DETROIT MOTOR SHOW: Compact Kia SUV nears
Kia teases all-new Niro small SUV ahead of February debut – and it's a hybridThe USA's biggest motor show, the North American International Auto Show, was the event of choice for Kia to 'tease' its latest world-beater, the all-new Niro compact SUV.
Based on an all-new "dedicated eco-car platform" – suggesting it will share its chassis with Hyundai's forthcoming IONIQ hybrid – the vehicle will be fully revealed at the 2016 Chicago motor show next month, indicating the Niro will be pitched at North American buyers initially.
The Korean car-maker is keeping mum on details at this stage, but says the compact SUV is targeting a sub-90g/km CO2 emission output, which would make it roughly as 'clean' as the new Toyota Prius, which is claimed to consume around 3.2L/100km.
Powered by a "downsized" petrol-electric powertrain, the Niro is a compact SUV according to Kia, which means it's likely to slot in underneath the new Sportage mid-size SUV, the all-new version of which arrives in showrooms later this month.
The Niro project is still top-secret at the moment and Kia Australia is monitoring the reveal closely, but says it's too early to say whether the vehicle would be sold here.
Kia Australia's General Manager, Media and Corporate Communications, Kevin Hepworth, told motoring.com.au it's not yet clear whether the Niro will be manufactured in right-hand drive (RHD) and therefore suitable for sale here.
"It's too early to talk about the car because we don't know if it's a RHD model yet," he said.
Hepworth noted that if the model is only available as a hybrid, it would be a hard sell in Australia, because unlike many other major car markets there are no government incentives to make hybrid cars more appealing here.
However, if – as expected – the Niro does enter production as a global model with conventional powertrains, it's certain to join Australia's booming small SUV sector, but not before 2017.
"If the Niro is smaller than Sportage and is available without hybrid, we're absolutely interested," said Hepworth. "There's a spot in our garage for an SUV of that size."
Like Toyota, Kia has long been without compact SUV to rival popular new models such as the Mazda CX-3 and Honda HR-V.
Boasting the new 'HUV' or hybrid utility vehicle tagline, the upcoming production car follows in the footsteps of the wild Kia Niro concept, first revealed (with gull-wing doors!) at the 2013 Frankfurt motor show in Germany.
The production version of the Niro teased here will be an orthodox SUV design and was shaped with input from Kia's California (USA) and Namyang (Korea) design studios.
Expect to see it make its global production debut at next month's Chicago motor show.
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