BRITAIN'S car companies weren't best pleased with the government when it reduced the plug-in car grant from £3,000 to £2,500 last week - but many of them are reacting positively by making their electric models more affordable.

Kia is the latest to offer buyers a better incentive to go electric - in the shape of a new plug-in version of the e-Niro which the company claims offers a longer range for the money than any of its competitors.

The new e-Niro 2 Long Range, comes with the same long-range 64kWh battery pack and high-power 150kW motor which was previously only available on higher-specification e-Niro models, while coming with a £34,945 price-tag before the government grant.

That means it's priced just below the newly introduced £35,000 qualifying price limit for a government grant, so will end up costing £32,445 after the grant discount is applied.

With the more powerful power train, the e-Niro 2 is capable of travelling up to 282 miles on a single charge and up to 382 miles in city driving, according to official test figures. Kia reckons that's comparable to far more expensive EVs

While it's a couple of grand cheaper than the higher-spec e-Niro 3 with the same battery pack and motor it comes with plenty of fitted as standard equipment including an eight-inch touchscreen display, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, 17-inch alloys, reversing camera system and rear parking sensors, smart cruise control with stop and go, smart key and button start. It also features Kia's innovative EV heat pump system, which recycles heat to warm the cabin and maximise driving range, particularly in cold weather.

The e-Niro was the UK's best-selling battery EV during the first two months of 2021, accounting for almost one in five of all nationwide EV sales up to the end of February.