Kia Niro Reviews

Kia has released the newly updated Niro, which is the smaller and less sporty sibling to its popular, EV6. It has a great driving range and is well-specified but will the price hike prove to be decisive in a world where every family is tightening its budget?

Here's what we learned in three months and over 3000km in the Kia Niro EV GT-Line.

The expensive but capable Kia Niro exceeded expectations this month.

The new Niro looks super futuristic. Can it cope with the trials of interstate driving in Australia, though? We put it to the test!

After five months and nearly 4500km, what did we make of the Niro? Is the PHEV the best and most underrated version?

Kia Niro PHEV practicality and electric range tested!

The Kia Niro is back, with the Korean brand sharpening the line-up to just two models (hybrid and electric), upping the cabin tech and delivering genuinely peaceful drive experience. But there's a price hurdle here. Can the Kia Niro clear it? We put it to the test to find out.

The Niro Hybrid version comes in S or GT-Line trims, and it will set you back $44,380 or $50,030 respectively. And yes, you can buy a lot of RAV4 Hybrid for that money, should you be lucky enough to actually get one.The range starts with the Hybrid S, which gets cloth and artificial seat trim, LED DRL’s and LED rear taillights (but halogen headlights), a 4.2-inch digital driver display and and 8.0-inch central touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a six-speaker stereo. You also get dual-zone climate, 16-inch alloys and electric mirrors and windows.Stepping up to the Hybrid GT-Line adds a whole bunch of nice stuff, including twin 10.25-inch screens (one for the driver, the other for infotainment), bigger 18-inch alloys, perforated bio-leather seats, LED headlights, a better steering wheel and heated and ventilated front seats.The Hybrid is pretty conventional, pairing a 1.6-litre engine with a 1.32kwH battery and electric motor for a combined output of 104kW and 265Nm. It gets a six-speed DCT auto and front-wheel drive. A sprint to 100km/h is pretty leisurely, taking more than 10 seconds.

The Kia Niro Full Electric model is available in S or GT-Line, and it’s priced at $65,300 or $72,100. For reference, the brand’s flagship electric vehicle, the EV6, can be yours (for now, at least) for around $2.5k more for the Air or for the GT-Line in RWD version respectively.The Full Electric trim levels largely match the hybrid’s specifications, except both ride on 17-inch alloys, and even the S model gets the twin-screen infotainment set-up, The All Electric GT-Line also gets a better eight-speaker stereo, a sunroof, and what the brand calls a Premium Relaxation Front Passenger Seat — which tilts back so you can get comfy while charging.It gets a big 64.8kWh battery and a front-mounted motor that produces 150kW and 255Nm, the latter of which arrives instantaneously, helping drop the sprint to 100km/h to just 7.8secs - and that’s despite carrying almost half a tonne of battery with you.Kia reckons the Niro EV will deliver 460kms in driving range when fully charged. And when it does come time to plug in, a 7kW Wall Box at home will take nine hours and 25 minutes to go from empty to full, or a 100kW DC charger (also the charging max), will take 45 minutes to go from 10 to 80 percent.

This has been my second month with the Niro and I think I'm starting to get into the PHEV groove.