Radical new Kia Niro revealed

The all-new 2022 Kia Niro has been unveiled at this year’s Seoul Mobility Show, with the second-generation electrified small SUV sporting a radical new look over the top of a new platform and more modern interior.

Heavily based on the 2019 Kia Habaniro concept, the new Kia Niro retains its familiar proportions but offers up almost no design similarities to the current model that only went on sale in Australia this year.

Whereas the styling of the current Niro can be likened to a taller pre-facelift Kia Cerato, the new one follows more in the footsteps of the latest Kia Sportage with its lower-set headlights, busy and angular front fascia as well as the boomerang-shaped tail-lights.

Most of those details were expected given Kia’s current design language, but we weren’t prepared for the oversized, contrasting-colour rear pillar – a feature taken directly from the Habaniro concept.

Rather than insert a port-hole aperture or extended window, the pillar is actually solid.

Kia says this was done for improved aerodynamics, with the contrasting colour there purely to inject some extra vibrance.

Helping the colour panel look more integrated is a set of boomerang-shaped tail-lights which aim to blend the figurative sideburns in with the rear-end of the car.

Emphasising the Niro’s identity as an SUV rather than a tall hatchback is the widespread use of plastic body cladding, which runs from the front bumper to the rear doors, and from the rear wheel-arches to the tail.

Now more than just an electrified compact SUV, Kia has stepped up the Niro’s sustainability measures through the use of recycled materials within the cabin including recycled wallpaper (headlining), Bio PU and Tencel (seats) as well as BTX-free paint (door panels trim colouring).

The cabin itself has had a total redesign, with a new off-centre dash and cordoned-off centre console designed to encapsulate both the driver and passenger within their respective position.

Horizontal and diagonal lines are aplenty “to create a calming, yet irregular aesthetic”, Kia says.

No concrete details surrounding the new Niro’s hybrid, plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and battery-electric powertrains have been released, however we do know PHEV variants will come with a new ‘Greenzone’ drive mode which automatically puts the car in EV mode depending on what area it’s in.

“When driving in green zones such as residential areas, or nearby schools and hospitals, the vehicle automatically uses electric power based on navigation cues and driving history data,” a Kia spokesperson said in a statement.

“It also recognises a driver’s favourite places, including home and office registered in the navigation system as a green zone.”

According to Kia president and CEO Ho Sung Song, the Korean brand is continuing to take steps towards a more sustainable future.

“The all-new Kia Niro makes it simple to practice a sustainable lifestyle with its eco-friendly materials, advanced technology and electric powertrains while it also fulfils the practical needs of customers,” he said.

Due for global release next year, the second-gen Kia Niro is scheduled to hit the local market by mid-2022.