The Kia Niro is an outstanding crossover SUV as it provides excellent handling, comfortable seats, fuel efficiency, intuitive tech features, and it’s reliable. But is Kia Niro a good car?
Kia Niro is a good car if you’re looking for an elegant hybrid crossover SUV with an affordable price and excellent fuel efficiency. It is also fun to drive and cheap to maintain. On the contrary, this car is not suitable for individuals searching for a high-performance, safe, or luxurious crossover SUV.
History of Kia Niro
The Kia Niro is a compact crossover SUV made by Kia. This car has been in production from 2017 to date. Kia offers three versions, including the Kia Hybrid, Kia Plug-in Hybrid, and ad battery electric variants. The first generation featured a 1.6-liter Kappa II GDi I4 engine with either 39.2 kWh or 64 kWh electric motors.
On the other hand, the second generation model, made from 2021 to the present comes with a 1.6-liter smart stream G1.6 GDi PHEV I4 engine. It also has three electric motor options, including 42 kWh, 83 kWh, and 150 kWh.
Features of Kia Niro
Appearance
When it comes to looks, the Kia Niro looks spectacular both inside and outside. The exterior has fascinating features, such as projector headlights, 16-inch Aero wheels, a rear spoiler on the outside, and LED DRLs. On the other hand, the interior is quite spacious with lots of quality features.
Some of the notable interior features are manually adjustable front seats, dual-zone climate control, a 4.2-inch driver information display, cruise control, keyless entry, and much more. Besides, the interior is very spacious and comfortable.
The Kia Niro comes with a wheelbase of 107.1-inches, a length of 174.0-inches, a width of 71.9-inches, and a height of 62.4-inches.
Performance
The performance of the Kia Niro depends on the variant that you select. The base model, which is the Kia Niro LXS FWD comes with a 1.6-liter inline-4 engine with an 11.1 kWh lithium polymer battery. As a result, it delivers up to 139 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque. On top of that, it has a 6-speed automatic transmission.
However, if you want a high-performance variant, you may have to opt for the 2022 Kia Niro Premium FWD variant. Nonetheless, you should be ready to pay more.
Comfort and cargo space
The Kia Niro may be a compact crossover SUV, but it’s not as spacious as some of its competitors. Nevertheless, it has a comfortable and modern cabin with lots of high-tech features. This car can accommodate up to five passengers and it has decent cargo space.
It has a total of 19.4 cubic ft of cargo area in the trunk. However, when the rear seats are folded, users will get a total of 54.5 cubic feet of space.
Safety
While the Kia Niro is safe, it is not as safe as most of its rivals. So, if it’s safety that you’re looking for in a compact hybrid crossover SUV, you should consider other cars. Some of the top safety features that the Kia Niro offers are electronic stability control, lane following assist, forward collision-avoidance assist, lane departure warning, blind spot collision warning, and ABS & Driveline Traction Control.
Fuel-efficiency/range
The Kia Niro is a very efficient car. This is because it comes with an efficiency rating of 51 mpg in the city, 46 mpg on the highway, and a combined 49 mpg. Additionally, the Kia Niro EV with the 64 kWh lithium-ion battery provides an all-electric driving range of up to 239 miles.
Price
Kia Niro is quite an affordable car. Nonetheless, the price varies according to the variant that you select. The price for the 2022 Kia Niro ranges from $25,985 to $33,280. This is quite affordable compared to most of its competitors.
FAQ
Is it worth buying the Kia Niro?
It depends on what you’re searching for. If you’re looking for a fuel-efficient, affordable, comfortable, reliable, and compact SUV, the Kia Niro is an excellent choice. But if you’re searching for high performance, luxurious, faster, and safer car, look away.
What are the common problems with Kia Niro?
Kia Niro is among the best compact hybrid SUVs on the market. Nonetheless, it also comes with several issues that interested buyers ought to know about. These issues include transmission problems, overheating electrical relay, loss of braking power, engine issues, and clutch actuator oil leaks.
How fast is the Kia Niro?
Despite having a gas engine and electric motor, the Kia Niro is not as fast as most of its competitors. This is because the e-Niro with a 39 kWh battery delivers a top speed of up to 96 mph and it can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 9.5 seconds. On the contrary, the e-Niro with a 64 kWh battery has a top speed of 104 mph and it can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 7.5 seconds.
Which Kia Niro model years are the best and worst in terms of reliability?
Kia Niro has been on the market from 2017 to date. During this period, Kia Niro has had some exceptional and questionable model years. The best Kia Niro model year is the 2021 and 2022 model years. These have reported a few to zero issues. On the contrary, the least reliable Kia Model year is the 2017 model.
Is Kia Niro a good daily driver?
Yes, Kia Niro is a good daily driver. This is because it is very efficient, compact, affordable, comfortable, and fun to drive around town. On top of that, it is very reliable and cheap to maintain. As a result, it won’t cost a lot if the owner intends to use it daily.
Summary
The Kia Niro is one of the finest hybrid crossover SUVs on the market. It is sleek, efficient, comfortable, affordable, and reliable. However, it is also not very safe, has small cargo space, and it has a weak braking system.
Aside from these above issues, the Kia Niro is an amazing car and good for daily driving. With proper care and maintenance, this car will last for a long while.