Petrol and pure electric power sources combine for the plug-in hybrid Niro, which means it could be the good kind of compromise for a weekday commuter and weekend road-tripper. But, it’s not all perfect.
- Genuine 50km of electric range is good
- Plenty of space in the second row for adults
- Petrol and electric power sources combine well
- It’s new to the Australian market, but already feels dated
- Boot space is limited in the hybrid Niro
- Dollars and cents won’t add up for all buyers
Introduction
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles are the automotive equivalent of having your cake and eating it too. While many will like the idea of an electric vehicle, committing to a pure EV can be a little daunting and limiting.
But if you’re able to buy something like this 2022 Kia Niro PHEV, you can dip your toe into electric waters without completely forgoing the convenience of petrol power.
Combining a 1.6-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric powertrain, the Niro plug-in hybrid vehicle is able to choose between both power sources. Or, a blend.
There’s an 8.9kWh lithium-ion polymer battery that feeds a 44.5kW/170Nm electric motor at the front wheels. And without using a single drop of fuel, the Niro has a claimed electric range of 55km.
Meanwhile, the 77kW/147Nm 1.6-litre petrol engine is able to charge that battery up as well as spin the wheels. So while that electric driving range may suit your weekly commute, this Niro is still able to undertake that long drive up the coast over the holidays.
To round all of those numbers out, the combined maximum power outputs for the Kia Niro PHEV are 104kW and 265Nm, and a claimed overall fuel economy of 1.3 litres per hundred kilometres on the combined cycle. Worth noting, however, that figure also includes using a charged-up battery.
There are a lot of figures for one to consider, but the price will also be a key rumination. The plug-in hybrid Niro is priced from $50,490 in this Sport guise, while a cheaper S specification is also available at $46,590. Key upgrades for the Niro Sport include a bigger infotainment display, LED headlights with high-beam assist, smart key with push-button start, and some interior mood lighting.
The plug-in hybrid Niro is cheaper than the fully electric Niro at $67,490, but more expensive than the closed-loop hybrid Niro at $43,990.
| Key details | 2022 Kia Niro Sport PHEV |
| Price (MSRP) | $50,490 |
| Colour of test car | Runway Red |
| Rivals | Toyota RAV4 Hybrid | MG HS PHEV | Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV |
Inside
Kia calls the Niro an SUV, but the overall shape and size aren’t necessarily convincing in that regard. It’s not a sedan, kind of a wagon, with a slight shade of SUV about it. Whatever shape it might happen to be, the quality and quantity of the interior do prove to be a mixed bag in the Niro.
Unfortunately, the Niro is inevitably going to be compared to more modern contemporaries like the Sportage medium-sized SUV, which undoubtedly leaves the Niro feeling a little basic and uninteresting. The overall design does hint at the age of the Niro – which has been available in other markets around the world for a number of years – and a variety of more basic materials doesn’t help either.
From a practicality point of view, the Niro is fine. Three USB power outlets up front is great, with a bit of storage on offer. There is decent storage available, with the typical array of centre console, cupholders and spot for a phone or wallet. Beyond that, it’s something of a typical and derivative experience from the inside.
On the plus side, the typical array of buttons and controls across the dashboard means it’s fast and easy to feel at home from behind the wheel. There is room for bottles in the door cards up front, and the combination of a big infotainment display and updated steering wheel design helps the Niro feel a little new and fresh.
There’s a good amount of second-row leg room on offer, enough to fit four big adults into the Niro comfortably. Headroom is also good thanks to the low-slung and sedan-like second-row seating position. And while there are no power outlets in the back, the air vents are a welcome addition. The seats have a 60/40 split function, but don’t have the ability to slide.
The boot isn’t so big, however, with size here more commensurate with a small SUV over anything medium-sized. This is no doubt due to the Niro housing two separate power plants in this application, but 324L points to a somewhat limited amount of boot space. You’ll notice from looking at it that the boot floor is high, under which hides a puncture-repairing goo kit.
| 2022 Kia Niro Sport PHEV | |
| Seats | Five |
| Boot volume | 324L seats up / 1322L seats folded |
| Length | 4355mm |
| Width | 1805mm |
| Height | 1545mm |
| Wheelbase | 2700mm |
Infotainment and Connectivity
One of the key upgrades for the extra spend of the Sport specification no doubt is infotainment, with 8.0 inches growing to 10.25 inches in this more expensive variant. This larger system has all of the usual requirements as well: Digital Radio, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and native navigation.
This is Kia’s latest infotainment system as well, which works well from a functionality point of view. It’s easy to operate and navigate, which is also thanks to the array of buttons below the infotainment display for various functions and climate control.
So while the interior of the Niro does seem a little old and tired, it also reminds you that while a solid slab of buttons and controls might not set the heart of a designer on fire, it’s very good from an everyday usability point of view. A single clean touchscreen might be very nice to look at, but I’d prefer to interact with a set-up more like this Niro on a day-to-day basis.
There’s some additional functionality to be had through the 4.2-inch multifunction display in front of the driver, which is especially handy when you’re using and monitoring a multi-pronged powertrain.
Safety and Technology
Even though the Kia Niro only dates back to May 2021 in Australia, it’s got a 2016 ANCAP safety score through the Euro NCAP system. It’s a five-star score at least, even though the 2021 and 2022 requirements are more stringent than those of five years ago.
There’s autonomous emergency braking (AEB) on this Niro, which includes pedestrian and cyclist detection. There’s also blind-spot detection with rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, lane-follow assist and driver attention alert.
Some other details in this vein include automatic headlights and wipers, and rear parking sensors (none on the front). The Niro is also missing some of the more advanced technology that you’ll find in newer Kia designs, like a 360-degree camera and blind-spot-view cameras.
| 2022 Kia Niro Sport PHEV | |
| ANCAP rating | Five stars (tested 2019) |
| Safety report | Link to ANCAP |
Value for Money
Once upon a time, the pioneering Mitsubishi Outlander was the only choice for a plug-in hybrid SUV in Australia. And while it’s not the volume choice in its respective range, the PHEV Outlander has since garnered a loyal band of followers.
These days, there is a bit more choice for prospective hybrid buyers. The MG HS has a plug-in hybrid choice for $47,990 before on-road costs, and the soon-to-be-replaced Outlander PHEV is also replaced by a smaller Eclipse Cross plug-in hybrid. However, we also need to mention the chart-topping Toyota RAV4 Hybrid here for your consideration.
In this kind of company, the Niro PHEV offers a nice mix of size and value for money with around 50km of electric range available.
Justifying a plug-in hybrid vehicle like this is difficult, because you’re spending significantly more money on the base vehicle. An efficient closed-loop hybrid Niro with no standalone electric range is around $6000 cheaper. And let’s face it: that buys a lot of fuel.
So from a pure argument of dollars and cents, you’re probably better off either with the unplugged hybrid, or even something like a base Sportage with a 2.0-litre petrol engine could be a cheaper proposition over the full term of ownership. This will, of course, ultimately depend on how many kilometres you’re going to cover, and how many years you’re planning on keeping the vehicle.
However, the appeal of a car that consumes virtually zero fuel during the week, but has the flexibility of a long road trip, will be evident to many.
When plugged into a 7.2kW Tesla wall charger, we got a full charge of 50km in about two hours. On a normal wall plug at your home, you’d be able to get the full charge by trickle-charging overnight.
Service costs tally in at $1128 over three years, $2321 over five years or $3540 for the full warranty period of seven years. That warranty has an unlimited kilometre limit, and service intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km.
| At a glance | 2022 Kia Niro Sport PHEV |
| Warranty | Seven years / unlimited km |
| Service intervals | 12 months / 15,000km |
| Servicing costs | $1128 (3 years) | $2321 (5 years) |
Driving
The Niro has paddle shifters, but don’t laugh. Firstly, the plug-in hybrid has a dual-clutch automatic transmission unlike the more common CVT automatic gearbox. So at least it actually has set ratios to choose from.
However, these paddle shifters serve a different purpose. They have moved on with the electrified times, allowing you to adjust your regenerative braking ability. You can choose between three modes of varying aggressiveness or turn it off completely.
At its strongest, the regenerative braking allows you to do a kind of one-pedal driving around town. The brakes still get a light prod from time to time, but you should be able to (theoretically, at least) push a bit of extra power back into the Niro’s battery pack.
When electric-powered, the performance of the Niro isn’t fast. But that’s not the point, and we found it to be fast enough for general commuting and driving.
Around 40km/h is acheivable without dipping into the fossil fuel reserves, and heavier doses of acceleration will call upon the use of the petrol engine. Both sources of power blend together nicely, giving a decent surge of performance when you need it.
And once you run down that electric battery, the Niro feels mostly like a closed-loop hybrid. A good one too. It’s reasonably smooth overall, with the electric motor still doing a bit of work at its lowest ebb. There is a bit of engine flaring as it kicks in, but that doesn’t seem to translate through the powertrain.
If you don’t manage to plug the Niro in for some electric range, it still works quite well. But that’s also kind of missing the point.
Against the claim of 1.3 litres per hundred kilometres, we saw closer to 2.7L/100km with normal driving, starting with around three-quarter capacity in the battery bank. If you were to drive it more often with less battery involvement, then we think you’d see more like 4–5L/100km.
The Niro certainly is not about excitement or driving enjoyment, but rather the combination of an efficient and practical two-edged powertrain. And from that point of view, it makes good sense.
Fuel Consumption – brought to you by bp
| Fuel Usage | Fuel Stats |
| Fuel cons. (claimed) | 1.3L/100km |
| Fuel cons. (on test) | 2.7L/100km |
| Fuel type | 91-Octane petrol |
| Fuel tank size | 43L |
If you had something like a 20km commute – along with the ability to plug the car in overnight – then the Niro could suit your needs well. Fuel consumption could be kept at an absolute minimum, but you’ve still got it there in case you need it.
Because of the Niro’s relatively old age, Kia has opted not to put it through a local ride and steering regimen for Australian tastes. This often yields a wonderful end product, but the Niro (with its more global tune) doesn’t seem to put a foot wrong. It’s mostly quite soft and compliant, handling typical suburban and city roads well.
Being easy to drive is more important than being dynamically rewarding in this case. And once you do start steering through the corners a bit more heartily, the weight of the Niro (with its twin powertrains) becomes apparent. If you want something of a part-time corner-carver, then you’d be better served looking elsewhere.
| Key details | 2022 Kia Niro Sport PHEV |
| Engine | 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol |
| Power | 77kW @ 5700rpm |
| Torque | 147Nm @ 4000rpm |
| Drive type | Front-wheel drive |
| Transmission | Six-speed dual-clutch automatic |
| Kerb Weight | 1564kg |
| Tow rating | 1300kg braked, 600kg unbraked |
| Turning circle | 10.6m |
Conclusion
The Niro fills an important gap of electrification for Kia, and comes in a variety of flavours to suit different tastes and budgets. This plug-in hybrid proved to be easy and comfortable to live with, sporting an efficient powertrain with 50km of genuine electric range. However, for such a modern powertrain, the Niro feels a bit old-hat in many other respects.
The recent arrival of some slick new options like the Mitsubishi Outlander (which will soon get a plug-in hybrid powertrain) and Kia Sportage makes it trickier for the Niro to cut through and appeal to buyers. On the plus side, it nails the important parts of an efficient and mostly smooth hybrid powertrain, and it walks the walk with zero-fuel driving.
No doubt, this combination of petrol power and short electric range will be very appealing to some buyers. The interior might be a little boring, and the boot is comparatively small, but the second row is spacious and its layout is otherwise practical.
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