The KIA Niro is the part of a plan for the Korean brand to triple its line-up of green models in 2020. It is a hybrid SUV, although KIA calls it an HUV (hybrid utility vehicle). It is a strong competitor of the Toyota Prius with a little smaller body size. In terms of size, having 4.4m length with a 1.6-litre petrol Kia Niro engine, it’s bigger than KIA Cee’d but smaller as compared to Kia Sportage.
The smart Kia Niro hybrid engine with 1.6-litre petrol engine is a complete match of 102bhp mated to a 42bhp electric motor. The engine power is going through a six-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox (DCT). The new Kia Niro engine has removed the continuously variable transmission CVT which is under the issues for most of the hybrid cars which normally creates louder noise in accelerating mode.
The DCT automatic system is surely a remarkable betterment over the CVT system. It changes gears more smoothly. It can be used as a manual mode as well. When we use the shifter on the console, it changes between ratios. Yet, the long gearing in a low powered engine produces a bit much noise because the engine is forced to work to accelerate at up speed. Overall, the engine produces pleasant and low noise and the electric motor produces torque output of 265Nm.
When the Niro is at low speed, the engine is very quiet, however, on the motorway or on the long drives, the road and the wind noise is kept minimum. The electric motors work fine on the low speeds to make driving in town much more comfortable. When we drive the Niro to high speed, it smoothly shifts the gears, that’s why it doesn’t produce unpleasant noise. The reason is that the gear shifting is fairly slow.
Kia Niro is having some clever fuel saving techs like Predictive Energy Control System that uses navigation data to operate the hybrid system. The Niro also has a drag co-efficient of 0.29 and there is no congenital battery. This obviously saves the weight and feel the car lighter.
Inside Kia Niro, you will find a 7-inch touch screen with Apple Carplay and Android Auto. The outputs of android system is almost same as your smart phone gives, however, there are some limitations while using some apps as you use in your smart phone. The boot space is 427, which is comparatively smaller than the Prius but smartly enough to bring maximum luggage.
Smart engine features with smart gadgets and comfortable seating makes the Kia Niro a complete package for a smart car lovers.
