The Kia Niro has grown in recognition since its launch again in 2016. Even now, as its first technology is about to be supplanted by an all-new Niro, it’s had a 27 p.c enhance in gross sales. That’s no simple feat however the Niro has made a reputation for itself as a versatile, sensible, and value-oriented crossover. Actually, the 2023 Kia Niro goes to have some large sneakers to fill.
To seek out out if it’s getting off on the best foot we spent three days with the brand new Korean folks mover. Now that we’ve had an opportunity to expertise all three of the brand new Niros coming to America we really feel assured that its improved refinement could have prospects persevering with to line up at Kia sellers throughout the nation.
Fast Details › › ›
› Mannequin: 2023 Kia Niro
› Beginning MSRP: $27,785 Hybrid / $33,740 Plug-in Hybrid
› Powertrains: 1.6-L Turbo’d Hybrid / PHEV / EV l 6-Pace Automated / Direct drive l FWD
› Base Output: 139 Hp (103 kW) / 195 lb-ft (264 kW)
› EPA: 53 MPG Metropolis / 54 MPG Freeway (Hybrid)
› On Sale: Hybrid – Now / PHEV & EV – Late 2022 Early 2023
Styling That Goals To Stand Out
Separating your self in a sea of crossovers is not any simple feat. The designers at Hyundai approached that downside with just a few distinctive options. On its face, the Niro makes use of “Heartbeat” daytime operating lights that look just a little just like the visualization of what a heartbeat appears like on an EKG machine. It’s putting sufficient that recognizing a Niro in site visitors behind you need to be fairly easy. The 2 headlights sit throughout an up to date “Tiger Nostril” entrance finish.
As well as, large vertical tail lights adorn every higher nook of the crossover with sharp angles and arduous creases. They’re really extra pronounced when viewing the automobile from the facet than they’re if you’re behind it and so they assist to shorten the Niro to the thoughts’s eye by seeming to wrap the automobile up in a tighter bundle than it really takes up in actual house.
In fact, we will’t keep away from speaking in regards to the large side-blade panel simply forward of these tail gentle housings. Each Niro out there to us all through our testing time had a special shade on that blade than the principle shade of the physique itself. That panel is a direct tie again to the Kia Habaniro Idea however don’t count on to see it so typically on public roads. It additionally has a really small and barely useful air channel simply beneath the panel.
For many who don’t need to stand out, Kia guarantees that the majority Niro fashions will include a color-matched facet blade. Actually, it expects {that a} pretty small subset of Niro prospects will particularly hunt down one with a facet blade that stands out.
A Modern And Fashionable Inside
Open the big doorways and one will discover that ingress is kind of simple. The cabin itself options what Kia calls a Parametric design and it intently resembles that of the EV6. Most Niros may even include a panoramic digital dashboard that includes two 10.25-inch LCD screens that function the infotainment system and the gauge cluster respectively.
Beneath that’s the identical dual-use touch-sensitive local weather management/media management panel discovered within the EV6. We didn’t like it once we examined that automobile however admittedly, the system is simpler to make use of as one turns into extra aware of it. A number of energy factors exist just under the system together with USB, USB-C, and a wi-fi charging pad.
Typical hybrid Niros will get a standard gear shift lever within the middle console space whereas PHEV and EV Niro prospects will use a dial to pick out gears. All three powertrains share the identical format in any other case with a Begin/Cease button together with controls for seat heating and cooling, parking sensor deactivation, and extra.
Total, it’s a good-looking cabin with supplies that both meet or exceed expectations for a automobile on this worth level. That optimistic impression is bolstered additional by seating that’s spacious, supportive, and comfy general. At no level did I (a man who’s 6’6 ft / 198cm tall) really feel cramped or uncomfortable resulting from house. With the entrance seats arrange the place I wish to drive I nonetheless had loads of rear seat house for my knees too.
If there’s something to knock it is likely to be the considerably drab door playing cards and the big slabs of cheaper plastic that make up massive elements of them. Nonetheless, small touches just like the superbly detailed Harmon Kardon speaker grilles and the superb switchgear greater than make up for it in our eyes.
Kia additionally presents some 22.8 cubic-feet price of cargo house behind these rear seats. It says that it’s now the best-in-class in relation to cargo room within the section. The Niro EV additionally has a small storage space beneath the entrance trunk however to contemplate it a severe frunk could be unreasonable we expect. It barely suits my on a regular basis carry bag as you possibly can see beneath.
A Full Lineup Of Environment friendly Econoboxes
The 2023 Kia Niro would be the solely automobile bought in America with three distinct electrified powertrains. To make clear, it’ll be out there with a standard hybrid engine, a plug-in hybrid engine, or as a fully-electric automobile, all of which make use of front-wheel drive solely. What meaning on paper is a dramatic distinction in energy, pricing, and efficiency metrics.
The Niro HEV will arrive with 5 totally different trim ranges, LX, EX, EX Touring, SX, and SX Touring. All will share the identical 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that develops 139 hp (103 kW) and 195 lb-ft (264 kW) of torque. Kia says that it’ll stand up to 54 mpg on the freeway (53 mixed) which might make it one of the best of its class by far. It will additionally provide as much as 588 miles of vary on a single refill.
The Niro PHEV is available in solely two trims at launch, EX, and SX. Identical to the HEV model, the PHEV makes use of the identical 1.6-liter engine and a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. Due to the extra energy from the 11.1 kWh battery, the PHEV develops 180 hp (134 kW) and may go as much as 33 miles (53 km) on battery energy alone. That’s seven extra miles (11 km) than the outgoing Niro PHEV. In accordance with Kia it will get 108 MPGe.
Learn Extra: We’re Driving The 2023 Kia Niro: What Do You Need To Know About It?
Lastly, the Niro EV develops 201 hp (149 kW) and 188 lb-ft (254 Nm) of torque. Powering that motor is a 64.8 kWh battery pack with a most charging pace of 85 kW. As a unit, the Niro EV has a 253-mile (407 km) driving vary and an elective head pump for these in colder climates.
Pricing has but to be introduced for the Niro EV as of this writing. Those that go for the EV will get 500 kWh price of free charging at Electrify America stations to sweeten the deal although. It’s additionally price noting that in the interim, the Niro EV doesn’t qualify for a federal tax credit score. For an in depth breakdown of pricing for the Niro HEV, which begins at $27,785, or $1,800 greater than its predecessor, see this text. As for the Niro Plug-in Hybrid, it’s supplied in two trims, the EX from $33,740, and the SX Touring from $39,490, with neither worth together with a $1,295 vacation spot payment.
Expertise For The Plenty
Each Niro no matter powertrain or trim stage goes to return chock filled with know-how. From a security standpoint, its superior driver help programs embody ahead collision mitigation, blind-spot warning, blind-spot avoidance help, lane-keep help, secure exit warning, driver consideration warning, and high-beam help.
Consider too that each mannequin except for the bottom Niro HEV LX trim may even get stop-and-go adaptive cruise management, ahead collision avoidance help, and rear parking sensors. Navigation-based sensible cruise management and freeway driving help applied sciences are each elective throughout the HEV vary whereas the previous is customary on PHEV fashions. Niro EVs get nearly each security know-how as customary.
In addition they have a brand new elective Freeway Driving Help II bundle that features automated lane-changing functionality and machine studying software program that’s stated to be taught your driving fashion and mimic it over time.
On high of that vital gear, the Niro’s pair of 10.25-inch screens within the sprint provide an above-average consumer expertise. Graphically, the interface is simple to see and the format is logical and simple to navigate. It additionally options numerous helpful instruments like quiet mode, deeper local weather controls, and infographics on how the drivetrain is performing.
We additionally actually like how the system offers customers a really clear image of how a lot vary they’ve remaining. For instance, within the PHEV Niro, that information contains the out there electrical vary and gasoline vary individually in addition to mixed. It’ll even present you charging stations with out having to seek for them.
Our solely actual gripe is that the gauge cluster itself isn’t as configurable as we’d like. Every powertrain has its personal distinctive show which is good however we’d like to see extra freedom to vary up the graphics.
How Does This New Niro Drive?
There are some things that stand out as an identical or near that throughout each sort of Niro. Most notably it’s that it is a very quiet and really snug driving automobile. Kia’s performed an important job of insulating its Niro passengers from the surface world by way of nice sound insulation and a powerful suspension. Even when pushing the combustion motor to its highest RPMs the Niro isn’t buzzy or annoying.
Moreover, all three Niro variants characteristic pretty communicative steering and linear acceleration by way of the go pedal. Conversely, the brake pedal would possibly profit from just a little re-tuning. To our ft, it required much more engagement than anticipated when it got here to stopping the automobile fully. In transferring freeway site visitors that translated to easy and refined pace changes however all over the place else it was considerably stunning simply how far we needed to press to get the Niro to cease.
As well as, the Niro EV wouldn’t come to an entire cease by way of every other means than using the brake pedal. Regardless of quite a few makes an attempt at utilizing the left paddle to interact probably the most aggressive regenerative braking the automobile continued to softly roll till we hit the brake pedal. That brings us to the variations between these three powertrains.
Regardless of the seeming lack of one-pedal driving capability, the EV remains to be probably the most enjoyable to pilot as a result of it’s downright fast. That skateboard-style battery pack additionally contributes to a low middle of gravity and one of the best cornering capability of the bunch too. It’s attractive sufficient that we hope Kia will make a Niro EV N in some unspecified time in the future sooner or later.
The PHEV Niro could be our second alternative if driving dynamics had been all that mattered. It’s a lot faster than the normal hybrid because it sports activities 41 horsepower (30 kW) extra and like the remainder of the household, retains glorious road-holding expertise with out main physique roll or understeer. We additionally love the truth that you possibly can drive it to make the most of both the battery alone, the interior combustion engine alone, or each.
Lastly, the on a regular basis hybrid Niro will serve greatest as a considerably plain Jane on a regular basis commuter automobile. It’s not very fast but it surely’s snug, and quiet, and who doesn’t love getting as much as 54 mpg (4.4 l/100km)?
The Niro Has Many Challengers
Three totally different electrified drivetrains set the Niro other than its challengers but it surely additionally opens it as much as extra rivals general. The normal hybrid will go up in opposition to vehicles just like the Toyota Corolla Cross, the RAV4, and the Honda CR-V. We count on the 2023 Corolla Cross Hybrid to begin across the identical $27,000 price ticket however the EPA says that at greatest it’ll solely stand up to 33 mpg (7.1 l/100km) on the freeway.
The 2022 RAV4 hybrid begins from slightly below $30,000 and struggles to return anyplace close to the Niro hybrid when it comes to gas financial system. In fact, each the Corolla Cross and RAV4 have advantages like extra engine decisions or customary AWD. The 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid begins at $32,450 and presents elective AWD however early stories recommend that it’s fairly loud, not all that nice to drive, and will get at greatest 34 mpg (6.9 l/100km) on the freeway.
The plug-in hybrid model of the Niro additionally goes up in opposition to a plug-in model of the RAV4 that’s priced from $40,300. It has lots going for it together with AWD and glorious energy. On high of that, the Niro might want to steal gross sales from each the Prius PHEV and the Ford Escape PHEV.
Lastly, the Niro EV might be challenged by the Bolt EUV and the Volkswagen ID.4. Once more, with out understanding pricing information, it’s robust to make certain precisely the place the Niro EV will fall however we’re betting it’ll be in between these two challengers. The 2022 Niro EV began at $40,385 so we count on the 2023 to be a bit greater. In fact, that signifies that the Bolt EUV (from $27,200) will price 1000’s much less however the Kia will provide extra options. The Volkswagen (priced from $37,495) will probably price about the identical if not very barely lower than the Kia. On the identical time we’d fortunately pay a small premium to keep away from the ID.4s irritating infotainment system.
Remaining Ideas
Pricing is finally going to find out simply how good of a deal the EV model of the Niro might be, however there’s an overarching theme of all three powertrains. The Niro appears like a really well-made and thoughtfully-designed rival to each different automobile in its section. Providing three powertrains additionally offers patrons with the liberty to decide on the automobile that fits their way of life greatest.
If it had been our cash, the PHEV might be too far into the Goldilocks zone to keep away from. No, it’s not as enjoyable to drive because the EV, however the base $33,740 EX Plug-in hybrid variant is prone to be 1000’s cheaper too (it stays to be seen what worth distinction the loaded $39,490 SX Touring Plug-in hybrid has with the all-electric mannequin). It additionally has the good thing about with the ability to swap from absolutely electrical to gas-powered and again. That might remove most peoples’ have to cease on the fuel station throughout most on a regular basis commutes.