Kia Niro (2017-2022) review

The Niro makes a great deal of sense if you’re lucky enough to get a company car – especially the e-Niro (or indeed any all-electric car) on which you’ll pay no BIK tax whatsoever. Of the other two, the PHEV might cost a bit more to buy or lease, but significantly lower CO2 figures mean it’ll be much cheaper to tax. And run, assuming you can plug it in. Don’t worry if you can’t, though, as when the PHEV’s battery is depleted it reverts back to being a Niro Hybrid. It’s therefore arguably the perfect PHEV for people without regular access to a plug.

Kia uses numbers for its trim levels – the higher the better. The Hybrid can be had as a 2, 3 or 4, with prices starting from just under £25,000 and rising to £30,000 or so. Even the 2 is well equipped, with an eight-inch touchscreen with Apple Carplay and Android Auto, a reversing camera and adaptive cruise control among other things. Don’t be tempted by the 3 or 4 – their bigger 18-inch alloy wheels noticeably increase fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

The PHEV is available as a 2 or 3, for £30,000 or £32,000 respectively. Here we’d go 3 – the PHEV can‘t be had with the big wheels, so that isn’t an issue, and the 3 adds the big infotainment system and heated everything.

All Niros come with Kia’s seven-year or 100,000-mile warranty, which is transferrable to subsequent owners of the car (as long as it’s less than seven years old, and has done fewer than 100,000 miles, naturally).

Click here to read our review of the all-electric Kia e-Niro.