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The 2023 Kia Niro lineup is the second era of the Korean model’s most energy- and fuel-efficient mannequin. Just like the Niro that first arrived in 2017, it’s supplied in hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery electrical variations.
On sale now, the 2023 Niro Hybrid is the least costly, beginning at $27,785 and topping out round $35,000 (all costs embrace a compulsory $1,295 supply price). With an EPA-rated gasoline financial system of 53 mpg mixed, it provides the legendary Toyota Prius a run for its cash. The 2 differ in some ways, one being that the brand new Niro’s form is comparatively standard—regardless of the distinctive contrasting “air blade” on every rear aspect.
The electrical 2023 Niro is the perfect of the three in vitality effectivity, and the quietest, although it’s additionally prone to be the priciest. (Kia hasn’t but launched costs for the Niro EV, which—together with the PHEV—will arrive in a single to 2 months.) Its EPA-rated mixed vary is projected to be 253 miles. It competes with the Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV, in addition to the Hyundai Kona Electrical, with ranges of 259, 247, and 258 miles respectively. Take into account the Niro EV our substitute for the Kia Soul EV bought in different markets, which is not going to come to North America.
Beginning at $35,035 and topping out round $40,000, the 2023 Niro PHEV provides the plug-in Prius Prime stiff competitors, with a 33-mile vary score that beats the Prime’s 25 miles. The PHEV, although, would be the least frequent Niro. It’s projected to be simply 10 p.c of total gross sales, whereas the Niro EV is anticipated to ship absolutely one-quarter of whole gross sales. The Hybrid is available in at 65 p.c.
2023 Kia Niro EV
Kia says all three variations can be bought nationwide. With the arrival of the pricier EV6 electrical crossover, each Kia vendor is now licensed to promote and repair its fashions with plugs. We expect the brand new Niro will do nicely, with the electrical mannequin doubtlessly the sleeper within the lineup—if the corporate can provide sufficient quantity to fulfill demand.
Air blades: for aero, and for type
The design of the 2023 Kia Niro was previewed by the Kia Habaniro electrical crossover idea of 2019, particularly the chevon-shaped accent in a contrasting colour (silver or black) that sweeps from the roof down the rear pillar to the wheel nicely. It’s a polarizing characteristic: amongst each reporters and onlookers, some disliked it whereas others cherished it.
2023 Kia Niro EV
The swoosh shapes serve two functions: First, they’re truly blades that channel airflow alongside the Niro’s sides and direct it previous the tailgate to scale back aerodynamic drag. It’s important to look intently to see the inlets and shops—they’re laborious to {photograph}—however it’s a intelligent trick. Second, as a result of Kia has allotted with the third aspect window that made the first-generation Niro seem like a smooth wagon, the contrasting blade retains the automotive from being simply one other slab-sided tall hatchback—which we suspect was the intention. A reasonably lengthy roof spoiler disguises the rake of the tailgate, including to the Niro’s upright look.
Up entrance, the 2023 Niro leads with the model’s most up-to-date “tiger face” theme, with skinny horizontal headlights related by an accent line that reads because the slimmest grille on the street. It makes this moderately tall, boxy automotive look wider. The boomerang-shaped taillights are virtually as skinny, although from the rear, we couldn’t assist however see echoes of a Ford Focus hatchback from 20 years earlier.
The three powertrain variations have much less on the surface to tell apart them this time round. Solely completely different entrance ends, with the EV’s charge-port door entrance and middle under the Kia badge, separate the varied Niro varieties. (The PHEV charge-port door is in its left-front fender.) Simply the PHEV has a tailgate badge figuring out its powertrain; it’s absent on the hybrid and EV.
2023 Kia Niro EV
Inside, the dashboard traces a single arc from door to door, over each the instrument cluster and the ten.25-inch middle touchscreen show (the bottom LX hybrid makes use of an 8-inch display screen). Base hybrids have easy, all-black interiors with a traditional shift lever on the middle console. On the different finish of the dimensions, the top-trim EV fashions include a rotary drive selector and two-tone interiors. Maybe inevitably, there are massive swaths of shiny “piano black” plastic trim in all fashions. It’s good to take a look at, however it collects mud and fingerprints shortly. The chevron form is repeated in components of the inside design, together with things like the brushed-metal door handles.
Whereas many patrons will search gasoline effectivity or all-electric energy, maybe a couple of can be swayed by the brand new Niro’s dedication to extra sustainable supplies. The headliner is comprised of recycled wallpaper, the seats embrace eucalyptus leaves amongst components for his or her supplies, and the door paint is alleged to have a decrease affect on the surroundings. A vegan inside is obtainable on the highest trim.
Clean, smoother, smoothest
All three Niro drive techniques energy the entrance wheels, however after that, they diverge significantly. The brand new 2023 Niro EV feels just like the quickest of the trio, with a 64.8-kilowatt-hour battery pack powering a 148-kilowatt (201-horsepower) motor rated at 188 lb-ft of torque. Acceleration from 0 to 62 mph is quoted at 7.8 seconds, hardly Tesla-fast however acceptable for an inexpensive compact EV hatchback.
2023 Kia Niro plug-in hybrid
Each hybrids use a 1.6-liter inline-4 quoted at 139 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque, with an electrical motor sandwiched between the engine and a 6-speed dual-clutch direct-shift transmission. The hybrid motor is rated at 32 kw, whereas the plug-in hybrid’s 11.1-kwh battery powers a 62-kw motor (41 hp extra), that takes output to a mixed 180 hp.
Whereas the PHEV is nearly 400 kilos lighter than the EV’s minimal curb weight of three,720 kilos, its 0-to-62-mph acceleration of 9.6 to 9.8 seconds continues to be about 2 seconds slower. The hybrid is slowest of all, at 10.4 to 10.8 seconds, and we felt it on the street. It’s extra obvious at freeway speeds than in accelerating away from a light-weight.
Watching the powertrain diagram fastidiously, we famous the PHEV retained 14 to 18 p.c of battery cost as soon as it converted to hybrid mode. That retains a big portion of the battery readily available to doubtlessly complement the gasoline engine, and subjectively it felt a lot faster than the common hybrid Niro.
2023 Kia Niro EV
Pace is one factor, however powertrain smoothness is one other. The 2 hybrids can’t strategy the EV for easy, steady, quiet energy, however the high quality of the shifting within the DCT is remarkably good. It’s laborious to make energy transitions easy in a single-motor hybrid system, the place the motor can both energy the automotive or act as a generator, however—in contrast to two-motor techniques from Toyota or Ford—not each on the similar time. Hybrid techniques from Hyundai-Kia began out tough, however they now strategy the smoothness of two-motor techniques. That’s saying one thing.
All Niros have a “Drive Mode” button on the decrease left-hand nook of the steering wheel hub. The PHEV has a console button providing a selection of Auto, Hybrid, or EV energy. Combining Hybrid and the Sport mode lets drivers protect battery cost for later use. The PHEV additionally has a left paddle that enables greater ranges of regenerative braking.
Solely the EV offers the “i-Pedal” one-pedal driving possibility. On our early-production take a look at automotive, it wouldn’t activate at occasions and Kia wasn’t but in a position to say why.
2023 Kia Niro plug-in hybrid
Not one of the Niros are significantly sporty in dealing with or roadholding. Driving all three back-to-back highlights how troublesome it’s to equip a automobile with three completely different powertrains whose weight distribution varies significantly (the Honda Readability was even worse in that respect).
Ample headroom and legroom
We drove the Niro EV first, and located it the smoothest, calmest model—as we anticipated. It’s additionally by far the quietest, with admirable noise suppression for a modestly priced compact EV.
Inside room is sweet for what’s nonetheless basically a tall compact hatch. (We will’t think about it a utility automobile with out out there all-wheel drive, which isn’t supplied.) My 6-foot-6 co-driver accommodated himself effective within the driver’s seat, however wasn’t in a position to sit behind himself within the rear—though at 5-foot-11, I used to be. One disadvantage to the rear seat is that the backs of the entrance seats are laborious plastic, which means there’s no give in any respect to accommodate rear riders’ knees.
Behind the wheel, the controls are clear and simply interpreted, with knobs for probably the most often used controls. Kia’s graphics and infotainment interface stays among the many higher designs within the enterprise, and the Niro EV can be a lot simpler for a novice electric-car driver to acclimatize to than, say, a Tesla with all the pieces managed from the central touchscreen.
2023 Kia Niro EV
2023 Kia Niro EV
2023 Kia Niro EV
The Niro’s load ground is comparatively excessive, however cargo quantity for the hybrid and the EV is respectable: 22.8 cubic toes with the rear seat up, and 63.7 cu ft with the second row folded flat. That falls to 19.4 and 54.6 for the PHEV, with its bigger hybrid battery extending below the load bay. The EV has its battery below the cabin ground, on the slight expense of much less foot depth for rear-seat riders and a few peculiar ground contours within the entrance passenger footwell.
Commendably, the Niro EV does have a little bit of space for storing up entrance. Below a sq. plastic molding that resembles nothing a lot as an engine cowl, there’s a shallow tray that appears like it could match the moveable charging twine, a few purses, or maybe a big canvas bag with squashable contents.
Normal security techniques
All fashions of the Niro include what Kia phrases its “DriveWise” bundle of driver-assistance techniques, which packages eight separate security options right into a single system. They embrace blind-spot and rear cross-traffic alerts, driver-attention warning, adaptive cruise management (on all however the base LX), automated excessive beams, and automated emergency braking.
The Freeway Drive Help II system provides lively lane help to adaptive cruise management however requires the motive force to maintain fingers on the steering wheel; it’s optionally available on the EV solely. Kia says the system learns a driver’s conduct over time, adjusting its conduct to match your noticed driving type.
From low LX to…Wind and Wave?
The fundamental hybrid fashions are pitched as inexpensive to purchase in addition to function, with costs beginning at lower than $30,000. However Kia has fastidiously packaged options, tools, and choices into teams that permit patrons simply transfer as much as extra luxurious fashions.
The hybrid presents LX, EX ($2,600 extra), and SX ($3,400 extra) variations. The EX provides leather-based trim to the bottom material seats, 10-way energy adjustable driver’s seat, and heated entrance seats, whereas the SX provides vegan leather-based, an influence tailgate, and laminated entrance glass for quieter journey, amongst different options. An optionally available Touring Package deal for the EX and SX provides 18-inch alloy wheels and a wide range of look objects.
The variations with plugs have a less complicated set of trims. The PHEV is obtainable in EX and SX grades, roughly similar to the hybrid’s, whereas the EV has a pair of grades known as “Wind” (the bottom) and “Wave” (the upper stage). Bought that?
2023 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid
The 2 hybrids have customary 16-inch wheels, with 18-inch alloys part of the Touring Package deal. Each Niro EV variations use 17-inch wheels. Wi-fi Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are customary on all fashions, as are USB ports on the perimeters of the entrance seats. Wi-fi charging is an possibility. Larger grades embrace use of a Digital Key on both a smartphone or an Apple Watch.
The Niro EV offers 120-volt energy out through a normal U.S. AC socket, at as much as 6.6 kw, the identical because the EV6. We’ve used this perform with a wide range of small electrical home equipment, and it really works simply as marketed.
Warmth pumps and charging cords
The 2023 Niro hybrids embrace a “Inexperienced Zone” perform that maximizes use of the electrical motor when at school, hospital, or different emission-sensitive zones. Kia executives admitted that if the battery didn’t have a lot cost left, a “feather-light contact” on the accelerator is required to maintain the engine from switching on regardless.
A warmth pump is optionally available on the Niro EV, to enhance vitality effectivity in colder climate. And if a charging station has been entered into the navigation system as a vacation spot, the EV may also preheat its battery to the optimum temperature for receiving cost at greater charges—shortening the general keep for a given stage of cost.
2023 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid
The PHEV takes lower than 3 hours to refill its 11.1-kwh battery at a 240-volt Degree 2 charging station. The EV presents Degree 2 charging as much as 11 kw, and DC quick charging as much as 85 kw. Below perfect circumstances, quick charging will take the EV’s battery from 10 to 80 p.c of cost in lower than 45 minutes.
Kia introduced that Niro EV drivers will obtain 500 hours of complimentary DC quick charging on the Electrify America charging community—a greater provide, EV advocates say, than the limitless free quick charging supplied by another makers, which runs the chance of discouraging homeowners from charging at house in a single day as their main recourse. Each the EV and PHEV variations include a normal 120-volt moveable charging twine—one thing Kia has made a dealer-installed possibility on its EV6.
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Kia offered airfare, lodging, and meals to allow Inexperienced Automobile Reviews to deliver you this first-person drive report.
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