At the heart of the Niro is a compact 1.6L 4-cylinder gasoline engine producing 104 horsepower. This engine alone would make the Niro a poor performer, but luckily there is an electric motor as well helping to motivate the vehicle. Combined with the electric motor, the Niro produces 139 hp and a very robust 195 foot-pounds of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels through a 6-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox. Unlike most other hybrids, which use a continuously variable transmission, the Kia's dual clutch unit helps provide strong acceleration at the cost of a slight penalty to fuel economy. The tradeoff is worth it; the Niro doesn't feel anchored to the ground like some other hybrids, while still returning up to 50 mpg in combined city and highway driving in its most basic form.
The Kia Niro comes in five trims, LX, LXS, Touring, Touring Special Edition and EX Premium. The base LX trim has fewer amenities than its siblings but still comes with all the notable features one would expect in a compact car or SUV these days. Standard features include an 8-inch color touch screen display with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, steering wheel mounted controls for the sound system and cruise control, a USB input jack, power windows and door locks, keyless entry, dual-zone automatic temperature control, power external mirrors and 16-inch wheels.
The LXS trim primarily adds auto-high beam and a push-button start system. Meanwhile, the Touring trim builds on the LXS by offering heated exterior mirrors, 18-inch wheels, a nice finished gloss-black grille with metallic insert and distance pacing cruise control with traffic stop and go. Inside, there is cloth and leather seating trim, a 10-way power adjustable driver's seat with 2-way power lumbar support and an 8-inch LCD infotainment system. The Touring Special Edition has everything the Touring has plus LED headlights, 10.25-inch voice activated navigation infotainment, a Harman Kardon sound system, real time traffic display, Sirius XM and HD radio.
The top-of-the-line EX Premium trim gets a power sunroof, full leather seating, projector beam headlights, wireless phone charger, heated steering wheel and heated/ventilated front seats.
Standard safety items on the Niro includes anti-lock brakes, front seat belts pretensioners, stability control, brake assist system, a bevy of airbags and a hill start control system. A rearview camera is also standard across the entire Niro range. The LXS, Touring and EX Premium trims all add a Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Blind Spot Detection (BSD), Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RTCA), Pedestrian Detection and a Driver Attention Warning (DAW) system.
The Kia Niro is largely unchanged for 2020, but there are some changes to the trim names.
The Niro competes with other small SUVs and crossover vehicles such as the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. The Niro won't break the bank, while still offering far better mileage than any of its competitors. Like all Kia's, the Niro comes standard with all the basics one would expect from a compact car and at the other end of the spectrum, the Niro is positively loaded with the kind of items that were only sold in luxury cars a few years ago.
