One of the first things you notice when you look at the brand-new Kia Niro is how adaptable an electric SUV really is. Consequently, this second-generation Niro model continues the legacy of its predecessor, available once more in petrol engine hybrid powertrain, Kia Niro PHEV (plug-in hybrid), and fully electric Kia e-Niro version.

For instance, it has a modern design, some state-of-the-art technology, and, overall, a great driving experience on the open road.

Consequently, this Kia Niro EV review and buyer's guide will help you decide if this car is right for you and answer every question you may have about it, along with what's new in the new Kia Niro?

Table of Contents

• Exterior Design
• Interior Design
• Driver Assistance and Safety Features
• Kia Niro Models
• How Do The Kia Models Differ?
• Engines
• Charging & Range
• Exterior Paint Colours
• Storage
• Upholstery Options
• Kia Niro Accessories
• Towing
• Car Insurance Groups
• Warranty
• Kia Niro Dimensions
• Reliability
• Pricing
• Cars Comparable to Kia Niro
• Kia Niro Final Thoughts
• Who We Are?

Exterior Design

Just from looking at this family SUV, you can see that the Kia Niro gives you a very contemporary, modern, and sleek exterior design that we can honestly say really, from our road tests, sets it apart in the full-hybrid and electric vehicle market - giving you a good value SUV.

For instance, the car's appearance is both stylish and functional, and its very aerodynamic shape enhances your fuel efficiency - if you have the Hybrid model - to its range - in the pure-electric car models - along with its overall performance, as well.

Interior Design

Stepping inside, I see that the interior of the Kia Niro is thoughtfully designed to offer comfort and convenience, and it has a modern, aesthetically pleasing design as well.

Seating and Comfort

For instance, just looking at its seating, the Kia Niro offers comfortable seating for up to five passengers.

The seats are also well-cushioned, providing a good level of support for long journeys. Depending on the trim level, you can choose from cloth, synthetic leather, or even genuine leather upholstery options as well.

The driver's seat typically comes with a range of electronic adjustments to help you find the perfect driving position, which can also include lumbar support.

Dashboard and Controls

For your dashboard controls, we found them to be very user-friendly, with a clean layout that puts all the controls within your easy reach, and, to be honest, with a nice-looking and noticeable dual touchscreen display.

Redesigned Dual Display Cockpit

The Kia Niro features a sleek and minimalist cockpit with an integrated dual 10.25-inch instrument cluster and infotainment display.

These screens are ideally positioned to provide you with all your driving information, connectivity, and entertainment needs in one place.

For instance, the advanced navigation system offers fully connected, precise turn-by-turn directions.

Additionally, you can stay updated on weather conditions or check the score of your favourite football team as well if you need to in real time as well.

Infotainment

The Niro's infotainment system is also designed to keep you connected and entertained while on the go.

With standard features including Bluetooth connectivity, a USB port, wireless phone charging, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and 8 high-performance speakers, Harman Kardon sound systems, which are 320 watts, pair with Clari-Fi™ technology - all to deliver you a rich, uncompromised listening experience that is the perfect partner to EV driving.

Materials and Finishes

The interior materials use high-quality plastics and soft-touch materials with higher trims, adding features like a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear shift, ambient lighting, and upgraded trim pieces as well.

Space

One of the strengths of Kia Niro is its practical interior space with huge back seats. For instance, the cabin is roomy, with plenty of headroom and legroom for both front and rear passengers alike.

The rear seats can also fold down to expand the boot space a lot, making it very adaptable, especially for carrying more oversized items.

There are also plenty of storage compartments throughout the cabin, including a spacious glovebox, large door pockets, and a centre console storage bin with good sizes cupholders as well.

Dual Temperature Climate Control

The Kia Niro's climate control system gives you 2-zone temperature control that really does help to ensure that both you and your passenger have a very comfortable interior on the whole.

Driver Assistance and Safety Features

We were also very impressed with how many assistance features the Kia Niro comes with for a car at this price point. For instance, you can get a range of driver assistance and safety features to enhance the driving experience, from standard features that include a rear view camera and lane-keeping assistance to the higher-level trims that give you even more advanced systems like Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind-spot Monitoring, and parking sensors.

These, for example, consist of the following:

Motorway Driving Assist 2

With the MDA, you can make motorway driving a breeze.

For instance, when you turn it on, it automatically adjusts your target speed to the speed limit, then helps you stay centred in your lane, and adjusts your speed based on the safe distance to the vehicle ahead that you set.

It also offers you a “lane-change-assist” function, which helps you change lanes if possible when you indicate as well.

Remote Smart Parking Assist (1.0)

With Remote Smart Parking Assist, you can park or unpark the Niro even if you aren’t inside - perfect for tight parking spaces.

You can do this using your key, which will allow you to safely move the Niro in a straight line into or out of a space.

It will even automatically brake for you as well if it detects an obstacle it may hit.

Blind Spot Collision Avoidance Assist (BCA)

When you signal to change lanes, your car will warn you if a risk of collision is detected with a vehicle beside you or approaching from the rear.

The Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist also watches out for you when pulling out of parallel parking spaces as well and will warn you about oncoming traffic behind you to avoid an accident from occurring.

Navigation Based Smart Cruise Control

With this system, you can set a target speed, and your Niro’s speed will adjust for you based on a safe distance to the vehicle ahead and the curvature of the road.

Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist 2 (FCA 2.0) with junction turning and crossing

With FCA, the Niro will use its front-view camera and radar to detect vehicles, pedestrians or cyclists ahead of you.

Then, by warning, it can even apply emergency braking automatically if required, so you can avoid or reduce the severity of an accident.

The system also engages when you are crossing or turning at a junction as well to help give you that extra peace of mind.

Head-Up Display

The Niro’s Head-Up Display is also pretty visible and clear and projects driving information that you may want to know about directly onto the windscreen itself.

It then superimposes turn instructions from the navigation system over the roads ahead in front of the driver, letting you know if you’re drifting out of your lane, and indicates which vehicle is detected ahead of you as well.

Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist 1.5 (FCA 1.5)

Evaluating both camera and radar data, it analyses info about other cars, pedestrians or cyclists ahead to avoid a potential collision with them. It also functions to prevent collisions with oncoming vehicles when turning right at an intersection. If it detects a potential collision, a warning signal will appear on your instrument cluster, and maximum braking power will be applied.

Lane Keep Assist

With its Lane Keep Assist, the car will monitor road markings to help you keep your vehicle in the centre of your lane to avoid lane drift from occurring.

Kia Niro Models

The Kia Niro can come in 1 of 6 models, of which these consist of:

• The Niro '2' EV
• The Niro '2' Hybrid
• The Niro '3' EV
• The Niro '3' Hybrid
• The Niro '4' EV
• The Niro '4' Hybrid

How Do The Kia Models Differ?

The 6 Kia models differ in a number of ways; for instance, you have:

Engines

All versions feature a 201 bhp electric motor driving the front wheels, with its front wheel drive system, powered by a 64.8kWh (usable capacity) battery pack. Consequently, for engine options, there are several to choose from, including:

Charging & Range

This EV features the latest electric motor from Kia and a 64.8 kWh lithium-ion battery, which in turn gives you a full range of up to 285 miles on a full charge for the EV model - which is a good distance on just electric power. This, in turn, helps to keep your running costs down because there are no more petrol station stops to refill the e-Niro.

Charging Time

It can charge the fully electric model from 10% to 80% in just 43 minutes and provides up to 228-mile range at 80%.

To achieve this maximum charging speed, an electric vehicle charger delivering at least 72kW of electricity must be used - which you can tend to find at most service stations.

Actual charging speed and time can be influenced by battery temperature and weather conditions.

If, instead, you are looking to charge it on a standard 7kWh home wall box charger, then it is more than suitable for overnight charging, with a full charge taking around 7 hours - perfect for when you are asleep.

Range

Please note that the range figures are determined according to the standardised EU measurement procedure (Real World WLTP), and you can get up to 285 miles at a full charge.

This will be affected by your individual driving style and other factors, such as speed, outside temperature, topography, and the use of electricity devices - all of which can affect the real-life range.

Large Device Powering Capability

The Niro comes with Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) capability, which allows you to charge other devices inside or outside your car - making the Niro EV basically a portable energy source.

For instance, you can plug in a vacuum, charge an e-bike, power a laptop, or even bring a coffee machine to a picnic. The possibilities we found really are endless.

Kia Charge

The Niro also has access to Kia Charge. With this, you can access most UK public charging networks, including BP Pulse, Pod Point, Source London, Instavolt, Shell New Motion, Osprey, Char-gy, IONITY, and lots more, all from one App.

Plus, it works seamlessly in 28 other European countries, so you can travel long distances without concern as well.

Charging App

To save on your charging costs, you can also start charging using the App if you use Kia Charge.

There's no need to make any payment onsite - everything is handled through a monthly, itemised billing process.

Exterior Paint Colours

For colours, you have a selection of 12 to choose from, including:

• Cityscape Green (Premium)
• Cityscape with Midnight Black C-Pillar (Premium)
• Interstellar Grey (Premium)
• Interstellar Grey with Grey C-Pillar (Premium)
• Midnight Black (Premium)
• Midnight Black with Grey C-Pillar (Premium)
• Mineral Blue (Premium)
• Mineral Blue with Midnight Black C-Pillar (Premium)
• Runway Red (Standard)
• Steel Grey (Premium)
• White Pearl (Premium)
• White Pearl with Grey C-Pillar (Premium)

Storage

With its longer and broader proportions, as well as its extended wheelbase, the Niro gives you plenty of space and boot storage.

This includes a 20-litre front trunk (frunk) under the bonnet, which is ideal for storing your charging cables. When you need to accommodate more oversized items, the Niro provides a lot of boot space: up to 348 litres to 475 litres (depending on model) with the rear seats up and 1,342 litres to 1,445 litres with the rear seat areas laid flat.

Adjustable Boot Tailgate

The powered tailgate can also be set to open automatically to a desired height, making loading much easier.

The boot floor is then designed to be level with the boot opening sill to help you even more.

Front Frunk

Under the bonnet in the front of your Niro EV models, you'll find the ‘Frunk’ - which has 20 litres of storage space.

This is perfect for smaller items like the charging cable and the Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) adapter, for instance.

Upholstery Options

For its upholstery, Kia has developed seats made from recycled materials.

Depending on your chosen trim level, for instance, you can choose from cloth, a cloth-artificial leather combination, PVC artificial leather, or PU artificial leather to suit your needs.

The PU leather seats also include Tencel™, made from eucalyptus wood, offering you a uniquely natural feel as well.

• Black Cloth Upholstery (Hybrid and EV)
• Grey Artificial Leather Upholstery (EV 4 grade only) (Part of Grey Pack)*
• Black Artificial Leather Upholstery (Hybrid and EV)
• Black Cloth & Artificial Leather Upholstery (Hybrid and EV)

Kia Niro Accessories

Life is what you make it, and every one of the accessories has clearly been created to help you extend and enjoy your lifestyle even more with your brand-new Niro.

For instance, all of them have been designed and manufactured to the same strict standards as your Niro; whether EV, Plug-In Hybrid, or Hybrid models, they are all compatible.

Towing

The Kia Niro has a towing capacity of up to 1300kg when using trailer brakes. Without trailer brakes, the maximum towing capacity is 750kg, provided the vehicle is rated for towing and is a compatible model.

Car Insurance Groups

For Insurance Groups, this depends on which model you buy, but you will tend to be looking between groups 18 - 30 / 50.

Warranty

There are many factors to think about when purchasing a new car, one of the key ones being its long-term reliability.

That's always a good thing with Kia's as they do tend to offer you a unique, industry-leading 7-year warranty, providing peace of mind for at least 100,000 miles - whichever comes first.

7-Year EV / HEV / PHEV Battery Warranty

Then, for the battery for Kia Electric (EV), Hybrid Electric (HEV), or Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), you can rest assured that their batteries are built for long life, as Kia offers a 7-year or 100,000-mile warranty, whichever comes first for these as well.

For their low voltage (48V and 12V) batteries in Kia Mild-Hybrid electric vehicles (MHEVs), their warranty covers you for 2 years from initial registration - regardless of mileage.

5-Year Paint Warranty & 12-Year Anti-Perforation Warranty

Furthermore, they also give you a high-quality body paint warranty as well that covers you for corrosion protection with a 12-year warranty against rust from the inside out.

Kia Niro Dimensions

For this car's dimensions, you are looking at:

Reliability

For its reliability, the Kia Niro is classed as being very reliable, with it winning over 100 industry awards alone - many of which factor this into the criteria.

A selection of the awards it has won, for instance, consists of the following:

• Best Hybrid Car
• Green Car of the Year
• Top Safety Pick
• Best Eco-Friendly Vehicle
• Car of the Year
• Best Compact SUV
• Best Family Car
• Best Electric Car
• Best Hybrid SUV
• Best Fuel Economy
• Best Car for the Money
• Best Resale Value
• Best Small SUV
• Best Buy Award
• Best Crossover SUV
• Best Electric Range
• Best Hybrid Value
• Best Vehicle Satisfaction
• Best New Car
• Best Design

Financing

If you are looking for new car deals for the Kia Niro, or even looking for options to buy and approved used Kia Niro, can involve taking out a monthly payment loan to cover the cost of the vehicle over a longer time period.

These can also be arranged through our dealership, and you will typically make a down payment and then repay the loan in monthly instalments over a set period, usually between 24 to 72 months - or you can look to take out a contract hire and leasing deals as well.

The interest rate on the loan is then influenced by your credit score and the length of the loan term, which will also determine how much total financing you can get.

Pricing

Please see the dedicated pricing page.

Cars Comparable to Kia Niro

The Kia Niro Hybrid and electric Niro fit in nicely with some of the cars on the market and can be comparable to, for instance:

• Hyundai Kona Electric
• Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
• Honda CR-V Hybrid
• Ford Escape Hybrid
• Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid
• Mazda CX-30
• Nissan Rogue Hybrid
• Skoda Enyaq
• Kia Soul
• Nissan Juke
• Renault Megane E-Tech
• Kia Sorento
• Honda HR-V
• Toyota C-HR
• Kia Sportage
• Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
• Volkswagen ID.4

Kia Niro Final Thoughts

As you can see, the Kia Niro stands out as a great choice for those who are looking for an adaptable and efficient vehicle.

This is because it gives you a great combination of modern technology, a comfortable interior, and an impressive EV range, all of which - really do, in our view - make it an excellent option for daily commutes and long journeys alike.

With a range of trims and features that can even come in many luxury cars to suit various needs and budgets, the Niro does give you exceptional value.

Why not book in and take one of our test cars for a drive to experience it first-hand?

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Who We Are?

Here at Chippenham Motor Company, we are a reputable network of official and authorised car dealerships based in Wiltshire, UK.

It offers a wide range of services, including the sale of new and used cars, vehicle servicing, MOTs, and repairs, as well.

As an authorised dealer for major brands such as Kia, Peugeot, Ford, SEAT, and Volvo, we can give you a diverse selection of vehicles to meet our various customer needs.

Customer Service

We also pride ourselves on our excellent customer service, providing options like live video viewing, click and collect, vehicle health checks, and extended warranties as well, and we have multiple onsite facilities.

Credit Broker

We are also a credit broker regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, which allows us to offer you financing from our selected lenders.