There's a new Kia Niro coming, and in styling terms, it's striking rather a more dramatic pose than the current model.
More striking styling
Taking pretty obvious inspiration from the HabaNiro concept car from a couple of years ago, the new Niro looks sharper and cleaner. It's definitely more handsome at the front, with the slim LED running lights and stacked dipped and main beam units, as well as some of the rest of the styling lifted in part from the new Sportage. On the whole, it looks rather less apologetic than the current Niro. At the back, there's a distinctive contrast-colour rear pillar, which we assume will be optional rather than standard... The very slim LED brake lights wrap around and over that rear pillar, which creates quite a dramatic effect. For the electric e-Niro, you can see that the charging point has moved from being inset into the left side of the grille to a central position, with quite a prominent flap cover.
EV6-like cabin
Inside, there's a clear influence from the new EV6 electric car, and the Niro seems to get the same long, wide, slightly curved display screens. Although Kia isn't handing out tech details yet, that looks to us like a 12.3-inch screen in front of the driver, and a ten-inch screen for the infotainment system (which also looks to be running the same software as the EV6). We'll have to wait and see if both those screens are standard or optional.
What will be standard, if you buy the plug-in hybrid model, is a new geo-location system that will automatically save battery power so that you can drive in zero-emissions mode through urban areas on your route. According to Kia, this 'Greenzone Drive Mode' "automatically uses electric power based on navigation cues and driving history data when driving in green zones such as residential areas, or nearby schools and hospitals. It also recognises a driver's favourite places, including home and office registered in the navigation system as a green zone."
Also on the eco-friendly front, Kia is using recycled and less damaging materials in the making of the Niro. The headlining is made from recycled wallpaper, the seats are made from Bio PU with Tencel from eucalyptus leaves, and BTX free paint (a water-based paint that is free from benzene, toluene, and xylene isomers) is used on the door panels to minimise the impact on the environment and reduce waste.
Engines carried over?
With tech details thin on the ground at the moment, it looks as if the current model's 1.6-litre petrol engine (in hybrid and plug-in hybrid forms) and 64kWh battery (for the electric e-Niro) will be carried over, although we'd expect to see some small improvements in the electric range given that Kia will doubtless have found some efficiency gains. It's likely that the smaller battery model will be dropped from the e-Niro lineup, as not many customers actually buy it.
"Kia continues to take steps towards a more sustainable future, inviting everyone to join the movement into the new mobility era," said Ho Sung Song, President and CEO of Kia. "The all-new Kia Niro makes it simple to practice a sustainable lifestyle with its eco-friendly materials, advanced technology and electric powertrains while it also fulfills the practical needs of customers."