Kia e-Niro or Niro EV: Do you need the newer model?

You do not necessarily need the newer Niro EV for three-phase charging. It was already available as an option on the older e-Niro. For towing a trailer, however, another difference matters: the Niro EV considered here is rated to tow 750 kg with a braked trailer, but only 300 kg with an unbraked trailer. A towbar on the older e-Niro may instead be intended for a bike rack. The supporting evidence is in the sections below.

The choice therefore starts with your everyday needs: do you need to carry bikes, tow a trailer or recharge within a few hours? Only once you know that can you judge what the newer car adds for you.

We compare the all-electric first-generation e-Niro with the 64-kWh battery and its successor, the Niro EV designated 64.8 kWh. The e-Niro with the smaller battery, the Niro Hybrid and the Niro Plug-in Hybrid are not included here.

ADAC lists the older e-Niro under the model-series code DE and the Niro EV offered from 2022 under SG2. The figures below each refer to named versions and model periods. Both electric versions in this comparison have a power output of 150 kW (204 PS). That power figure alone therefore does not help you identify the generation. ADAC: e-Niro Edition 7, 01/2020–07/2021 · ADAC: Niro EV Inspiration, 07/2022–09/2024

For an unclear listing, ask for the exact model and trim version. The almost identical battery designations also do not establish how much energy the battery in the car on offer can still store today.

In its October 2019 test of the early e-Niro Spirit, ADAC recorded that it was not approved to tow a trailer. By contrast, in a July 2021 announcement about its Kia offer, ADAC SE described the e-Niro with the 64-kWh battery and a 100 kg vertical load limit for carrying bicycles on an optional towbar. These figures concern different model versions and different uses. ADAC test 2019, page 2 · ADAC SE, 2 July 2021

The later announcement does not prove that every older e-Niro can be fitted with a towbar or tow a trailer. So the useful follow-up question for a listing that says “towbar” is: is it intended only for a bike rack on this car, or is a towing limit also documented?

Ask for the documents for both the car and the towbar. For a bike rack alone, check the permitted combination of rack and bicycles. For towing a trailer, a vertical load figure is not enough.

For the Niro EV Inspiration from July 2022 to September 2024, ADAC lists the following manufacturer figures:

Source: ADAC, Niro EV Inspiration, “Dimensions and weights” section.

For an unbraked trailer, the prominent 750 kg figure in a listing is therefore the wrong figure to compare. Note which trailer you plan to use and how much it will weigh when loaded. Then have the documents for the specific car, towbar and trailer checked to see whether they cover that combination. The table does not replace that check.

If the figures do not meet your needs, a lower purchase price will not help either. You should then consider other models. Our comparison of used i4, iX1 and Enyaq models for towing (German) covers three precisely identified variants for this purpose.

The early e-Niro in ADAC's 2019 test charged on AC using only one phase. That does not describe every later e-Niro, however. For the 64-kWh Edition 7 with the model period January 2020 to July 2021, ADAC lists three-phase AC charging at 10.5 kW as an option. Three-phase charging is standard on the Niro EV Inspiration tested in 2022. ADAC, e-Niro Edition 7: “Manufacturer figures” · ADAC Niro EV test, page 11

AC means alternating current, as supplied by a wallbox or many public charging points. Whether your charging point and the car work together is more important to your choice than the name on the tailgate.

You can therefore look specifically for an e-Niro with a documented three-phase on-board charger. Do not rely on the year of manufacture alone or a claim that it is “fast-charge capable”. Ask for the equipment list or confirmation for that specific vehicle. A reference to CCS concerns DC fast charging and does not answer the AC question.

If your car regularly spends a long time at a charging point, a slower AC version may be sufficient. With only a few hours available, check more closely how much energy you can add there. You do not need the newer Niro EV simply to have three-phase charging.

The manufacturer data in the two ADAC tests lists 451 litres for the 2019 e-Niro Spirit and 475 litres for the 2022 Niro EV Inspiration, both with the rear seats upright. That is a difference of 24 litres. These are the published manufacturer figures, not ADAC's own boot measurements, which differ. e-Niro, page 12 · Niro EV: Manufacturer data

The litre figure does not tell you whether your pushchair, dog crate or holiday luggage fits better. Bring the largest item you regularly need to the viewing, or measure it beforehand. Also check whether you can still reach charging cables and other frequently used items when the car is loaded.

A later e-Niro can remain an option if its documented charging equipment suits your charging point, you do not need to tow a trailer and your luggage fits. To carry bicycles, also check the specific rack arrangement. You do not automatically need the newer generation for that.

The Niro EV becomes particularly interesting if you can actually make use of its documented towing capacity or its layout suits you better. That is not yet a recommendation for a particular car. Service records, battery evidence, condition and purchase price belong in the comparison for both cars.

So do not just compare two asking prices. Write down which required features are documented for each car and which are still unclear. An e-Niro that fits your needs and has the supporting documents can be a more useful candidate than a newer car whose key details are unresolved. This research does not establish a generally reasonable premium for the newer generation.

If you are deciding between the two generations, Vehilo Search Support helps you turn your requirements into suitable variants and search criteria. It does not replace a technical inspection or vehicle-specific approval of a car-and-trailer combination.

Sources checked on 9 October 2026. The article draws on the ADAC tests named above, the manufacturer data they contain and a historical announcement by ADAC SE about its Kia offer. Research and text were produced with AI assistance. Vehilo did not drive, charge or test a Niro with a trailer for this article. The sources describe versions offered at the time, not current used-car prices or the condition of an individual car.