Kia introduce their newest additions, the e-Niro and Robert De Niro.

This week Kia Motors UK Ltd introduced their newest addition to their fleet the e-Niro, due in 2019.  As well as launching the car, they shared their collaboration with acting legend Robert De Niro leading their new advertising campaign.

The e-Niro, which claims to have a 301-mile range on a single charge is part of a larger Niro family which currently includes a hybrid and plug-in hybrid variant.   They hope the new addition will be a catalyst for electric cars, “breaking down obstacles to electric vehicle ownership in a way that few others have.” says Artur Martins, Vice President for Marketing and Product Planning at Kia Motors Europe.

That 301 miles of range is one of the longer ranges in the world of EVs and it’s possible thanks to a 64-kilowatt-hour battery pack, regenerative braking and a feature that gives the driver suggestions on when to coast or brake to further optimize the system.  The e-Niro has a 64 kWh battery pack which is teamed with a 150kW electric motor producing 201 horsepower and 291 pound-feet of torque.

The vehicle comes as standard with a smaller 39.2 kWh battery, which has a 100 kW electric motor and offers a driving range of up to 193 miles on a single charge under the WLTP cycle.*

Using Robert De Niro to introduce the car on a short ‘coming soon’ sneak peek video released across social media platforms, Kia didn’t give much away with just a quick glimpse of the vehicle being shared, the focus being on the star himself.

The partnership with the high profile actor is a smart move by Kia – recognised worldwide and already popular on social media, Kia is confident that De-Niro is the man for the job.  Could the e-Niro be a game changer in the world of electric cars? We’ll have to wait and see!

*Source: techcrunch.com

Image courtesy of Autocar