KIA ROLLING OUT A HYBRID CROSSOVER
Kia’s newest vehicle, the 2017 Niro, is the lowest-priced, gasoline-electric hybrid SUV on the market and is rated as high as 55 miles per gallon in combined city/highway travel.
No manufacturer’s suggested retail price is yet available in Canada for a front-wheel drive, five-seat Niro FE with four-cylinder engine mated to an electric motor and lithium ion battery pack to generate a total of 139 horsepower.
But in the U.S. the affordable base price — which isn’t applicable here — includes an automatic transmission, rearview camera, keyless entry, cruise control, seven air bags, Bluetooth handsfree phone connectivity, audio controls on the steering wheel and a 7-inch display screen in the middle of the dashboard.
While affordability is the Niro’s most attractive trait, this small SUV also appeals with its comfortable seating positions, pleasant driving traits, decent passenger space and flexible, SUV-like cargo room.
Similar in size to the 2017 Honda HR-V and Buick Encore small SUVs, the fivedoor Niro slots below the Sportage as Kia’s smallest SUV.
The Niro is sold only as a hybrid, so the onboard electric motor and lithium ion battery pack supplement the rather meagre power — 104 horsepower and 109 foot-pounds of torque — of the 1.6litre, double overhead cam, direct injection, four-cylinder engine.
Maximum horsepower totals 139, while torque can peak quickly at 195 foot-pounds to move the Niro in plucky, but not overtly sporty, fashion.
There’s no droning or stressing of a continuously variable transmission in the Niro during acceleration as there are in most other gas-electric hybrids.
Kia uses a six-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission in the Niro for more natural-feeling gearing and responsiveness. It worked well most of the time in the test Niro Touring model. But occasionally, the transition between power sources felt less than seamless.
Regenerative braking and the engine help replenish the battery pack, but a plug-in Niro is due later in 2017.
The top fuel mileage of roughly 57 mpg in city driving and 53 mpg in Canada on highways is for the base, Niro FE model, which weighs the least. City mileage is rated higher than highway mileage because the electric power is able to assist more often in city travel.
The test Niro Touring, which is the heaviest of all Niros at well over 3,200 pounds, averaged 43.8 mpg during the test drive with some aggressive driving. This real world mileage translated to an impressive 739 kilometres on a single tank of fuel.
The Niro, which is wider than the HRV and Encore, felt stable and roomy and had an unexpectedly quiet interior.
Back-seat passengers have 37.4 inches of legroom, while there’s nearly 42 inches for front-seat riders. Headroom all around is more than 39 inches.
The luxury features in the Touring model included heated and ventilated front seats, memory driver seat, blind spot monitor, rear cross traffic alert, turn signals in the outside mirrors, front and rear park assist, leather, sunroof, 18-inch wheels, and premium audio.
Outside styling is mainstream and not particularly memorable, but everything was easy to understand and well organized inside the Niro.
Rear seatbacks fold down flat to expand cargo space. The cargo floor sits up at bumper level, so there’s no lifting heavy objects up and out.
All-wheel drive is not offered on the Niro, and towing capacity is limited.