It can’t touch the super-successful Sportage but the Niro looks set to finish 2024 as Kia Europe’s number two best selling model.
On track to end the year with a sales tally of close to 70,000 units, the roomy Niro series is Kia’s appropriately quiet achiever. Month in, month out, the mix of electric, PHEV and HEV keeps proving that this is precisely what the market wants: choice.
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Helping Kia outperform its parent Europe-wide
As others struggle with EV sales surges and troughs, this tall hatchback is right for the times. At 4.4 m long, sizing is spot-on too. Is it any wonder that Kia has maintained not only its sales expansion in key European markets (the UK being merely one of these) but a strong lead over Hyundai?
The hybrid offers a lot of what buyers now seek, namely fantastic economy, low emissions and ease of ownership in a plug-less package. All for just a little more than thirty thousand pounds, which does seem a good deal, especially with Kia’s seven-year warranty and above average resale values.
There are three trim levels, though six hybrid variants in all as each – simply termed 2,3 or 4 – is available in Standard or Premium form. Combined outputs from the 1.6-litre engine and 42 kW motor are the same 95 kW (129 PS) and 265 Nm in all cases. The transmission is a six-speed DCT, while the battery’s capacity is 1.32 kWh.
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By GlobalDataNot intended to be a sporty model in any way, the Niro HEV nonetheless has decent dynamic behaviour though the emphasis in its set-up was clearly comfort. It takes 11.3 seconds to reach 62 mph and top speed for all variants is 99 mph.
Reg braking via paddles with up to three strengths
Steering is on the light side and body lean is there but at least it’s not excessive. Passengers will never complain about the ride as this always defaults to comfort, a corollary of what is a lengthy wheelbase.
You also get a lot of room in any Niro and the boot is the same. Its capacity is 451 litres (versus only 358 for the PHEV), expandable to 1,445 via the one third/two thirds folding seats. They pivot to near-flat, the hybrid system’s battery is non-intrusive and out of sight below them, while there is hardly any wheel-arch intrusion. Plus Kia cleverly created a soft parcel shelf and this is simplicity itself to stash away when not needed or wanted.
Upholstery in the as-tested 4 is synthetic and felt as if it would be long-lasting, while there is the inevitable gloss-black dashboard and centre console plastic trim. Door cards are quite stylish and match what is a long, angular design across the dash topped by two nicely styled and integrated screens. HVAC controls are digital but quite easy to use on the move.
Sixty miles per gallon
You can certainly hear the engine when it fires up from cold but calling it noisy would be neither fair nor accurate – it simply reminds you that this is a series hybrid. Soon enough silence is restored as the motor takes over on a light throttle.
Kia has clearly specified thick glass and much sound deadening material where it’s needed, kerb weight being 1,474 kg (standard equipment is usually good on the brand’s cars too). In spite of that mass, economy is terrific at around the sixty miles per gallon mark. I used the air conditioning a lot and saw 57.3 overall.
Manufacturing
SG2, which is the second generation model, will soon be three years old, having been revealed at the Seoul Motor Show in November 2021. It is an import to all European markets, production based in Asan Bay at what is now called Autoland Hwasung in South Korea’s Gyeonggi province.
Kia Corporation will inevitably be constantly looking at what it should be building at its now twenty year-old Žilina regional build base in Slovakia. So far, however, that plant is busy with the Sportage and to a lesser extent, the Ceed family. That might well change when the time comes to launch a third generation Niro – likely in 2028 – but for now, that remains speculation.
Conclusion
The higher priced EV and PHEV certainly have their attractions and own strongpoints yet for the money, it isn’t difficult to see why the HEV versions of the Niro keep selling so well. For those who want neither a car nor an SUV in this size class, this is the Kia to have. It’s easy to understand why.
MY25 Kia Niro Hybrid pricing starts at GBP30,085 (‘2 Standard’) and rises to GBP35,680 (‘4 Premium’). CO2 averages are 100-106 g/km and official MPG varies between 61.4 and 64.2 mpg dependent on model grade.
