Compare the2026 Ford Mustang Mach-EVS 2026 Kia Niro EV

Both the Mustang Mach-E and Niro EV have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Mustang Mach-E has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Niro EV’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Mustang Mach-E has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Niro EV doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The Mustang Mach-E offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Niro EV doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Mustang Mach-E offers an optional 360-Degree Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Niro EV only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Mustang Mach-E and the Niro EV have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E weighs 591 to 1254 pounds more than the Kia Niro EV. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E (built after August 2024) has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Niro EV has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2025.

The Mustang Mach-E’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Niro EV runs out after 100,000 miles.

There are almost 4 times as many Ford dealers as there are Kia dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Mustang Mach-E’s warranty.

The Mustang Mach-E’s standard electric motor produces 63 more horsepower (264 vs. 201) and 199 lbs.-ft. more torque (387 vs. 188) than the Niro EV’s electric motor. The Mustang Mach-E eAWD’s standard electric motors produces 124 more horsepower (325 vs. 201) and 312 lbs.-ft. more torque (500 vs. 188) than the Niro EV’s electric motor. The Mustang Mach-E ER eAWD’s standard electric motors produces 169 more horsepower (370 vs. 201) and 312 lbs.-ft. more torque (500 vs. 188) than the Niro EV’s electric motor. The Mustang Mach-E ER’s standard electric motor produces 171 more horsepower (372 vs. 201) and 199 lbs.-ft. more torque (387 vs. 188) than the Niro EV’s electric motor. The Mustang Mach-E GT Performance/Rally’s standard electric motors produces 279 more horsepower (480 vs. 201) and 512 lbs.-ft. more torque (700 vs. 188) than the Niro EV’s electric motor.

As tested in Motor Trend the Mustang Mach-E ER eAWD electric motors is faster than the Kia Niro EV:

The Mustang Mach-E can travel longer on a full charge than the Niro EV on a full charge:

For better stopping power the Mustang Mach-E’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Niro EV:

The Mustang Mach-E stops much shorter than the Niro EV:

For better traction, the Mustang Mach-E has larger standard tires than the Niro EV (225/55R19 vs. 215/55R17). The Mustang Mach-E GT’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Niro EV (245/45R20 vs. 215/55R17).

The Mustang Mach-E GT’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Niro EV’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Mustang Mach-E has standard 19-inch wheels. Only 17-inch wheels are available on the Niro EV. The Mustang Mach-E GT has standard 20-inch wheels.

The Mustang Mach-E offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Niro EV’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Mustang Mach-E Select/Premium’s wheelbase is 10.5 inches longer than on the Niro EV (117.5 inches vs. 107 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Mustang Mach-E is 1.6 inches wider in the front and 1.2 inches wider in the rear than on the Niro EV.

The Mustang Mach-E GT handles at .92 G’s, while the Niro EV Wave pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Mustang Mach-E GT executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the Niro EV Wave (25.9 seconds @ .7 average G’s vs. 27.3 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

The Mustang Mach-E has 1.8 inches more front legroom, 2.1 inches more front hip room, 1.3 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear headroom, 1.2 inches more rear legroom, .5 inches more rear hip room and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Niro EV.

The Mustang Mach-E has a much larger cargo volume than the Niro EV with its rear seat up (29.7 vs. 22.8 cubic feet).

The Mustang Mach-E’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Niro EV’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. With the Niro EV Wave’s power windows, only the front windows open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Mustang Mach-E the driver can close all of them from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Niro EV can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Mustang Mach-E’s exterior PIN entry system. The Niro EV doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Mustang Mach-E’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Niro EV’s standard projector halogen headlights and light instantly. LED lights also last over twenty times longer than halogen.

Consumer Reports rated the Mustang Mach-E’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Niro EV’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Ford Mustang Mach-E and the Kia Niro EV, based on reliability, safety and performance.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Mustang Mach-E as the 2021 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The Niro EV has never been chosen.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E outsold the Kia Niro by 66% during 2025.