2022 Kia Niro Hybrid Review

It’s an interesting looking thing, isn’t it? What this is, is the all-new KIA Niro, which has now entered its second generation. Like its bigger brother, the Sportage, I think the exterior styling is going to be divisive, but you know what? I like it. There are some interesting features such as the LED daytime running lights designed to look like a heartbeat – the rear reflectors also share the same inspiration - and then you have the C pillars. Look carefully and you can see they allow airflow through, helping with aerodynamics – clever.

Those of you that remember the HabaNiro concept from 2019 will recognise some design elements in the new Niro, although the lambo style doors are nowhere to be found – let’s face it, they’d probably be a pain in your average multi-storey car park, plus they would never got past the bean counters. Instead, you get doors that open like this, how conventional.

The interior isn’t anywhere as in-your-face as the HabaNiro, which for some of you will be a good thing. Despite this, KIA has created an interior, which isn’t a million miles away from the Sportage – that’s a good thing. That means it’s modern, although I’m not sure how I feel about this steering wheel. Whether you like the steering wheel or not, it’s difficult to argue with the value of this car.

Available in three trim levels, 2, 3 and 4, starting prices range from £29,669 through to £34,660. I have what I’d call the ‘Goldilocks’ trim level – not too cheap, and not too pricey. Yes, that’s right, I have the mid-range ‘3’, which has a starting price of £31,545 but unfortunately for Goldilocks, offers no porridge as standard.

The base model 2 is priced from £29,660 with standard features including an 8” touchscreen, 16” alloys, LED headlights, rear parking sensors, reversing camera, Forward Collision alert and Smart Cruise Control to name a few.

The mid-range 3, as tested here, starts from £31,910, This adds 18” alloys, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, wireless phone charger, cloth and vegan leather seats, 10.25” touchscreen in-built navigation, keyless entry, front parking sensors, rear privacy glass, Highway Driving Assist and Blind Spot Monitoring.

That leaves the range-topping 4, which is priced from £34.660. This adds a larger digital display, smart parking assist, ventilated front seats, sunroof, vegan leather upholstery, head up display, relaxation seats, heater rear outer seats, harman pardon sound system, remote smart parking assist, and parking collision-avoidance assist.

The new KIA Niro is clearly built with the future in mind as every version features some form of electrification. You can either have your Niro as an EV, Plug-In Hybrid, or in this case, a Hybrid. As I mentioned, the Hybrid makes use of a 1.6-litre petrol and a 32kW motor, with the two combined producing 141hp, and the engine alone is able to offer 144Nm, which let’s be honest, isn’t very much at all.

As you would expect from the headline figures, this is not overly spritely as it will take over 10 seconds to hit 60mph, but then again, this is built to be frugal, not fast. KIA states that on a combined run you can expect up to 64.2mpg and in my experience, I’ve been getting ………
If you’re looking to have the Niro as a fleet car, you’ll be pleased to hear that the EV has a BIK rating of just 2% and the plug-in version offers 8%. For this version, you’re looking at a BIK rating of 26%. The Niro Hybrid emits 107g/km, meaning the first year VED rate is £175 if you go for ‘3’ and ‘4’ versions, and £155 if you go for the base model ‘2’.

When it comes to insurance, this sits in group 21 for ‘3’ and ‘4’ versions and 20 for ‘2’ version. For those of you seeking finance, as example for the ‘4’ trim level, monthly payments come in at around £470 over 36 months with a £5,000 deposit, 7.9% APR, £1,000 contribution and 10,000 mileage per year.

Chapters:
0:00 Channel Intro
0:17 It's an interesting looking thing, isn't it?
1:40 Interior
4:52 Rear Space
6:29 Boot Space
8:24 Driving Impressions
17:42 Price and Specification
19:05 Conclusion

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