Familiarity breeds content

Thanks to its low CO2 emissions and the equally low tax rates they permit, the Kia Niro is a tempting proposition as reports

There’s something familiar about the Niro, but it’s an all-new car. Sitting perilously close to the Sportage, but nevertheless at the foot of Kia’s SUV range, the jacked-up hatchback is the first car Kia has designed solely to be a hybrid.

As a result, almost every single thing about the Niro is new. There’s a new chassis supporting a new powertrain, and the whole lot is covered by a completely new body. Only a few interior trimmings have come straight from the Kia parts bin.

At launch, the only engine option is a 1.6-litre fourcylinder petrol unit assisted by an electric motor, although Kia is promising a plug-in hybrid for 2017.

At first glance, the Niro is unmistakably a Kia – that tiger-nose grille and the slanting lights ensure it sticks to the brand’s signature ‘face’ – but placing it is a little more difficult. Is it a jacked-up, beefed-up Cee’d? Or is it a shrunken Sportage? Either way, it’s reasonably good looking. Inside, it has that same familiar-yet-new look, which has come as a result of pinching important parts such as the infotainment system from the Sportage, but adding its own bespoke panels.

The Niro is larger than the 500X it competes with, but only by a few centimetres. Nonetheless, that difference, combined with the Kia’s less wantonly stylish body and better packaging, means the