Kia Niro Hybrid or EV? Fully electric, certainly the tastiest

For decades, you were faced with a fairly simple choice when purchasing a new car: do you go for a petrol engine or do you drive enough kilometers annually to justify the purchase of a diesel? Completely different cards have been on the table for years now. Nowadays you have to look with a magnifying glass for combustion engines without any form of electrical assistance. Mild hybrid machines have become commonplace and more and more models are even available with a multitude of electrified powertrains.

Kia Niro: as Hybrid, as Plug-in Hybrid and EV

Like many other manufacturers, Hyundai and Kia supply so-called dedicated EVs such as the Ioniq 5 and the EV6, but also models with electrified and fully electric powertrains. The Hyundai Kona is available as a mild hybrid, a full hybrid and a fully electric model. This is different with sister model Kia Niro; it offers a choice of Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid and EV. The endurance adventure of our Niro Hybrid will soon come to an end, but before this partially electric all-rounder can enjoy its lazy day elsewhere, it must first prove its right to exist with us next to the fully electric alternative from our own stable. And there is certainly that right to exist.

The Kia Niro Hybrid on the left, the EV on the right.

Good spotting to distinguish Niro EV from Hybrid

Electric models are often easy to recognize as such, but with the Kia Niro you have to have a good background to distinguish the Niro EV from the Hybrid. Of course, Kia gives both models a Tiger Nose grille, but the design differs more than you might expect. In both models, the top thin ‘letterbox’ is mainly closed; the one on the Niro EV is thicker, but more pinched in the middle. That’s not easy; He has his charging connection at the center of his device. So no valve on the side, as with the Hybrid. You have to put them next to each other to see it, but even the complete front bumper and therefore also the real cooling openings differ per engine version. The Hybrid has a larger bottom air hole, which is also more open than the EV, and the hybrid’s license plate is also placed one floor higher on the front. There are also small differences at the back. For example, the silver-colored skid plate on the Hybrid is considerably larger and – if you look closely – you will find a modest exhaust tip on the right side, which reveals that it likes petrol.

And that contrasting color C-pillar of our endurance tester? This is not reserved for the Hybrid, but an option that is only available on the ExecutiveLine version. You pay €243.80 extra for that, but it improves the Clear White of the car considerably.

Electric Niro offers more space

Of course, you don’t choose between an electric or hybrid Niro based on external differences, but because of what you find behind the sheet metal. Although the interiors differ from each other at only negligible button level, there is still an interesting point we would like to make. Although EVs are usually slightly tighter than their brothers and sisters with combustion engines, the electric Niro actually wins over the Hybrid in terms of packing fun. This is because the battery pack of the Hybrid is mounted under the luggage compartment, while the significantly larger battery pack of the Niro EV is placed in the floor. The Niro EV therefore swallows about 25 liters more luggage than the Hybrid, with 475 liters as the maximum value. That’s without the frunk in the front of the Niro EV, which can accommodate 20 liters. In practice, this means that you can accommodate the charging cable there. However, with the rear seats folded down, the Hybrid can handle slightly more luggage with 1,445 liters than the EV. It is a matter of some give and take in this area; It is important to conclude that with both engine versions you will not lack anything.

Hybrid smooth, EV intermediate sprints wonderfully fast

Under the hood, the Niro EV and Niro Hybrid are as different as night and day. Our ‘self-charging hybrid’, as it is so nicely called nowadays, has a naturally aspirated 1.6 four-cylinder that runs according to the efficient Atkinson cycle. This machine is supported by a 44 hp electric motor, which produces a system power of 141 hp. It also has a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The interplay between the petrol engine and the electric motor is buttery smooth and smooth under all circumstances, even when you decide to abandon the drivetrain during a sudden overtaking action. The Niro Hybrid is quiet, soothing and on point, but cannot match its electric equivalent in any engine area. That doesn’t surprise us at all.

The Niro EV, with its 204 hp electric motor on the front axle, is much more powerful and, as a result, much faster. You zoom from a standstill to a speed of 100 km/h in 7.7 seconds, but you experience the big power treat during intermediate sprints. In terms of direct power delivery, an electric motor logically beats a combustion engine; After all, fewer moving parts need to be set in motion. The Niro EV is fast, but it never feels sporty. Just like the Hybrid, the EV is above all comfortable and not afraid to get comfortable. You hardly notice that the electric Niro, with its vehicle weight of almost 1,660 kilos, weighs more than 280 kilos more than the Hybrid (1,374 kilos) due to its battery pack.

Oasis of peace

The chassis is generally well balanced, although the rear of the Niro EV has a little more difficulty with the extra kilos than the front axle. Because both engine versions do not invite rough behavior, you rarely encounter this in practice. Even more than the Niro Hybrid, the EV is an automotive oasis of peace. You can eat your kilometers in serene peace without interrupting the acceleration process. This provides Kia’s insulation department with advantages. The battery pack placed in the bottom appears to further dampen driving noises caused by, for example, cross ridges.

Enjoy playing pinball to regenerate

A striking similarity between the two Niros is behind the steering wheel. With the paddles behind the steering wheel of the Niro Hybrid you can set the degree of recuperation – provided you are not driving in Sport mode – with the big difference that the electric Niro can also be driven with one pedal in the most intense mode. One pedal driving, which Kia calls i-Pedal. It is a typical EV feature that has trickled down to the hybrid Niro, although – unlike many other hybrids – you cannot temporarily force it into an EV mode. Are you ordering a Niro EV with a towbar? Then take a lower towing weight into account; While you can hang 1,300 kilos (braked) on the Hybrid, this is only 750 kilos with the EV. We did not achieve the specified range of 460 kilometers, but the Niro EV did score a test range of more than 420 kilometers. It cannot be charged as quickly as the Kia EV6 with a maximum of 72 kW, but in almost 45 minutes a pack that is empty by up to 10 percent can be charged to 80 percent.

Test consumption Kia Niro Hybrid 5.6 l/100 km (1:17.6)

Test consumption Kia Niro EV 15.4 kW/100 km

Price difference of the same version €10,000

With a price difference of more than €10,000 between the entry-level Hybrid and the least expensive Niro EV (with the same version the difference is nine grand), few Dutch people will only make a choice in the showroom; it has undoubtedly been made in advance. Even with the current petrol prices, you will not quickly earn back the Niro EV. At least, not financially. Given the advantages of the Niro EV, we can very well imagine that you would have to spend an extra piggy bank for it. The electric Niro is more spacious, quieter, faster, smoother and, above all, even more relaxing. In DynamicLine trim, it is eligible for the SEPP purchase subsidy, which means it is closer to its hybrid brother in terms of price.