2017 Kia Niro Hybrid Driven: Embracing Normalcy
Midway through their second decade, hybrids have reached a critical juncture in the United States. While their technology is going to become increasingly important as automakers push to meet regulatory targets, gas prices (adjusted for inflation) are at their lowest consistent point since 2003.
Niro Tested and Every EV and Hybrid SUV!
The latest Toyota Prius has embraced “Space Oddity” styling, but that doesn’t appear to be spurring sales of that hybrid icon. The new Kia Niro, on the other hand, looks like the kind of vehicle that can inspire Americans to trade in their compact or mid-size sedans. The Niro is an approachable and practical, crossover-like hatchback—one that just happens to have a hybrid powertrain and EPA city ratings of up to 52 mpg. Refreshingly straightforward, it has no unfortunate packaging concessions, no bizarre styling, and no weird controls that are different just for the sake of being different (we’re looking at you, Prius shifter).
Blending In
The Niro is built on a dedicated compact hybrid-vehicle platform shared with the Hyundai Ioniq. However, while the Ioniq sticks with a Prius-like Kamm-back profile designed to squeeze the last tenth of a mile out of every gallon of gasoline, the Niro trades off some aerodynamic efficiency for greater passenger and cargo space. For the U.S. market especially, we think Kia made a smart choice. From across the parking lot, the Niro looks like a crossover SUV. Step closer, and it’s clearly lower and more wagonlike.
It’s a slightly higher-riding alternative to the Toyota Corolla iM or the Ford Focus hatchback, yet it’s lower and more squat than many small crossovers such as the Chevrolet Trax, Honda HR-V, Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, or Fiat 500X. Seat height is about an inch and a half higher than that of a typical compact sedan, according to Kia, and slightly lower than the Soul’s—perfect for easy entry and exit. There’s enough headroom and legroom in back for tall adults, and the rear seatbacks flip forward, creating a flat cargo floor.
Eco Every Time
The Niro, like Kia’s Optima hybrid, has a four-cylinder engine and a single AC electric motor/generator integrated within a six-speed automatic transaxle. But much is different about both the engine and the gearbox. The engine is a new, Atkinson-cycle 1.6-liter four-cylinder with exhaust-heat recovery and dual cooling circuits for quickly warming up the cylinder head. It makes 104 horsepower and 109 lb-ft of torque, and Kia claims it operates with 40 percent thermal efficiency, a lofty mark on that scale. The six-speed is a dual-clutch unit, with two hydraulically actuated multiplate dry clutches finessing launches and shifts. The combined system output to the front wheels is 139 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. In case you missed any previous hints that this is not a rugged SUV, note that all-wheel drive is missing from the lineup, and there are no plans to add it.
Kia suggests that the dual-clutch gearbox at the core of the Niro’s powertrain layout makes for a more engaging driving experience. But with every startup and shift into drive, the Niro defaults to its Eco mode—a setting that prefers higher gears, delivers sluggish downshifts, and in which stabs of the accelerator bring a long pause before anything happens. Start off gingerly enough to avoid waking the gasoline engine and you’ll probably be irritating the traffic behind. The Niro is fairly aggressive about shutting down the gasoline engine when you’re crawling along in dense traffic or in city driving at less than 30 mph or so.
Sliding the shift lever over to the left engages the Niro’s perkier Sport mode, with somewhat firmer steering, sharper accelerator response, and a dramatically different shift schedule. You’ll pay a mileage penalty using that mode, as it keeps the engine running the vast majority of the time. And with a zero-to-60-mph time expected to be on the far side of the 10-second mark—about the same or slightly slower than the Prius—the Niro still isn’t quick.
The one drivability aspect we found a little off-putting was the almost complete lack of engine braking. In Sport, you can pull the shifter back to downshift a gear or two—to manage speed down a long grade, for instance. You’ll hear the engine revving higher, but there’s no significant deceleration. Nor is there any sign of increased regenerative braking on the in-dash readout.
We also experienced a few powertrain judders and uncouth transmission sounds. Unlike Toyota, Hyundai/Kia doesn’t have 20 years of experience with hybrid-system software mapping, and it can show in that way. That said, the Korean companies have made tremendous progress in hybrid drivability in a relatively short period—including the Niro’s great pedal feel blending regenerative and mechanical braking.
The Niro also exhibits good ride, handling, and NVH qualities. Although it doesn’t feel overtly sporty, on the South Texas back roads where we drove the Niro, we found good body control and a lack of the queasy rebound moments that you find in some crossovers. The steering is nicely weighted and requires very few corrections to maintain a straight path on the highway. A rubber-isolated front subframe helps keep vibrations and harshness from reaching the cabin, and all Niro models have an acoustically insulated windshield.
No hybrid would be complete without some eco-geek goodies, although the Niro generally keeps such things rather subtle. Grille shutters automatically close at approximately 35 mph to diminish drag, and the Niro has a host of underbody airflow-smoothing items, including an air deflector for the muffler. The available navigation system accesses GPS data for road topography and can advise the driver when to lift off the gas—such as when going down hills or exiting freeway ramps—and can direct the powertrain to shunt electrons to precharging the battery pack in anticipation of long uphill grades.
It all adds up to exemplary fuel-economy ratings: 52 mpg city and 49 mpg highway for the miserly FE version, 51/46 mpg for the LX and EX models at the heart of the lineup, and 46/40 mpg for the Touring models we drove. That’s a significant difference in mileage across versions with seemingly minor differences; Kia says that all of the core hybrid components remain the same but point to the Touring’s nearly 170 pounds of extra equipment and wider tires (225/45R-18 versus 205/60R-16).
The Niro will start reaching U.S. dealerships in January. All models get a rearview camera and a 7.0-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Compared with the more affordable LX, the EX model makes a significant step up in terms of interior comforts, adding standard heated front seats, rear A/C vents, upgraded trim, and an available sunroof. Touring models upgrade their audio significantly with an eight-speaker Harman/Kardon system and also get power front seats and leather upholstery. Adaptive cruise control and automated emergency braking are among the features available on top EX and Touring models.
As with the Hyundai Ioniq, this hybrid version is only one iteration of Kia’s green machine. A plug-in-hybrid Niro is due to arrive next September, and an all-electric variant is expected to complete the family, likely in early 2018.
In the meantime, those who choose a Niro because it is the size and shape they want probably will find a lot of value in this model’s generally pleasant driving experience and roomy interior—not to mention a lot more monetary value should gas prices rise.
Tech Highlight: Sir Mix-A-Lot
Kia’s new hybrid system in the Niro (and the closely related Hyundai Ioniq) addresses one of the most common complaints about hybrids: the motorboat effect—or the disconnect between engine and vehicle speeds. It does so by replacing a continuously variable transmission with something a lot more straightforward: stepped gears. The Niro, in its most efficient versions, manages EPA fuel-economy numbers that rival those of the Prius, while reclaiming at least some of that connection between engine and tarmac.
The starting point is a compact, low-friction dual-clutch six-speed automatic with hydraulically actuated dry multiplate clutches (001). Kia’s latest 1.6-liter Kappa engine, making 104 horsepower and 109 pound-feet of torque, is the other key component in this new setup. With a long-stroke design, separate cooling circuits for the head and block, a higher-rate exhaust-gas-recirculation system, and a 13.0:1 compression ratio, this Atkinson-cycle engine allegedly hits a lofty 40 percent thermal efficiency, rivaled only by Toyota’s efforts in the latest Prius (and now Camry hybrid) and by diesel engines.
A 1.6-kWh battery pack fits under the back seat, and a 43-hp AC synchronous electric motor/generator (002) mounts to the transmission’s input shaft. A third dry multiplate clutch (003) housed inside the motor/generator connects the combustion engine to the same shaft, allowing the engine to strategically add motive force. Through mind-bogglingly complex software maps and controls, the system coordinates when the engine decouples and whether the motor drives the wheels or acts as a generator.
Torque from the motor allows tall gearing and smooth, all-electric launches. The system is neatly packaged and improves the driver/car connection—though with real-world mileage yet to be proven and, perhaps, some drivability quirks yet to be addressed.