Driven: 2023 Kia Niro Evolves Into Something Greater

• We drove the redesigned Kia Niro in hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric forms.
• The Niro plug-in hybrid impressed us the most.
• All Niro versions have good visibility, a comfortable ride and a quiet cabin.

The Niro hybrid comes with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine coupled with an electric motor, a small battery pack and a six speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. It produces a combined power output of 139 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. This is the same engine and horsepower as in the outgoing model, but Kia says it has made a few improvements to cooling, friction and combustion technologies that helped make it more fuel-efficient and change its driving dynamics.

As a result of those tweaks, the Niro hybrid is now capable of an EPA-estimated 53 mpg in mixed driving, up from 50 mpg on the prior model. And if you choose to buy a Niro with the larger 18-inch wheels, that number drops to an EPA-estimated 49 mpg.

The Plug-In Hybrid uses the same 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine to start, but it adds a more powerful electric motor, which boosts the power to 180 hp. This is a solid 41-hp increase from the prior generation. Torque remains the same at 195 lb-ft. The Niro PHEV also benefits from a larger battery pack and can go up to 33 miles on a single charge, an improvement over the 26 miles from the previous Niro PHEV. When it's plugged into a 240-volt outlet, Kia says the Niro PHEV can recharge its battery in under three hours.

Last but not least, the new Niro EV is powered by a 150-kW motor that makes 201 hp and stores its energy in a 64.8-kWh battery. It has an EPA-estimated range of 253 miles, which is 14 miles more than the model it replaces. The Niro EV has a maximum DC fast-charge rate of 85 kW. This is slow compared to models such as the Mustang Mach-E and Volkswagen ID.4 (and Kia's EV6, for sure), but it's decent enough for the occasional road trip. When charging at the max rate, the Niro EV can go from 10% to 80% battery capacity in under 45 minutes. If you're going for a full charge at home with a 240-volt power source, it will take under seven hours to reach the 100% mark, according to Kia.

How does the Niro hybrid drive?

The Niro hybrid defaults to Eco mode, and while it has no issues keeping up with traffic, it isn't going to blow you away with its acceleration. That said, in times when you need a burst of acceleration or simply want to drive more enthusiastically, activating Sport mode provides a noticeable improvement in the throttle response. We averaged between 40-42 mpg during our drive on a mix of highways and city streets, which was impressive for a couple of lead-footed journalists trying to test the car's performance.

Forward visibility is excellent, with an expansive view of the road from the driving position. We were also impressed with how well isolated the cabin felt. It dampened wind noise and sounds from the outside, and even the engine felt relatively quiet when it was working hard.

How does the Niro EV drive?

The Niro EV feels the most similar to its predecessor, which isn't a bad thing since it was one of Edmunds' top-ranked EVs. It accelerates briskly in both drive modes and is fun to drive. The driver can control the level of regenerative braking via paddles on the steering wheel. This helps recuperate some of the vehicle's energy and maximizes its potential range. By default, the Niro EV uses a new intelligent regenerative braking system that Kia says will calculate the amount of regeneration required using radar and road gradient information. It allows the Niro to harvest the maximum amount of energy from its brakes, the automaker says, while bringing the vehicle to a gentle halt.

In our experience, we weren't able to bring the vehicle to a gentle halt without holding the left shift paddle. And even then we still needed to use the brake to come to a complete stop. This experience matches up with what we noted in the previous Niro EV. In other words, one-pedal driving may be possible but requires some practice.

How does the Niro PHEV drive?

We had the least amount of seat time in the Niro PHEV but were impressed with its performance. This model feels like the sweet spot of the Niro lineup, as it provides noticeably better acceleration than the hybrid and greater maximum range than the Niro EV when gas and electric operation is combined. And depending on how often you're able to drive it in its electric mode, the Niro PHEV has the potential to provide better efficiency than the Niro hybrid and eliminate any potential range anxiety that you might experience in the electric Niro.

A feature we like that was not available on the previous Niro is the ability to save the EV range for later. Let's say the start of your trip is mostly highway driving, where EVs are less efficient. With the press of a button, you can store the Niro's electric range and engage the hybrid mode. Later, when you are driving in the city, you can revert to EV mode and maximize its efficiency.

How's the Niro's interior?

Kia only provided us with the top-of-the-line SX Touring models, which all feature a digital driver display and a larger center touchscreen, so we didn't see what the entry-level hybrid LX model looked like. We know it will come with a smaller center touchscreen and likely an analog instrument cluster.

Regardless of the screen, the front dash uses a similar layout to the Kia EV6 and Sportage SUV models. A potential point of contention for some might be the row of haptic feedback buttons under the center screen. In one form, they manage various functions of the climate control system, but press a button and the entire row changes to entertainment and vehicle functions. You cannot have both up at the same time. It definitely takes some time to get used to, but it's not as bad as we first thought.

All versions of the Niro we drove were equipped with the larger 18-inch wheels from the Touring package. While they do reduce maximum efficiency a bit, we didn't notice any trade-off in comfort. The Niro handled imperfect roads and bumps with composure and didn't unsettle the passengers.

Edmunds says

The redesigned 2023 Kia Niro looks to be a big improvement over the outgoing model, whichever powertrain you choose. We're looking forward to more seat time in all the Niro versions and putting them through our full regimen of tests.