Kia Niro EV Estate Review & Prices

The Kia Niro is a family-friendly SUV that you can have as a hybrid, a plug-in hybrid or as a full-on electric car. In a way, you could almost say it’s a bit like an all-you-can-eat vegan buffet: there’s plenty of tasty food to choose from, but it’s all environmentally friendly and eco-conscious, which should leave you with a satisfying warm, fuzzy feeling…

Anyway, this new version is far more attractive than the old one, which was a bit podgy around the edges. It now has sharper, bolder lines, and the two-tiered front end is pretty cool too.

Inside, the cabin is much like that of the all-electric Kia EV6. There’s two large infotainment displays, and the touchscreen housed in the centre of the dash is available with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The interior upholstery (a lot of which is made from recycled materials) all feels nice and plush too.

There’s also loads of space in here - both front and back seat passengers will find the Niro more than comfy enough over longer journeys. That said, the larger Sportage SUV has even more room for loftier passengers.

Out of the three variants, the EV version has the biggest boot, measuring 475 litres, while the full hybrid boot is 451 litres. The PHEV is a much less practical alternative though, with just 348 litres of space.

Nevertheless, automatic transmissions and light, accurate steering make all versions of the Niro smooth and easy to drive around town. The EV version’s ability to run on whisper silent battery power for 285 miles is nice too.

You’ll find that model to be comfy enough over lumps and bumps as well, and it doesn’t wallow about like a ship on a stormy sea when you put it through a faster corner either. It feels stable and secure, but it’s not very fun to drive at all. But then again, that’s not really what the Niro is all about anyway.

There’s also a fleet of safety systems to help you out, such as lane keep assist, smart cruise control and lane follow assist, with adaptive cruise and highway assist fitted to mid and top-spec models. 

Although it may not be the most exciting car around, the Kia Niro should be in your consideration if you’re after an eco-friendly family car. If you want to check out the latest offers on the Niro or another model, look at our deals page to see how much you could save on a new car. 

Prices for the Niro do depend on which version you go for. The conventional hybrid is markedly cheaper than the two plug-in versions, starting from £27,745. The top-spec Hybrid at £33,275 is only slightly more expensive than the entry-level PHEV, and with the lack of upside compared to EVs and normal hybrids, you may be better steering clear of the PHEV unless you can get tax benefits through having it as a company car and have access to a wall charger regularly. 

The PHEV model starts from £32,775, which compared to plug-in hybrids of a similar size is pretty good value for money, considering what equipment you get. 

The EV is the most expensive of the three options, but with zero-emissions is arguably the most appealing. Starting from £34,995, it’s the most practical of the three, has a good range from its 65kWh battery pack and has a more spacious cabin.

In town

With its balanced suspension setup to combat body roll and bumps in the road, you’ll find the Niro works well around town. Slower speed bumps that may have otherwise unsettled the car don’t have an effect so much. However, going over cracks and bumps can transfer a serious thunk into the cabin. 

There’s large door mirrors, a well-sized rear mirror and limited blind spots. Pair that to a small turning circle of 10.7m and you’ve got a car that’s very easy to manoeuvre around town. The steering is nice and light, so getting around town is simple. 

On the motorway

Kia has fitted this 2022 Niro with more insulation and sound-deadening than the previous model, and that means motorway driving is much quieter than before. That’s most noticeable in the Niro EV, with the wind and tyre noise now much less obvious than before. 

The Niro is also fitted with a decent amount of assistance systems as standard to make long-distance driving simpler. Lane keep assist, lane follow assist, forward collision assist and smart cruise control are all fitted as standard here, all of them helping you knock off the miles easily. Higher spec models get blind spot monitoring as well, giving you all-round visibility. 

On a twisty road

As an SUV, you’d think body roll will be pretty obvious. But with the suspension setup it has, the Niro manages to handle its weight well and soaks up the bumps nicely. It’s not too wide either and it’ll go down most B-roads without any trouble.

The steering is responsive at higher speeds, although there isn’t a huge amount of feel. The electric motor on the EV model is also very responsive, meaning you can get out of corners quickly and not worry about getting bogged down. 

With the Niro, you get plenty of space throughout, especially with the EV. Up front there’s plenty of adjustment for the driver, while your front passenger will be happy with the amount of head and legroom they have. 

There’s also a decent amount of storage space up front, with well-sized central bins and cup holders, while there’s a good space for your phone. The door bins aren’t the largest, but you can fit a water bottle in there and any other bits you might need. 

In the back seats, there’s decent space for head and legroom, with the EV also getting the benefit of a flat floor so taking three adults won’t be an issue. The seats are a little flat though so you might get a sore bum after a long while.

There’s USB ports in the sides of the front seats for those needing to charge devices on the go, while there’s some decent storage and some cupholders in the fold-down armrest in the middle. 

Other Kia hybrid options, like the Sportage and Sorento, do offer more space in the back seats, but for the size available, the Niro is very capable.

In the boot, you’ve got access to 475 litres in the EV, 451 litres in the standard hybrid and 358 litres in the PHEV. The PHEV is much worse off due to its electric drive batteries being stored under the boot floor and that seriously hampers practicality. 

The shape of the boot is good though, and you’re able to fit plenty in. There’s also tie-down points and a 12-volt socket if you need to use them.

Kia’s interior styling has improved a lot, especially with its eco-friendly models. Cars like the EV6 and latest Sportage all have sleek cabins that are well-built and easy to navigate. The Niro is no different and the updated cabin is tidy and simple. 

You get large screens, cool lines and textures to help it look modern, and a good amount of piano black trim – although that can scratch fairly easily. 

The overall layout of the infotainment is also good, with the graphics on both screens being very clear and easy to read. The infotainment system itself is also easy to navigate and looks exactly the same in any other Kia with its neon icons and dark background, but you’ll likely use your Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connection. 

On the driver’s display, you can navigate between different data options and screen designs. Again, all of these are clear and easy to read, while they change when you cycle through the drive modes. 

As manufacturers look to reduce emissions and waste, that means there’s less personalisation to make your car better suited to you. That means the only real options are cosmetic, such as paint colour and exterior trim detailing.

As you would expect, the EV version is the best for your wallet once you pay the premium of buying an EV in the first place. With its 64.8kWh battery pack, the Niro can do a claimed 285 miles on a single charge, if you can achieve the 4.4m/kWh efficiency that is. You’re more likely to get 260 miles on a charge, and if you have a wall charger at home, that makes ownership much easier.

The walbox also helps with owning the PHEV version, which with the help of electric power is much more efficient. Without it, you’ll be seeing closer to 40mpg, something you’d expect from a petrol SUV of this size. For emissions, Kia quotes 18g/km CO2, meaning tax will be much lower compared to a petrol SUV without electrification.  

For the standard hybrid, there’s a quoted 64.2mpg on the combined cycle, while emissions are 100g/km CO2. 

In terms of driver assistance and keeping your four wheels on the road, Kia has fitted the Niro with plenty of kit as standard. You get forward collision assist, lane keep assist, intelligent speed limit assist, lane follow assist and smart cruise control with stop/go. 

By choosing grade ‘3’ or ‘4’, you’ll get access to blind spot monitoring and highway driver assist, both of which make motorway and long-distance driving much simpler. For those wanting to make parking that little bit easier, you get the ‘4’ model with remote parking and parking collision avoidance.

With a seven-year/100,000-mile warranty, if anything does go wrong with your Niro, it’ll be fixed no problem. Even if you didn’t get that from Kia, you wouldn’t have to worry too much, as the previous Niro performed superbly in terms of reliability.

If progress is a sign of anything, it’ll be that the latest Niro will be even better. Yes there’s a lot more electrically-powered equipment which has a chance of going wrong, but as Kia models continually perform reliably, you shouldn't have a lot to worry about.