This Kia Hybrid Is Perfect Around Town

The plug-in Kia Niro PHEV hybrid is cheap to run and manages short journeys on battery power, say Jeremy Taylor and Jessica Talbot-Ponsonby.

Test Drive: Kia Niro PHEV 1.6 GDi

J-TP – What’s this then – a new Niro model that won’t break the bank?

JT – This is the second generation of the Niro Hybrid. It sips fuel, packs a lot of equipment and looks great value. You could opt for the fully-electrified Niro EV but not everybody is ready to make the giant leap to battery power.

That’s true: we’ve driven the full EV model before. Unfortunately, living in the countryside, it doesn’t have enough range to ferry us on a return journey from ‘country to town house’ without an expensive top-up in London.

And therein lies the problem for many EV-newbies – they still fear running out of juice!

Yes, well, as I did that a mile from home a few years back I can understand their worries! So, this plug-in hybrid offers the best of both worlds, even though the maximum electric-only range is a modest 38 miles.

More like 28 miles in the real-world. But that’s fine if you live in a town, or have a short commute to work – just not so good if you are a country-dweller. A full-charge at home takes about three hours and the hybrid system can easily return over 60mpg.

The interior feels plush for an SUV costing £37,575. However, rear-seat space is a little tight and the boot is hardly class-leading at 324 litres. You can mirror your smartphone onto the 7-inch dash display, while the height-adjustable front seats are better than most.

If only the 1.6-litre petrol engine was a zippier.  The automatic gearbox is great for easy motoring but doesn’t aid performance. Things get a little noisy at motorway speeds too but the steering is light and the Kia is an easy drive in town.

And there are various trim levels to choose from, simply labelled 1 to 4. Our 3 will suit most people, with eight-way adjustable seats and lumbar support. Front parking sensors are also standard, while all Niros feature a rear-view camera to take the stress out of parking.

We should probably mention that because the Kia is a plug-in hybrid, company car drivers will benefit from a lower benefit-in-kind tax bracket too.

The compact SUV market is crammed with cars but the Niro should appeal for lots of reasons – not least the styling and, most importantly, every model is covered by a full seven-year warranty.

And Kia did very well in the annual What Car? reliability survey too, worth noting in these difficult economic times.

Of course, readers could go full Niro electric, although that bumps the price up slightly to £39,573 for the equivalent 3 trim level. The question is, are you ready for plug-in power?

DISCOVER

Discover more about the Kia Niro PHEV 1.6 GDi at kia.com

Jessica Talbot-Ponsonby is Director of Programmes at London College of Fashion, studying for a PhD in sustainable e-textile design.