Kia Niro EV S 2024 price rises $1290, new tech inclusions are well worth it

Kia Australia has announced that the Kia Niro EV S will have a 2024 refresh that includes the same larger and more modern 10.25 inch infotainment screen equipped with built-in Kia Sat Nav (7 years free updates) and Kia Connect remote control app (7 years of service included) as the higher spec GT-Line version. These new features come with a $1290 price rise.

The new prices before on road costs are $72,360 for the GT-Line and $66,590 for the S model.

The flagship Kia Niro EV GT-Line also rose in price (by $260) but it still has the same specifications as before.

I spoke with a Kia Australia spokesperson this afternoon and they confirmed:

“There is a very small number of MY23 Niro EV S available in the dealer network, however these won’t last long, and all future orders of Niro EV S will be MY24”.

“Niro EV variants are in good supply, we can’t supply an exact number as it does change on a regular basis”.

“If a customer were to order one (Niro EV S or GT-Line) through a dealer today, they can expect delivery within 3 months”.

I have recently test driven media loan Kia Niro EV GT-Line and Kia Niro EV S models, both for a week and a half.

The interior of the current Kia Niro EV S 2022/2023 version that I drove last month is pictured below, so you can see the 8 inch central infotainment and system menu screen.

It’s perfectly functional but looks odd with so much empty space around it and while using it I could tell it was running an older and less nice looking version of Kia and Hyundai’s shared car user interface software.

Since there is no built-in Sat Nav you have to use either wireless Android Auto or Carplay to see live maps as you drive.

Since I drove the higher spec Kia Niro EV GT-Line (pictured above) a few months ago I can say that the base S model getting the same central infotainment system software and screen, Kia Sat Nav maps and Kia Connect app (all pictured below from the GT-Line I tested) is a really big upgrade in usability so well worth the extra $1290 price rise.

Both the Kia Niro EV GT-Line and Kia Niro EV S impressed me during my longer test drives such as the one below, they’re both designed to provide a smooth driving experience and great energy consumption efficiency.