Kia Syros EV Test-Drive Review: Why Practicality Outweighs Quirky Looks

When photos of the Kia Syros first surfaced, reactions were fiercely split. The upright tallboy greenhouse, chunky B-pillar, and boxy silhouette made it look unlike anything else in the sub-4-metre footprint.

Getting behind the wheel, however, reveals that the Kia Syros EV is engineered with purpose. By trading sleek coupe lines for vertical packaging, Kia created one of the most practical, spacious, and stress-free electric cars for crowded Indian city roads.

Starting at ₹13.49 Lakh (ex-showroom) or ₹7.99 Lakh under the Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) program the Syros EV brings a refreshing emphasis on passenger comfort and usable interior space over superficial styling.

Core Specifications At A Glance

The Rear Seat Trump Card: A Sub-4M Limousine

The biggest surprise during the test drive is the second row. While compact SUVs like the Tata Nexon EV or Mahindra XUV400 prioritize exterior curves, the Syros maximizes occupant volume inside its 3,995 mm footprint.

• Sliding and Deep Reclining Mechanism: Available from the HTX trim upward, the rear seats slide forward and back on rails while reclining far further than conventional upright benches. Pushed back, legroom rivals vehicles two segments above.

• Under-Thigh Support and Foot Placement: Because the floor battery pack is engineered flat without raising the floor height excessively, tall passengers don’t sit in a knees-up posture.

• Airy Glasshouse: The massive dual-pane panoramic sunroof combined with tall side windows floods the cabin with light, completely eliminating the claustrophobia common in sweeping coupe crossovers.

• The Four-Adult Sweet Spot: While the car easily accommodates four tall adults with exceptional legroom, the cabin width is tailored for two adults and a child in the back, rather than three broad adults.

Driving Dynamics: City Refinement Over Track Aggression

The Syros EV Extended Range utilizes the proven 51.4 kWh powertrain paired with a 169 bhp motor. It doesn't attempt to pin you against the headrest like a performance sports car; instead, it delivers smooth, linear, and effortless power.

• Linear Throttle Response: In Normal Mode, power delivery mimics a refined petrol automatic. There are no sudden jerky torque spikes, making stop-and-go city traffic effortless.

• Sport Mode Overtakes: Dropping the drive selector into Sport Mode sharpens accelerator sensitivity and weights up the steering noticeably, making short-distance overtakes on two-lane undivided state highways crisp and instant.

• Paddle-Shift Regenerative Braking & iPEDAL: Four levels of energy recuperation are available via tactile steering paddles. Holding the left paddle engages iPEDAL (true single-pedal driving), which brings the SUV to a complete halt without touching the brake pedal and holds it on uphill flyover slopes.

• Ride Comfort: The suspension setup leans toward compliance. On 16-inch wheels, low-speed pothole absorption is plush and quiet. The 17-inch alloys on top trims carry slight firmness over sharp road expansion joints, but the chassis stays planted and predictable at triple-digit expressway speeds.

Interior Fit, Controls & Boot Flexibility

Kia avoided the industry trend of burying every simple command inside laggy touchscreen submenus:

• Tactile Physical Buttons: Physical toggle keys for dual-zone climate control, drive modes, and ventilated seats remain placed right where your hand expects them.

• Dual 12.3-Inch Curved Glass Cockpit: Clear graphics, crisp response, and native wireless Apple CarPlay / Android Auto integration.

• Dual-Tier Cargo Flexibility: With the rear seats slid forward, the boot expands from 390 litres to a generous 465 litres, easily accommodating four airport suitcases under the parcel tray.

What Could Be Better?

1. Wind Noise at Highway Speeds: Due to its upright A-pillars and upright windscreen, wind noise becomes audible around the side mirrors above 85–90 km/h.

2. Variant Equipment Spacing: Key safety systems like Level 2 ADAS and bidirectional V2L charging are locked exclusively into the top-tier X-Line model, leaving mid trims missing out on some core electric tech.

3. Space-Saver Spare Wheel: The EV carries a 125-section donut spare wheel rather than the full-sized tyre found on the ICE variant to clear space for underfloor wiring.

The Verdict: Who Should Buy the Kia Syros EV?

If you judge cars purely by aerodynamic, sporty silhouettes, the Syros EV won't immediately charm you on the showroom floor.

Spend an hour driving it in city traffic and sitting in the back seat, however, and the design makes complete sense. With effortless city maneuverability, outstanding second-row legroom, a 526 km claimed range, and a sub-₹8 Lakh BaaS entry point, the Kia Syros EV is one of the most sensible, comfort-focused urban family electric vehicles on the market today