

Mahindra have had to keep the length of the XUV300 to under-four meters for tax savings, but they have not compromised on the profile design. The floating roofline with the blackened pillars improves the dynamism of the vehicle. The larger wheels give it a robust look and the side cladding and roof rails enhance its crossover appearance.

Much like the grilles seen on the XUV 500, the XUV 300 gets a piano black grille featuring a large Mahindra badge, a chrome strip on the top, and multiple small chrome inserts. Sleek DRLs are integrated in the projector headlight cluster and in a very unique way extend into the bumper, merging with the fog lights. Maybe they haven’t lost their quirkiness completely.

The rear haunches are one of our favorite things about how the XUV 300 looks. They add character to the appeal of the compact XUV 300. The rear has a neat little spoiler with integrated LED HMSL (High Mounted Stop Lamp). The taillights are beautifully styled and sit on either side of the well-sculpted tailgate. A large silver skid plate adds a sporty character to the rear.

Interior

On the inside you do see that a lot of hard plastic is used, but it is of high quality. The dashboard’s styling is functional. It has a ‘beige & black’ theme with silver inserts, while piano black has been used on the center fascia (climate control panel) and air-con vents. While the lower part of the dashboard is beige, the carpets and floor mats are black. Ergonomically, the cabin is well laid out and all controls are easy to find and reach.

If you and your passenger usually have trouble with the cabin temperature, you are in luck with the XUV 300 because you get a first-in-segment dual zone fully automatic climate control. You also get an option of a sunroof.

On the center console you get a 17.78cm touchscreen infotainment system (not available on the base variant) equipped with Bluetooth, AUX & USB connectivity, and it is compatible with Apple and Android Auto. It also doubles as a reversing camera display. On the instrument console display you get all the information you need. A useful one that comes to mind is the tyre position display for when you park and start out. The instrument console (with speedo and odometer) gets multicolor illumination, which is great.

Although the functionality is limited, you also get a Blue Sense App with Smart watch connectivity. The leatherette (artificial leather) seats are comfortable and provide adequate support to the thighs and back. All three passengers get adjustable headrest and three-point seat belts, which are cool to have. You can comfortably seat three people in the rear, even with taller individuals out on the front. These rear seats can be split 60:40 for flexible boot space. The boot space, however, is only 257 liters, the smallest in the segment, and the loading lip is also pretty high. 

On our hands we had the 1.5-liter diesel variant, one that claims to have the best in segment torque of 300Nm produced at 1500-2500rpm. These impressive numbers trans­late well when you’re driving. The unknowing heavy right foot of an unsuspecting driver will catapult you forwards with surprising menace. The engine properly wakes up at around 2,000 rpm and you instantly fall in love with it. And because of the strong torque reserve at the bottom end you will notice that you are not shifting gears too often.

You will also notice that the XUV 300 is geared more towards tarmac driving. Although it isn’t too fazed by unexpected road undulations, the suspension is definitely on the firmer side. Luckily, this makes it a peach for driving on pitched roads and on corners.

Speaking of corners, the XUV 300 gets the segment-first smart steering system that gives you the option of choosing between Comfort, Normal, and Sport modes. Although there isn’t a huge world of differences between the modes, we definitely noticed that the steering firms up and gives better feedback when put on sport mode. For open stretches and corners we stuck to the sport mode as well. In the city, we chose to try out the other two modes, which worked well, but we ultimately went back to sport mode again.

With a kerb weight of 1,360 kg, the diesel has a power-to-weight ratio of 85 BHP/ ton, is class-leading, and the power is handled well. Till date, all offerings from Mahindra in this segment have been old-school SUVs with body-on-frame constructions. This worked against them because most urban buyers today prefer more modern monocoque-based crossovers.

The XUV300 is the first with a monocoque construction, making it more car-like to drive. The top variant gets a segment-first seven air­bags. It is equipped with all-around disc brakes which come as standard, another segment-first. Other seg­ment-firsts include heated ORVMs, smart steering system, and front parking sensors.

Verdict

The XUV 300 is a great car. Although it appears to be a Sangyong Tivoli with its rear end chopped to squeeze into the 4-meter mark, the Mahindra XUV 300 is a completely new car. It uses Mahindra’s own engine and suspension, and all the body panels are new as well.

The performance is tremendously satisfying, and it makes up for the fact that it likes sticking to the tar­mac. Further, as Mahindra already have the TUV 300 for more rugged driving, it seems the XUV 300 has purposefully been made for smooth­er driving.

The little sibling to the XUV 500 does have one factor that will make buyers think twice: the price. May­be it’s because of the driving fun it offers, or the long list of seg­ment firsts offered; Mahindra have made the XUV 300 a decidedly premium offer.

The much-awaited XPulse will be avail­able in NADA in two variants—an adven­ture-focused XPulse 200 and a touring-fo­cused XPulse 200T. The XPulse 200 and the XPulse 200T are powered by the same 199.6cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine from the Xtreme 200R, but Hero will likely tune the engine differently on the XPulse variants. The XPulse 200 and XPulse 200T will both feature single-channel ABS, LED lighting at both ends, a digital instrument cluster with Bluetooth connectivity and navigation, and a windscreen for better wind protection.

Speaking of the XPulse 200, the motor­cycle gets a long-travel suspension and larger spoked wheels (21-inch up front and 18-inch at the rear) wrapped in knobby wire-spoked tires. It makes use of a box-section swingarm and a mono­shock rear suspension at the rear, and telescopic forks at the front. The front forks have 190mm travel while the gas-charged monoshock at the rear has 170mm travel. It also features a luggage rack, knuckle guards, a high-mounted exhaust for better water-wading capability, and a sump guard.

On the other hand, the XPulse 200T is the touring version of the XPulse 200 and gets revised ergonomics, a lower ground clearance of 30mm than the XPulse 200, taller gearing, and 17-inch alloy wheels shod with a 100/80-sec­tion tire at the front and a 130/70-section tire at the rear.