All-New Kia Niro Unveiled

[Nairrk]

Kia has pulled the wraps off its new, second-generation Kia Niro and e-Niro at the Seoul Mobility show, revealing a striking redesign and features to boost its sustainability.

The mid-sized crossover is again available with three powertrain options: a traditional hybrid, a plug-in hybrid and a fully electric version. It’ll rival everything from the Skoda Enyaq to the Toyota Yaris Cross when it goes on sale next year.

Benefitting from a ground-up redesign, according to Kia, the new Niro takes influences from the brand’s 2019 Habaniro concept; namely the front-end design and the two-tone effect on the car’s C-pillars. Unusually, the C-pillar also houses the vertically stacked tail-lights - visually separating them from the tailgate - which adopt a boomerang shape.

At the front, the brand’s trademark ‘tiger face’ has evolved, with a large lower intake and small upper grille separated by a full-width chrome strip. The LED headlights and running lights are housed in separate pods, with Kia claiming the running lights mimic a heartbeat. The main visual difference between the hybrid Niro and the fully electric E-Niro is a charge port integrated into the front fascia of the latter.

The Niro’s cabin has also been thoroughly updated. A curving style line flows upwards on the door trims, with Kia claiming that opposing horizontal and diagonal lines on the car “create a calming yet irregular aesthetic”

The dash is dominated by a large, single-piece display combining digital instruments and a widescreen infotainment screen, with separate touch-sensitive climate controls underneath. A new ambient lighting strip crosses the dash, while the centre console contains physical switchgear and the rotary drive mode selector. The Niro’s headrests also incorporate coat hangers.

Kia cites the use of sustainable materials in the new Niro’s cabin. For example, the headlining is made from recycled wallpaper, the seats are made from bio-based polyurethane with Tencel fibres from eucalyptus leaves, and the paint on the door panels is water-based and free of substances such as benzene and toluene.

The only technology that Kia has announced details of so far is a new ‘Greenzone Drive Mode’. Using geofencing, it can automatically switch hybrid versions of the Niro to fully electric mode in ‘green zones’ such as urban residential areas, or outside schools and hospitals. The driver can also register their own green zones in the car’s navigation system.

Further technical details regarding the new Kia Niro’s platform, powertrains and technology features will be released ahead of the car’s expected debut in the first half of 2022.

Source: Autoexpress

 

[Nairrk]

New 2022 Kia Niro gets more space and extra tech

The Niro is really the model that kick-started Kia’s transformation into one of the leading brands for electrification adopters. And now, five years after its debut and with more than 300,000 examples sold, it’s time for an all-new generation of the car, which goes on sale this month and starts arriving in customers’ hands this August.

The previous Niro was based on one of Hyundai-Kia’s older platforms, shared with the Ioniq. But that changes now because the new Niro – which will again be available in hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure-electric versions – is the first Kia to use the latest generation of the company’s mid-sized K platform.

The new Niro EV (the name changes from e-Niro for this generation) has a cleaner look at the front, with a central socket for the charger and, on the EV, a frunk with around 20 litres of storage that should be handy for keeping wet cables out of the boot.

The big change really comes at the side, where Kia has given the Niro a much more dramatic look. On the EV it’s enhanced further by the steel-grey inserts along the sides, but the standout feature, across the range, is this coloured ‘blade’ that covers the C-pillar. In a neat trick, it actually stands proud of the main bodywork, helping to flow air along the side of the vehicle and improve aerodynamic efficiency. Expect Kia to play around with colours and finishes on this, giving customers extra scope for personalisation.

The three versions of the car all get updated powertrains. The Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid continue to use Kia’s 1.6-litre GDi petrol engine, along with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic 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 in its predecessor up to 11.1kWh - and a combined power figure of 180bhp. The EV has 201bhp and a 64.8kWh battery.

Kia is still fine-tuning the car’s efficiency but expects the PHEV to manage up to 40 miles on electric power alone, and the EV to be capable of up to 288 miles between charges. The two Hybrids both manage 0-62mph in around 10 seconds; as you’d expect, the e-Niro’s instant electric punch delivers a quicker time of just under eight seconds.

This Niro is 6.5cm longer overall than the car it replaces, and the wheelbase has stretched by a couple of centimetres, so there’s enough room on board now for four six-footers.

Up front, the dash is dominated by the twin 10.25-inch displays, and ambient lighting which is designed to extend their effect right across in front of the passenger. Much of the interface will look familiar to anyone with a current Sorento or Sportage, although the Niro’s screens are a little smaller. The Niro does get the same multifunction panel in the dash, though, allowing you to flick between infotainment and heating controls.

The Niro EV is also able to offer vehicle-to-load charging - allowing you to plug in everything from a laptop to a mobile fridge, if you need to. It’s likely to be standard on higher trim levels, and optional elsewhere.

Autoexpress

 

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2023 Kia Niro Teaser Previews US-Bound Crossover Ahead Of NY Debut

Kia will launch the new Niro for the US market at this month’s New York Auto Show. However, Kia has a tendency to introduce new models in its home country first, which it did with the 2023 Niro. It debuted last November, but that hasn’t stopped the company from teasing the model’s reveal for America.

The Kia America Twitter account posted a short video that attempts to tease the crossover’s bold design, but it doesn’t look too different from the one that debuted late last year. The short video highlights the Niro’s unique taillights and rear pillar, a portion of the interior, and the angular daytime running lights, all of which we’ve seen before, including the revamped interior that likely won’t change much for North American tastes.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1512100731477766148

Kia will offer the Niro in three flavors, which the company has detailed already. It will arrive in hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery-electric configurations. However, it’s unclear if the company will tweak the different powertrains for the US market. The hybrid pairs a 1.6-liter four-cylinder and a 32-kilowatt electric motor for a combined 139 horsepower (103 kilowatts). The Niro plug-in hybrid gets a larger 62-kW electric motor that makes 180 hp (134 kW).

motor1.com