Kia Niro PHEV: A Subtle Progression, But Is It Worth The Price?

The Kia Niro is the model that really revealed the ambitions of the Korean manufacturer in terms of electrification. At the same time as its cousin Hyundai Ioniq, this crossover was indeed the first model on the market to be available in three engines, including an electric one with impressive autonomy for the price. But this exceptional e-Niro should not eclipse the version plug-in hybrid, which was one of the first of its kind to be displayed at an almost affordable price. By renewing its Niro, Kia could not therefore ignore such a variation.

Read also Design: why Hyundai and Kia dare when Volkswagen is cautious

Once again, Kia has shaken the coconut tree with its second-generation Niro plug-in hybrid. Thanks to still intrinsically sober mechanics and a more generous battery (11.1 kWh against 8.9 kWh previously), this model displays CO emissions₂ records, contained at 18 g/km over the measurement cyclewhich corresponds to a normalized consumption on the WLTP cycle of 0.8 l/100 km.

And, by staying below the 20 g/km mark, Kia has achieved a sort of feat, since this was the threshold below which the government bonus for electric cars was granted. The State quickly reacted by correcting its scale, but a few lucky ones still had time to order their Niro PHEV with a discount of €6,000!

Ride or have heating, you have to choose!

Behind the prowess of standardized data, the technical reality is much less rosy… Especially in winter. Before going any further, it should be remembered that the official consumption values ​​for rechargeable hybrids are the weighting of range in electric mode and consumption in hybrid mode. And, above all, that European regulations do not require the accessories to be operated during these laboratory measurements.

The Kia Niro is the model that really revealed the ambitions of the Korean manufacturer in terms of electrification. At the same time as its cousin Hyundai Ioniq, this crossover was indeed the first model on the market to be available in three engines, including an electric one with impressive autonomy for the price. But this exceptional e-Niro should not eclipse the version plug-in hybrid, which was one of the first of its kind to be displayed at an almost affordable price. By renewing its Niro, Kia could not therefore ignore such a variation.

Read alsoDesign: why Hyundai and Kia dare when Volkswagen is cautious

Once again, Kia has shaken the coconut tree with its second-generation Niro plug-in hybrid. Thanks to still intrinsically sober mechanics and a more generous battery (11.1 kWh against 8.9 kWh previously), this model displays CO emissions₂ records, contained at 18 g/km over the measurement cyclewhich corresponds to a normalized consumption on the WLTP cycle of 0.8 l/100 km.

And, by staying below the 20 g/km mark, Kia has achieved a sort of feat, since this was the threshold below which the government bonus for electric cars was granted. The State quickly reacted by correcting its scale, but a few lucky ones still had time to order their Niro PHEV with a discount of €6,000!

Ride or have heating, you have to choose!

Behind the prowess of standardized data, the technical reality is much less rosy… Especially in winter. Before going any further, it should be remembered that the official consumption values ​​for rechargeable hybrids are the weighting of range in electric mode and consumption in hybrid mode. And, above all, that European regulations do not require the accessories to be operated during these laboratory measurements.

Kia Niro PHEV Premium. Credit: Challenges – N. Meunier

It is indeed at the level of the accessories that the shoe pinches. Because on this Niro, no more than on all the other rechargeable hybrid models of the Hyundai-Kia group, there is no additional heating. In the absence of an electric heater or heat pump, there is only one way to heat the passenger compartment: start the petrol engine, even if the battery is full enough to cover several tens of kilometers in all-electric mode. Or, considered otherwise, you have to accept being cold if you really want to drive electric.

Therefore, the generous observed range of 58 km is no longer a feat. Because after driving in electric mode where we consumed the entire battery, with the air conditioning set to 21.5°C, the fuel consumption was 1.5 L/100 km… So that the gasoline engine was not used for a second to drive the wheels. Even in all-electric mode, the Kia Niro PHEV does not manage to keep consumption as low as that announced on the technical sheet, which nevertheless takes into account a journey in hybrid mode! In addition, charging is slow: it takes at least three hours, with a charger that does not accept more than 3.3 kWh/100 km.

This impossibility of combining heating and driving in electric mode is all the more unfortunate since the Kia Niro remains a reference, in terms of consumption, in the category of plug-in hybrids. We noted, once the battery is empty, an average of 4.4 L/100 km in the city, 5.0 L/100 km on the highway and 7.4 L/100 km on the highway. It’s equivalent to the simple hybrid version, and it’s simply excellent.

Read alsoPlug-in hybrid: manufacturers want to punish those who do not recharge their car

Top-notch approval

The real asset of the plug-in hybrid version of the Kia Niro remains its driving pleasure. Admittedly, the four-cylinder atmospheric gasoline of 1.6 liters and 105 hp from the Gamma family, with direct injection and Atkinson cycle, is identical to that of the hybrid version. But the electric motor, sandwiched between it and the gearbox, is much beefier: it delivers 84 hp here against 43 hp on the hybrid version. It is certainly a bit tight to drive the 1,595 kg of the machine alone in electric mode, but the combined power of 183 hp ensures sympathetic performance.

The figures (0 to 100 km/h in 9.8 seconds and 80 to 120 km/h in 7.0 seconds) are certainly not very impressive, handicapped by the slight lack of responsiveness of the dual-clutch six-speed gearbox. , but the extension is substantial, up to the top speed of 183 km/h counter (Kia surprisingly announces 160 km/h).

Kia Niro PHEV Premium. Credit: Challenges – N. Meunier

This excellent mechanical approval is coupled with careful development. Despite the Kumho winter tires (quite noisy) that fitted our test copy, the soundproofing was completely satisfactory, as was the comfort of the suspension. The road behavior is perfectly healthy and balancedfailing to be playful.

The result can only be better with the Hankook tires offered as original equipment. But that is not the vocation of this family model. We prefer this stability of good quality to the sometimes scabrous reactions of the electric version of the Niro EV to the failed damping. Here, we simply note a little too much flexibility on the rear axle, which involves some body movements on large deformations. This prevents it from achieving the same excellence as the Niro hybrid, but the results still appear very flattering.

In addition to offering a new look, the Kia Niro plug-in hybrid has therefore progressed in a subtle way on many points. However, it is difficult for us to advise its purchase. Because the absence of additional heating prevents it from being used as it should be for half the year (the air conditioning compressor is electrically driven, which is not a problem). But also because the additional cost of €7,200 compared to the hybrid version seems to us impossible to make profitable. With a price starting at €39,140 (the intermediate Active version at €41,300 with GPS, hands-free access and rain sensor is more recommendable), it is still one of the cheapest plug-in hybrids on the market. Only the Renault Captur E-Tech plug-in (€37,950), smaller, and MG EHS (€37,950), greedy and also without additional heating, have lower bills.