The Niro Hybrid is a serious challenge to market leader Toyota Prius and, in some respects, it is a better bet. To get started, use the automatic gearbox right from the twin-clutch CVT stupid-smart owners burdened with Toyota; and, unless we are sadly mistaken, the Niro will be competitively priced and comes with plenty of standard kit.
It's not all good news, though. On the face of it, the Niro inefficient or area of the Prius, and the quality of the cabin is a throwback to the 1980s. And that's before we get to the real elephant in the room ... Look beyond the limited selection of hybrid and is likely to be far superior. Nissan Quashqai 1.5DCI or Volkswagen Tiguan 1.4 TSI, anyone?
Need to know:
- Kia Niro is considering the first ever hybrid Crossover
- For Sale in September. Price of £ 22K (est)
- seven-year warranty, including batteries
Kia is confident that diesel has had its day and, within five years, 20% of our cars will be powered by a diesel-hybrid powertrains. Therefore the introduction Niro, crossover powered by a combination of a gasoline engine 1.6-liter and an electric motor. Together, they were able to restore the official 74.3mpg and CO2 output frivolous only 88 g / km.
Of course, Toyota / Lexus has been banging the drum for decades hybrid, but in addition to the emergence of Uber taxi everywhere, we see little evidence of the dawn of a revolutionary hybrid.
Most likely, this is because the hybrid works best within the confines of urban driving environment gently, where the use of the electric motor can be maximized. Get leggings hybrid along the road and petrol engines will be working full-time; and, because it drags the extra weight of the batteries, it will actually be less efficient than traditional gasoline cars, especially diesel.
Tag Crossover, it could be argued a little, too.
Apparently, such a height higher than a snake's belly, stained with matt black plastic wheelarch cladding and roof rails of faux - you can forget about their jerry-built into the roof to get you in the Serengeti - qualifies as a crossover today.
To put into context Nitro; it's actually a little higher than the Cee'd hatchback, but a fair bit lower than the Sportage SUV. As a result, there is no need to transport themselves and trucker style - useful if you have your heart set on a mini-cabbing - and things feel a little different for a family hatch once you are behind the wheel.
Although the official price is still to be announced, expect £ 22K as a starting point, a place bang in the area Niro Toyota Prius. However, Kia Kia is, you can pretty much guarantee Niro will come with lots of standard kit.
The cars we drove - granted, they top-spec model - comes packed with piles of safety kit and a large luxury car features active, such as climate control, dual-zone, cell phone charging mats and tricks nav and infotainment system, with full CarPlay Apple, Android Auto and capacitive 7-inch screen that allows you to pinch and scroll in a manner similar to your smartphone. In addition, heated and cooled front seats, heated steering wheel and heated seats will be added back all available to help keep you-and-you comfortable in cold mornings.
Ok, let's forget the whole hybrid diesel compared debate and assume you set off on a hybrid. If that's the case, then you may want to know whether Niro is better than the Toyota Prius.
No doubt feather in the cap bushiest Niro automatic transmission is a twin-clutch her, which is far superior to the compromise found in the Prius. Unlike the Prius, which gives Niro near-instant and drive, because the gap is filled by shifting power from the electric motor, but everything changes smoothly, with only the occasional shunt as the teeth move up on the throttle Trailing.
If, on the rare occasion we were able to experience it, the transition of power to the drive mode combination seems to be quite funny. Ideally, we would have liked more than this transition, but despite our efforts twinkle-toed, powertrain stubbornly refuse to remain in EV mode, preferring to call the gasoline engine to the arm as soon as we depart from the target. Unlike the Prius, which has not Niro button that will allow you to force the powertrain to the EV mode.
Thus, the performance was quite magnificent and mechanical blare coming from under the hood of the aluminum to be quite intense and thrashy engine when extended.
Despite claims that Kia Niro is the best-driving car in its class, it's not a lot of talk, if that benchmarking Prius. While Niro body up and down in a way that is quite comfortable and in control at speed dual-carriageway, at low speeds, this trip is really very jiggly. handling pretty sloppy, too, with defined nose-heavy feel and steering response is slow. Overall, Niro clearly not the kind of bike you want to throw down a country lane.
Cabin quality is nothing to write home about, either. While the hard, rugged plastic molds dominate, and graphics on the sat-nav look like they have been lifted from the Batman comics, glossy finish and clicky activation of some smack of Kias historic switchgear.
Indeed, plastic Prius is no great shakes, either, but when you consider you can have impeccably built Volkswagen Tiguan for this type of cash, Niro cabin looks and feels like some savage cost-cutting has been applied to compensate for the additional cost of a hybrid powertrain.
At least lawmakers back and head room are quite good; and, there is a simple enough for two adults in the back, but the cabin is quite narrow, so sit three abreast may squeeze. Without the benefit of a tape measure, we would guestimate that there is more elbow room in the Prius. Equally, although boot space is quite reasonable at 427 liters, it is still smaller than the Prius' 502-liter trunk.
Should I get one?
If you spent the majority of auto commuters to the city center, and you're still not convinced of the practicality of electric vehicles, the hybrid can also work for you.
Thus, Niro will provide you with a low rate of taxation and went away to salving your green credentials - the townspeople notice. Offering plenty of space, plenty of standard kit and an automatic gearbox comfort, at least on paper, Niro looks an attractive proposition. Are you able to ignore the poor quality of the interior and install Lacklustre quality Niro driving is another matter.
Key facts:
- Model: Kia Niro hybrid crossover
- Price: from £ 22,000 est
- Engine: 1.6-liter gasoline engine 4-cyl and electric motor, six-speed twin-clutch automatic
- Power / torque: 138bhp / 195lb-ft
- 0-62mph: 11.5sec
- Top speed: 100mph.
- Economy: 74.3mpg
- CO2 / BIK tax band: 88g / km / 13%
- Boot: 427 liters
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