Kia Niro Hybrid
Hybrid SUV’s facelift brings more tech and new dash
Revised version of electrified SUV hits the road
THE Koreans, for whatever reason, don’t conform to the industry’s standardised seven-year product cycles. So, barely three years after the launch of the Kia Niro, we’re in the driver’s seat of its mid-life facelift.
Revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in the spring, the Hybrid and Plug-in models get all the usual updates: a fresh face, tweaked bumpers and new alloy wheel designs. There’s some new trim inside, too, as well as improved tech.
While it would be a stretch to suggest that this Niro is instantly recognisable as the facelifted car, the styling is certainly sharper than before. The new LED daytime running lights give the crossover a betterdefined signature, while the updated rear light clusters offer a subtle improvement on the old car’s plainer design. Its chunky body continues to give it the edge over the polarising Toyota Prius, too.
It’s inside where prospective buyers will notice the biggest differences to this latest Niro. The entry-level, 2-trimmed model gets an eight-inch display, but 3-spec cars and above have a slick new 10.25-inch touchscreen which sits neatly in the middle of the dash. With our car’s fresh seven-inch digital instrument cluster, it’s the kind of set-up you’d expect in a top-spec BMW, rather than a sub-£30k Kia crossover.
It all works really well; the central screen is clear and responsive to the touch, and with standard-fit Android and Apple connectivity, it’s easy to use your smartphone’s functions on the move. The whole set-up feels beautifully integrated, although it’s a shame you can’t get the map (only limited nav directions here) to display within the dials – as you might in an Audi.
Overall, interior quality feels solid, with only a few cheap and scratchy plastics within reach. The kit list for our flagship 4-spec test car includes everything from heated and ventilated leather seats to wireless phone charging and an eightspeaker JBL stereo. The things you touch most often are nicely screwed together and visibility is decent – helped by the standard-fit reversing camera.
“This is not a fast car, yet it’ll soothe its way up to 60mph with minimal fuss”
Connected
Also new on this revised Niro is Kia’s UVO Connect Services. Mimicking many premium manufacturers’ take on ‘live’ connected services, the Niro can now provide real-time information on things such as the traffic and weather. There’s a downloadable smartphone app, too, allowing owners to check things like trip info.
The three powertrain choices (Hybrid, Plug-in and Electric) remain – although the e-Niro EV version only went on sale late last year, so just the HEV and PHEV models have been tweaked for now.
Kia has left everything under the skin alone, which means the (non-plug-in) Hybrid we’re driving here carries over the 1.6-litre petrol engine and electric motor, producing 139bhp and 265Nm of torque.
The Niro starts up in its Eco setting by default; this works wonders for its fuel economy, but hampers the performance somewhat. This is not a fast car, yet take things easy and it’ll soothe and relax its way up to the national speed limit without fuss.
It’s hushed around town, too, running for short distances on electric power alone. But when the engine does kick in it’s more intrusive than in the latest Toyota Prius, and we prefer that car’s CVT gearbox, too.
Few buyers will ever care to hustle the Niro down a bendy back road, but those who do will find it handles neatly and predictably. Again, the Toyota’s chassis has the edge, but the Kia’s steering is direct and the brakes progressive; there’s none of the violent regeneration found in the e-Niro.
But arguably the biggest reason you buy a hybrid is for its low emissions and running costs – and while the Niro is among the cleanest SUVs on sale, it can’t come close to the penny-pinching Prius. Even the flashiest version of the Toyota emits just 82g/km of CO2, which puts it one Benefit-in-Kind tax band lower than the Kia in top-spec trim.