![]() The Kia Niro offers most of the latest active-safety features as options, including blind-spot monitors with rear cross-traffic alert, lane-change assist, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, and autonomous emergency braking.Ī novel feature even for hybrids is what Kia calls "Coasting Guide," which coaches the driver when to coast and when to brake. It's too early yet for safety ratings from either federal testers or the IIHS, but Kia says it's targeting "top honors" in those scores. It is also commendably quiet, with Kia having put considerable effort into insulating the body structure and isolating engine noise. Putting the battery pack under the rear seat gives a low, flat cargo floor, unlike hybrid SUVs adapted from gasoline models that put the battery under a higher load floor. With long doors taking up much of the body sides past the windshield pillars, it gives easy access to the rear compartment. ![]() (In fairness to Toyota, the latest 2016 Prius drives far better than any previous generation of Prius, and is closer in feel to a conventional car.)ĭespite a lower roofline than the Soul tall wagon and other SUVs, the Niro offers a relatively high seating position. Overall, Kia is trying to set the Niro as far away as possible from the stereotype of what a Prius is like to drive. Kia makes a point of differentiating the Niro from typical hybrids on several fronts, from its conventional crossover styling to the quick, decisive shifts of the DCT, which it says increase on-road enjoyment and provide an "engaging driving experience." It has also worked on brake blending between regeneration and the friction brakes, to make the transitions imperceptible to the driver.Ī lightweight structure and a low center of gravity makes the Niro handle well too, including a hood, tailgate, and some suspension components made of aluminum rather than steel. Kia says a plug-in hybrid version of the Niro will arrive by the end of 2017 as well. Under power, the battery sends energy to the motor to power the Niro-whether by itself or in combination with the engine. The motor acts as a generator to recapture otherwise wasted energy from braking and engine overrun, using it to charge a 1.6-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery under the rear seat. Kia quotes a total combined power output at 139 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque. In between those two components, a 32-kilowatt (43-hp) electric motor contributes its own torque and can propel the car on its own under some driving conditions. That powertrain uses a 104-horsepower direct-injected 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine, running on the ultra-efficient Atkinson cycle, combined with the company's own 6-speed dual-clutch transmission. Kia's interiors have been first-rate lately, and the Niro's is no exception, with good-quality materials and soft surfaces. Inside, the look is straightforward and conventional, with large clear instruments and black and white trim. Despite the crossover shape, though, Kia says careful aerodynamic work has reduced the drag coefficient to 0.29, low for any kind of utility vehicle. The company said its "strong and confident" look is atypical of dedicated hybrids, and nothing in its lines tips off the advanced powertrain underneath. The crossover design cues include large wheel arches, cladding on the rocker panels, roof rails, and a rear skid plate. Think of it as a sleeker, butcher version of the similarly sized Kia Soul tall wagon, if you like. ![]() It's just thick enough through the cowl and front end to qualify as a sleek crossover, led by the characteristic Kia grille and etched in smoothly rounded lines. The lines of the Kia Niro neatly split the difference between what could be considered a conventional wagon and a genuine utility vehicle. ( Read more about how we rate cars this year.) But its sluggish performance in the standard Eco mode is a drawback, and so far it doesn't have any safety ratings. It wins points for its handsome wagon styling, the comfort and quality of its interior, its feature content, and of course its fuel economy. We rate the Kia Niro at 6.6 out of 10 overall.
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