Kia Niro Hybrid and PHEV Full VIDEO Review and Drive

Kia is dipping its toe in to the EV world with the 2021 Niro KIA Niro EV, PHEV, and Hybrid. Each drivetrain comes in an S and Sport variant, but that is about where the “sport” bit ends. No, these are for those who fancy a spot of low CO2, eco-touring, not tossing coupes into corners at warp10.

See our First Drive Impressions HERE

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We’ve driven the Hybrid and PHEV over the last few weeks, so here are our thoughts:

Above: This Week 2021 KIA Niro Hybrid Video Review

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ABOVE: 2021 Kia Niro

The exterior:

Niro doesn’t have the certain “something” of Sorento and Seltos. The small SUV/Crossover is front wheel drive so you’re better off considering it a high-riding hatch than a proper SUV.

Nonetheless, Niro is attractive, with the familiar tiger-nose grille, even on the EV. If you squint, it looks like a small version of the previous model Sorento, in the right light.

Only the Sport gets LED headlights.

The Cabin:

Niro feels cosy, especially on a cold day. Mood lighting is adjustable to a colour of your particular fancy, which gives night driving real ambience.

The theme is all dark and moody, with tones of black and grey.

The infotainment screen sits flush with the dash. Unlike the one smooth surface we saw in the Alfa Giulia a few weeks ago, this one has a boarder. If you’ve used 1 Kia system, you’ve used them all, with font that is large and easy to read. The wireless Apple CarPlay has been a little moody. It should connect as easily as it is by USB. Occasionally the connection either fails, or takes a while to activate. From then on, the screen operates as easily as if using the phone itself.

Sound is excellent, and that really matters to some people. You get doof-doof if you stick the bass on super boost, but it is so terribly tiring on the nerves.

Buttons and switches make sense, and can be got at without needing big hugs every five minutes. Controls are backlit, even those on the steering wheel. Anyone driving at night will appreciate the warm glow that makes the cabin look incredibly classy.

Space is fairly well used with rear seat riders having enough room for shorter trips. Rear seat warnings appear on the dash to make sure you don’t leave someone napping when they shouldn’t be.

The Drive:

Ride is reasonably smooth. Cars with big batteries have a certain intangible feeling about them. The batteries add the weight of a couple of people at least.

Both the EV and PHEV have a smallish electric motor tucked in between the engine and 6-speed DCT. Power is 104kw and 265Nm, which is adequate for city use.

the gays in the village love economy as much as the next person, but slip the DCT in to Sport, and the get-up-and-go makes Niro feel much livelier. Around town, Niro is happy to putter about with the PHEV making the best use of the stored energy. Once the 50-60km of range is used up, the PHEV operates just like any other hybrid. That is the real strength of a hybrid: they’re not limited by the availability of re-charging centres, so you could easily do a road trip.

Highway stints make great use of the driver aids like lane assist and active blind spot monitor. Although you really have to kick it in the guts to get a move on, you never feel Niro is underpowered.

A 6-Speed DCT is highly unusual in an EV of any kind. Usually, an appalling CVT is shoved in, sapping any joy from the drive. We think this is an astute move.

COVID ruined the local tuning options for KIA. Graham Gambold normally gets to select the steering and suspension settings that Australians prefer. This time, KIA has used the Eurppean/Korean tuning, which tends towards a softer approach. The new model is due in a year and will no doubt have the laying-on of hands by the local experts.

We stuck to city driving and brief freeway speeds of 100kph. Niro is a little noisier than Seltos or Sportage, even in EV mode, but still more than comfortable.

Fuel economy is just stunning. The hybrid claims 3.8L/100k with the PHEV doing 1.3L/100k. One assumes the latter assumes regular wall charging. If a buyer charges each night, most of the time will be spent in EV mode. In that case, KIA suggests running the petrol tank down at least every 6 months.

As in most hybrids, excess energy is stored in the batteries to be used later.

Finally, there is a space-saver spare for the PHEV and hybrid. I have a strong aversion to repair kits which never seem to work.

Conclusion:

With on-road costs, the EV tops out the range at $70,990 (in NSW) and that is a lot of shekels. Our Sport PHEV is $53,990, which is $3,500 over the MRRP.

While Niro has a neutral feel on the road, it would definitely benefit from Australian tuning. We thought the PHEV was the best proposition and balance between price and performance. Unquestionably, the EV is going to feel livelier, but is $15,000 more.

Without Australian government help, EVs will continue to be for the deep-pocketed end of town.

Engine: petrol 1.6 plus Electric motor

Power: 102kw/265Nm

Econ: 3.8L/100k (hybrid), 1.3L/100k (PHEV)

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