KIA Niro Hybrid

In terms of interiors and cabin feel, Kia has significantly advanced Niro Hybrid to match the competition. Niro’s interiors express clean and exquisite design furnished with high-quality material, which provides a classic cabin feel. The dashboard is unappealing but is equipped with intuitive and easy to use buttons and a 7-inch touchscreen display. Niro lets you connect your device seamlessly via Android Auto and Apple CarPlay In terms of passenger capacity and comfort, Kia Niro comes with comfortable seats and can accommodate up to 5 passengers. headroom and legroom are fair for both front and second-row passengers. Plus, you can maximize the boot space with the 60–40 split-folding rear seats. The standard dual-zone automatic temperature control further extends the comfort and ensures a homey environment tailored independently for front and rear passengers.  

Niro's exterior design displays a compact crossover SUV like styling and resembles the character of Sorento. Also, the streamlined aerodynamics highlights the appearance and enhances the Niro’s performance. The front fascia of Niro marks a strong presence on roads with husky hood and Kia’s signature tiger-nose grille. Behind the grille, active air flaps are installed to it reduces the drag while shutting at higher speeds. The air vents ahead of the front wheels ensure the seamless airflow for better aerodynamics. Kia Niro’s base grades ride on 16-inch alloy wheels, whereas you can significantly notch up the presence of Niro with touring grades that are fitted with 18-inch alloy wheels. Likewise, you’ll get projector headlights as standard with FE, LX, EX, and S Touring grades. Whereas, the HID lights available on the Touring grades provide better illumination and also magnifies the presence of Kia Niro. 

A mechanical engine and electric motor power the Kia's Niro, but the cabin remains quieter even when cruising at high speeds. It enhances comfort and promotes good ride quality. Moreover, the independent MacPherson strut front suspension balances Niro over bumps and also increases the handling dynamics. Likewise, in the rear, the torsion beam is attached to the coil springs. It further advances the ride quality and keeps the handling responsive. However, the motor-driven power steering doesn’t fit with the SUV styling of Niro, and it seems a little rough on highways.

All the grades of the Kia Niro hybrid are powered by the standard 1.6L 4-cylinder engine and 43 hp electric motor. The combination of both delivers a power output of 139 hp at 5,700 rpm and torque of 195 lb.-ft. at 4,000 rpm. The engine is mated with 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The 1.56kWh lithium-ion battery powers the electric motor and gets recharged by regenerative braking energy. Despite it, the acceleration might seem a little sluggish, but you can turn on the Sport mode to make it brisker. Also, the Sport mode intensifies the 6-speed automatic shift points, acceleration and enhances the steering as well. With the high-end engine configuration, Kia Niro ensures fuel-efficiency of 52 mpg in city conditions. 

In terms of braking, Kia Niro enables you to take control of the wheels with electronic brakeforce distribution and four-wheel anti-lock braking system. This system distributes relevant braking force to each wheel and ensures wheel rotation at a fraction of seconds. So Niro can follow your steering command while braking. Also, it helps drivers to get control over the wheels when braking over slippery road conditions. To further enhance the braking capacity of Niro, Kia has installed the 11-inch ventilated brakes in the front wheels and 10.3-inch solid disc brakes in the rear wheels. Moreover, in terms of safety, the vehicle stability management system magnifies control over steering and keep Niro in a stable condition and intended path. Like this, the electronic stability control and traction control system make sure that while applying brakes, engine power remains accordingly as per the road condition for better traction and control. In case of emergency, the brake assist system uses additional braking force to further enhances the ceasing power of Niro. The passive safety features include dual front airbags, dual front seat-mounted airbags, side curtain airbags, and driver-side knee airbag. 

Kia Niro gives you the best of both worlds. It grants you the power of compact crossovers while ensuring an exceptional fuel-efficiency of 52 mpg. The mix of both help Niro stands out in the overcrowded crossover segment.