My name is Niro

Getting to know Kia’s latest hybrid model.

Kia needed a small Juke-style compact Crossover model. And it also wanted a hybrid able to appeal to buyers who can’t quite stretch to a Toyota Prius.

The Niro smartly packages up both requirements into one potentially appealing product.

Under the bonnet lies a 1.6-litre petrol/ electric hybrid powerplant of the non-plug-in variety. The petrol unit puts out 104bhp and that’s bolstered by a 43.5bhp electric motor mounted on the transmission. Together, the two power units produce 139bhp.

As you’d expect from a hybrid, regenerative braking is used to send power back to the battery, but Kia says it’s paid special attention to brake feel, reducing the grabby nature that you get from the brakes in other hybrids.

A series of measures have been adopted to ensure low levels of noise, vibration and harshness. These include specially-designed asymmetric engine mounts to manage powertrain movements at each point in the front subframe, high density under-bonnet insulation and a sound-deadening acoustic shield with a special support structure to improve the sound of the engine accelerating across the most used range of engine speeds.

There are four Niro trim grades currently on offer: ‘1’, ‘2’,‘3’ and ‘First Edition’. Pricing starts from around £21,000. All are comprehensively equipped with comfort, luxury, connectivity and driver assistance features.

Headline efficiency figures can’t match those of the Prius but they’re still pretty impressive: 74.3mpg on the combined cycle and 88g/km of CO2.

That’s achieved using some impressive tech. The Niro uses a Lithium-Ion Polymer battery that is both compact and powerful – so much so Kia has been able to do away with a 12v battery in the car.

Not everyone wants the noise, smell and extra expense of a diesel engine.

Well if you don’t, then here’s a way of getting diesel economy with petrol convenience in a fashionable-looking package.

Picture: Newspress. The Kia Niro.