What’s it like?
The Kia Niro was a smaller companion to the Sportage SUV when the former launched in 2016, but the pair were soon joined by the even smaller – and more overtly stylish – Stonic. However, the Mk1 Niro continued to offer good, solid, no-nonsense motoring at an affordable price, and it came with entirely electrified drivetrains too: there was a choice of hybrid (HEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and even fully electric (EV) propulsion, with the last of these going under the subtly different name of the Kia e-Niro. Rivals were multitudinous, but some of them included the Toyota C-HR, Hyundai Kona, Honda HR-V and Renault Captur.
Which model to go for?
The hybrid Niro arrived first, teaming a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a 32kW electric motor and 1.56kWh battery pack. Combined system outputs for this car were 141hp and 265Nm, which made the car capable of 0-100km/h in 11.5 seconds – but also a remarkable 3.8 litres/100km consumption figure.
That was soon followed by the Niro PHEV, which increased the battery size to 8.9kWh and the motor power to 44kW, although – curiously – Kia didn’t claim any changes to the overall system peaks of the HEV, although the (heavier) PHEV was stated to be a tad quicker for 0-100km/h at 10.8 seconds. The official fuel consumption of 1.3 litres/100km is not going to be realistically attainable in the real world, but the 58km of all-electric range will come in handy. Watch out if you’re buying a Niro for practicality, though, as the PHEV’s boot capacity was denuded by more than 100 litres due to the placement of the bigger battery pack; this car holds just 324 litres, when the HEV stands at 427 litres.
The e-Niro completed the Kia’s range about two years after the HEV launched and it’s easily distinguished from the outside as it has a blanked-off radiator grille at the front, whereas the other two cars had open grilles for cooling purposes. The e-Niro is also the one you’ll want used if you need to get places in a hurry, as it has a 204hp/395Nm electric motor fed by a 64kWh battery. This version of the Kia is therefore good for 0-100km/h in 7.8 seconds and up to 455km of purely electric range, while the boot is the biggest in the family at 451 litres with all seats in use.
Does anything go wrong?
There are no known major faults with the Kia Niro, although watch out on the two hybrids for the gearbox. Bravo to the Korean manufacturer fitting the HEV and PHEV with a dual-clutch (DCT) automatic transmission, which brings greater refinement and driveability over the usual CVT choice for this kind of part-electrified car. The problem is, DCTs can cause a few issues if they’re not properly maintained, so take either the HEV or PHEV Niro for a test drive and check it shifts gear smoothly in all situations. If it doesn’t, walk away and find a better example elsewhere.
There were five recalls issued for this generation of the Kia Niro, which related to a connector on the high-voltage battery of the e-Niro; a potential fire risk from the printed circuit board in the dual-clutch transmission (HEV and PHEV only); a coolant leak on the electric power control unit; a starter fault on the HEV and PHEV models; and a possible oil leak in the hydraulic clutch actuator (again, HEV and PHEV only).