The new Kia Niro has been revealed and once again comes with a full EV, Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), and standard hybrid variants.
Five years and 300,000 sales later from its launch, the Kia Niro is back with a brand new variant that is set to go on sale this month with the keys being in your hands from this August.
The next generation Niro EV (changing its name from e-Niro) has a cleaner look at the front, with a central socket charging port and a 20L 'frunk' (EV only) which is used to tidy & store your charging cable away.
The big changes for this variant come at the side where Kia has given the Niro a much more dramatic look. In the EV it's enhanced further by steel-grey inserts along the sides, but the standout feature across the range is this coloured 'blade' that covers the C-pillar. In a cleverly designed way, it actually stands away from the main bodywork, helping to flow air along the side of the car for improved aerodynamics.
All three variants of this Niro will get updated powertrains. The Hybrid and PHEV will continue to use Kia's 1.6L GDi engine, which comes with a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission. The Hybrid has a 1.32kWh battery and a total output of 139bhp, while the beefier PHEV gets a boost in battery size - from 8.9kWh to 11.1kWh, with a combined power figure of around 180bhp. The EV has 201bph and a 64.8kWh battery.
Kia is still working on the efficiency of the car but expects the PHEV to manage up to 40 miles on electric power alone, with the EV being capable of producing up to 288 miles of range.
The two hybrids both manage a 0-62mph time of 10 seconds with the electric Niro coming in at just under eight seconds.
In the front, it will be dominated by twin 10.25" touchscreen displays and ambient lighting which is designed to extend their right across the width of the dashboard from driver to passenger.
Much of the touchscreen interface will be similar to the one you can find in the Sorento or Sportage, although it is slightly smaller in the Niro.
The Niro EV will also offer you vehicle-to-load charging which allows you to plug in everything from a laptop to a mobile fridge to make the car more versatile such as camping weekends away or if a passenger needs to get work done on the move.