New Kia Niro, the hybrid or electric of desire: photos and technical data

The second generation of the Korean SUV will arrive in June 2022: renewed style, fully electrified range and high-tech instrumentation

From America to South Korea there is the Pacific in the middle but it is clear that the new Niro is inspired by the HabaNiro concept, unveiled at the New York Motor Show in 2019: now its features – as it emerges from the world premiere at Seoul Mobility Show – they have become clearer and more decisive, the body is distinguished by the important rear pillar and the typical “tiger face” revisited front. Of course, aesthetics are just the preamble. The new crossover was unveiled at the Seoul Mobility Show and will be available from next year in the triple guise of Hev (hybrid), Phev (plug-in) and Ev (electric only). Basically, the only real visual difference between the hybrid Niro and the e-Niro is the charging port, integrated into the front fascia of the latter.

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Outside and inside

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Niro is influenced by the concept see the design of the front and the two-tone effect on the C-pillars of the car which unusually, also house the vertically stacked and boomerang-shaped rear lights. At the front, the distinctive ‘tiger nose’ evolves into a large lower grip and a small upper grille, separated by a full-width chrome strip. The LED headlights and running lights (which according to Kia, mimic the heartbeat diagram) are housed in separate compartments. The passenger compartment has also been completely redesigned: it has curved lines flanked by horizontal and diagonal lines that contrast with a glossy black surface, where the infotainment and air vents are inserted. The designers underline that they have chosen to focus on small seats in order not to take up space for the occupants. The dashboard is dominated by a large monobloc display that combines digital instrument cluster and widescreen infotainment screen: underneath it, the climate controls are of the touch type. A new strip of ambient lighting runs across the dashboard across its entire width, while the center console contains physical switches and the driving mode rotary switch. Curiosity: the headrests also incorporate comfortable hangers.

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Which engine?

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Kia has yet to confirm all the specifications, however it is clear that Niro uses an updated version of the previous generation platform, rather than the new E-Gmp platform, reserved for the brand’s pure electric vehicles. It is therefore likely that the three current engines will also be transferred as a whole to the new project, albeit with improvements in terms of performance and efficiency. Niro, in short, always declined as a full hybrid SUV and plug-in hybrid (but it is not clear whether the internal combustion engine will be the old 1.6-liter or the more recent 1.5-liter), as well as in full electric Kia format and -Niro. Obviously, with greater autonomy properties than today: via the 66 kWh battery pack, inside the new 77 kWh accumulators of Kia EV6.

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Automatic Passage

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On the new Niro, Kia introduces the “Greenzone Drive Mode”, a feature that acts on driving, automatically switching from hybrid mode to 100% electric drive. In practice, when driving in residential areas or near schools and hospitals, the car “understands” from the information from the navigation system and from the driving history data that it is appropriate to switch to electric, a choice that also operates in places most frequented by the owner (home and office). In addition, on the front of the commitment to sustainability, there are new materials: the headliner, for example, is made with recycled wallpaper, while for the seats bio-polyurethane with Tencel made from leaves of eucalyptus. Furthermore, Btx-free paint (benzene, toluene, and xylene isomers) is used for the door panels.

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