Kia Niro PHEV S 2021 Review

Prices for the 2021 Kia Niro range span $26,000 – from the cheapest Niro Hybrid S to the dearest Niro EV Sport. The entry-level Niro HEV starts from $39,990 plus on-road costs and the battery-electric flagship tops out at $65,990 plus ORCs.

In between, the plug-in variants are priced at $50,490 plus ORCs for the Niro PHEV Sport and a more affordable $46,590 plus ORCs for the Niro PHEV S tested here. On the road, the test vehicle is priced at $49,990, but with the added cost of the Runway Red metallic paint at $520.

Standard features in the Niro PHEV S include 16-inch alloy wheels, eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with six-way power adjustment for the front passenger seat, heated power fold-in door mirrors, adaptive cruise control, leather-bound steering wheel/gear knob, power windows (auto-up driver’s window only) and dual-zone climate control. The latter features a driver-only setting to save energy consumption.

The infotainment system on board features six speakers, digital radio, an eight-inch touch-screen and Bluetooth. There’s no satellite navigation but the car does come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

To charge or power portable devices, there is a USB port in the centre fascia, plus another in the centre console storage bin and a 12V power outlet at the bottom of the dash stack. But there’s nothing in the rear for the kids.

There are two fixed cup holders in the rear-seat centre folding arm rest, plus two more fixed cup holders in the centre console for the front seat occupants.

Kia sells the Niro PHEV with a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, but coverage for the lithium-ion polymer battery is limited to seven years/150,000km. Service intervals are 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first, and Kia will provide capped-price servicing for $3500 to cover the seven years or 105,000km.

Euro NCAP tested the Kia Niro hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants back in 2016, and ANCAP drew on its European affiliate’s crash safety data to arrive at a five-star rating for the Niro, but based on that five-year-old testing protocol.

The Niro lost points for lack of reverse AEB and ‘AEB – junction assist’. By the standard of the time, however, the Niro did cope well, scoring 91 per cent for adult safety, 80 per cent for child protection, 70 per cent for vulnerable users (pedestrian protection at the time), and 81 per cent for safety assist technology.

Standard safety features for the 2021 Kia Niro PHEV S include forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane keep assist, lane follow assist, driver fatigue monitoring, lead vehicle departure alert, auto on/off headlights, rain-sensing wipers, reverse parking sensors and a reversing camera.

In the event of a crash, occupants can rely on seven airbags including side curtains and a knee airbag for the driver.

There’s also two ISOFIX child restraint mounts across the rear seat, plus three top-tether anchorage points for child seats.

Two different motive power sources – each capable of running independently or supplementing each other – means the 2021 Kia Niro PHEV features a very flexible powertrain package.

A switch on the centre console allows the driver to select EV, HEV (hybrid) or Automatic mode. At start-up, the engine will start immediately, even if the Niro battery is fully charged. This ensures the engine reaches normal operating temperature at the earliest moment and is ready to go when needed.

With the petrol engine and the electric motor running together (in Hybrid or Automatic mode), the Niro does scamper away quickly from a standing start, and it will readily spin one of its original-equipment Michelin tyres, such is the torque available.

The electric motor and petrol engine working in unison don’t make for a sporty combination though. Torque from the motor fills that gap below the engine’s torque peak, providing linear acceleration, but delivering little in the way of excitement.

Slip the lever of the dual-clutch transmission across into the sequential-shift détente, however, and the petrol engine is unharnessed from the electric motor, revving more freely.

The Sport mode locks out hybrid, EV or automatic modes and the petrol engine is the only motive power source. In that respect it is different from the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV or the just-launched Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross PHEV, which only couple the petrol engine to the front wheels by a single reduction gear, whereas the Niro PHEV has six forward speeds available from its DCT.

With the DCT in Sport mode, the Niro drives like any small SUV with a conventional petrol powertrain. It also hands the driver more engine braking for friskier motoring, so while the Kia in Sport mode may not be any quicker than in Hybrid or Auto modes with the electric motor assisting, it does feel faster.

The engine produces peak torque at 4000rpm, which is firmly in the mid-range, so it delivers brisk performance, but without a lot of soul. However, the electric motor provides adequate performance for the peak-hour rush, and the petrol engine will extend the car’s range considerably for open-road touring.

The Niro in this trim level doesn’t post its average energy consumption in electric-only mode, but does measure the peaks and troughs of energy consumption for display in a graph on screen. At worst the consumption was up to 15kWh, but coasting gently downhill the Niro was using less than 5kWh for an average I would estimate to be around 10kWh over the course of the 72km drive.

During that same drive, which exceeds the Niro’s 58km range on full battery charge (54km from a full charge, according to the trip computer), the petrol engine did run at times and the trip computer posted an average of 2.1L/100km for the journey.

The Niro’s battery takes a little over four hours to recharge using a 10-Amp power outlet, from eight per cent to full capacity.

Once the battery charge has fallen below about 10 per cent, the Niro will kick itself out of EV mode, relying much more on the engine to keep the vehicle moving and at the same time recharging the battery in hybrid mode.

On country roads that will have some cars pitching and tossing at the open-road limit, the 2021 Kia Niro PHEV was fairly composed, and not as pillowy-soft as some rivals in the small SUV segment.

It’s a little firm over smaller bumps, but still absorptive and well damped over larger and harder hits.

That ride quality translates to decent driving dynamics. The Niro does deliver highly commendable grip, but the handling isn’t in the same league as the all-electric Niro.

Put that down to different weight distribution perhaps, with the engine likely adding weight over the front axle. There’s one thing about it, any extra weight over the front-end might explain why the Niro PHEV is so stable under heavy braking. It’s really impressive.

At open-road speeds, the Niro PHEV S produces no noise from the motor, and any noise from the engine – if it’s operating – is more in the realm of vibration felt rather than noise heard. The most intrusive noise at 100km/h comes from the road, courtesy of the Michelin 205/60R16 tyres.

While the Niro Sport has LED headlights, the Niro S on test comes with halogen headlights, which are disappointing on low beam. On a wet freeway I checked that the headlights were operating, not just the daytime running lights. Nor does the lower-grade specification come with automatic high beam assist.

The driving position is very good, thanks in part to a comfortable, well-shaped seat featuring adjustable lumbar support.

About the only ergonomic question marks are the lack of a tachometer and the indicator stalk on the left of the steering column, but neither is a major concern.

The instrumentation is very easy to read and the switchgear on the steering wheel takes the pain out of scrolling through computer functions, setting the cruise control or adjusting the audio system.

There’s a conventional gear shift lever to select drive or reverse and a sport-mode sequential shift plane close to the driver’s left leg. Unlike other plug-in hybrids, this is for use with the petrol engine and doesn’t do double duty for adjusting brake energy recovery.

The interior is relatively attractive, in a slightly dated way. There’s piano black gloss trim liberally applied to the dash and centre console, plus co-ordinating matt aluminium-look plastic decor on the dash.

Some hard plastic is in evidence – particularly below the line of sight – but with a textured finish.

The rear seat delivers very generous accommodation, and passengers get adjustable vents in the rear of the centre console. But there are no charging ports for portable devices. Both rears seats fold down in a 60/40 split.

Unlike the battery-electric Niro, the plug-in model’s boot space is compromised by its lithium-ion polymer battery under the floor. The difference in volume is 324 litres for the plug-in model, 451 litres for the battery-electric Niro.

At some point, the analytical shopper will arrive at the conclusion that the 2021 Kia Niro PHEV is a reasonably strong package at a price that’s bordering on affordable.

But the temptation will be there to go above $50,000 on the road for a Sport version, with significantly more kit for not much more dosh.

It’s hard to accept halogen headlights when the Niro PHEV Sport features LED headlights, as an example.

As an alt-energy vehicle, the plug-in Niro is good for the environment and not as injurious to the household budget, which makes it an acceptable compromise solution for Australians trying to do their bit to combat climate change.

How much does the 2021 Kia Niro PHEV S cost?
Price: $46,590 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric plug-in hybrid
Output: 77kW/147Nm (104kW/265Nm combined)
Transmission: Six-speed dual-clutch transmission
Battery: 8.9kWh lithium-ion polymer
Range: 58km (ADR)
Energy consumption: 9.8kWh/100km (ADR)
Fuel: 1.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 29g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2016)