Test Driving the Kia Niro hybrid utility vehicle for Singapore roads

The Kia Niro marketed as a hybrid utility vehicle enters the crowded and hotly contested crossover market segment which has replaced mid sized family sedans in recent years. It’s late to the market which has seen the Honda Vezel/HR-V take the largest market share along with competitors such as the Nissan QashQai , Renault Kadjar , Toyota C-HR and Subaru XV.

However it has a trick up its sleeve against its competitors, hybrid technology backed by a full agent warranty (10 year lithium battery and engine warranty plus 5 years unlimited mileage warranty) and a high standard equipment list.

Exterior
It adopts a conservative but sporty looking planted stance wearing the now familiar “tiger” grill adopted across the Kia range. The relatively long wheelbase of 2700mm maximises interior space with the wheels pushed to the edges. Auto headlights, the ubiquitous daytime running lights are all present together with an electric sunroof.

The rear is finished off in a tasteful roof spoiler that’s not too OTT and a discrete rear diffuser to complete a sporty looking rump.

Interior
A nice surprise is the Niro plays a nice musical tone upon start up and switching off the ignition.

There is a abundance of space for a family of 5 with the rear bench and floor being fully flat, yielding a generous amount of lateral seating space and legroom.

Passengers are constantly being pampered and cooled by ventilated seats in front with dual zone climate control plus rear air con vents for the rear passengers. The front passenger seat is also electrically adjustable with 2 memory settings.

My 6 ft 2″ friend commended the rear seating space which was good for his stature especially the high roofline as he often brushes against the roofline of more low slung vehicles.

With the split 60/40 rear seats folded down, there is 1425l of cargo space which can store a mountain bike, good for the young and adventurous target audience the Niro is marketed towards.

There is a myraid of features including steering wheel controls, Bluetooth connectivity, auto headlights, auto rain sensor, tyre pressure monitoring, engine star stop button, keyless ignition and my favourite, wireless smartphone charging! no messy wires, just lie your smartphone on the charging pad and wallah!

The Drive
Equipped with a new 1.6 Kappa GDI engine and a 1.56kwh lithium ion battery, the hybrid unit puts out a combined figure of 141ps and more importantly 265Nm of torque from idle. power delivery is also relatively linear and if driven under normal conditions the transition from electric to petrol power is imperceptible.

Steering feel is nice and weighty and I especially appreciate the natural and quick shifting six speed dual clutch gearbox which is a welcome reprieve from the Japanese manufacturers who favour CVT gearboxes. There is non of that dreaded lag and rubber band effect from this dual clutch unit being both precise and smooth. Also available is a sports mode with manual select option.

Brake pedal feel is both progressive and natural unlike other hybrid vehicles which suffer from an artificial brake pedal feel due to the regenerative braking system.

On the move, the car is both calm and quiet, being able to cope well in both urban and highway scenarios. NVH is well suppressed at our local highways speeds and the ride quality is befitting of a crossover being neither too harsh nor too soft. The neutrality of the chassis and suspension set up means you will hardly get to experience any under or over steer situations under local driving conditions, just a calm relaxed drive.

Fuel Economy
I managed a healthy 4.6l/100km on mixed urban and highway use which is close to the stated consumption figures. There is no tachometer in the instrument cluster, instead replaced by a battery use indicator and a “real time” fuel consumption display encouraging you to save as many trees as possible.

Safety
The Niro achieves a 5 star NCAP rating with Lane departure warning, rear cross traffic alert, 7 airbags and the ubiquitous abs, esc and such.

I found the blind spot detection particularly useful with both an audio and visual alert in the side mirrors.

Conclusion
Kia has come a very long way, with my family members owning both a Picanto and Cerato Forte previously, I have witnessed the progress the maker has made for each successful generation of vehicle which it builds. It has caught up with and in some areas already exceeded the Japanese marques.

This is a well rounded car, priced competitively by the local dealer at S$117,999 taking into account the generous warranty accorded, the Kia Niro brings the fight straight to the already established stalwarts.