2017 Kia Niro Review: First Drive

CARS.COM — The 2017 Kia Niro is a hybrid, but at many points during its driving introduction in San Antonio, Kia referred to it as the “un-hybrid.” The idea is that you can have a car that is a useful hatchback that just happens to be a hybrid that gets great mileage. Or, as one executive put it more bluntly: “You don’t have to drive ugly” to get great mileage.

If that’s the goal of the Niro, Kia seems to have succeeded.

Related: 2017 Kia Niro: First Impressions

The Driving

Early hybrids — and some still on sale today — were criticized for an “unnatural” feel both stopping and going, especially with a continuously variable automatic transmission. That’s because CVTs, by design, don’t (or shouldn’t, if their goal is efficiency) have a shift point like a conventional transmission; instead, there’s a more “elastic” response. And the brakes, since they use braking drag to regenerate power to the battery, can have a grabby or inconsistent feeling.

But when the Niro is in its default Eco driving mode, it’s hard to tell that you’re driving a hybrid. When it’s in Sport mode, it’s all but impossible to tell.

Most of that is because Kia decided to ditch the CVT and put in a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. This means the engine revs up and shifts like a normal car. Also, unlike some other hybrids, there’s not a big change in the car’s sound when the gas engine comes on. So, overall, you just pull away from the lights and there’s not a loud announcement when the engine kicks in. It’s a bit slow in Eco mode, but it just feels like a slightly slow normal car. The only clue is that the Niro is very quiet when it’s able to get going with only the electric motor working.

Also, when the car is in Sport mode, the throttle and transmission respond more aggressively and the steering takes on a sportier feel, and the Niro feels like it can hold its own against — or beat — cars in the subcompact SUV segment, such as the Honda HR-V, Chevrolet Trax and Jeep Renegade. It’s the mode I suspect a lot of owners will consistently use, owing to the performance improvement. Finally, the brakes are very good for a hybrid. They are a bit mushy and vague, but there’s none of the weird, grabby action that you can get from hybrid cars such as the Chevrolet Volt.

The Mileage

In its most fuel-efficient version, the Niro gets an EPA-estimated 52/49/50 mpg city/highway/combined – that’s for the FE trim level. The versions that Kia expects to sell the most of are the LX and EX trims, which each get 51/46/49 mpg. I tested the loaded Touring model that gets 46/40/43 mpg combined.
The Toyota Prius, as Kia admits, is the 800-pound gorilla of the hybrid market, owing to its ubiquity, and against that car’s 54/50/52 mpg rating, the Niro’s estimated combined mileage is low — but only by 2 or 3 mpg if you discount the more loaded-down-with-features, and thus heavier, Touring model.

It should be noted, however, that the EPA estimates are based on the car’s default Eco setting. You can expect the mpg to be lower in the more aggressive Sport mode, though Kia said it hasn’t tested the car to see how much lower it would be.

Still, going by the default settings, the Niro doesn’t look too shabby in the mileage department. But if that’s still not enough, Kia said there will be a plug-in hybrid version coming around October or November of 2017 that will target up to 26 miles of electric-only range. Stay tuned for further details.

The Styling

For a car that’s more conservatively styled than the Prius, Kia has still done its due diligence in trying to eke out a few more miles with the exterior design. There are active grille shutters that close at higher speeds to reduce drag, a flat belly pan to further help with aerodynamics and a spoiler in front of the muffler to reduce drag there.

But overall, the Niro looks like any other small SUV or hatchback. It’s got the same Kia grille as the rest of the lineup as well as a nicely sculpted rear and sides. Overall, I think it’s one of the better-looking cars in the Kia lineup, as it looks less funky than the Soul and more cohesive than the Sportage, where I think the grille is too small for the rest of the car.

Overall Impressions

Kia is probably wise to play up the car’s un-hybrid attributes, as today’s cheap gas usually leads buyers to consider less-efficient cars and SUVs. As a small car, the Niro is pleasant — if not exhilarating — to drive, the hatchback styling offers a little more utility than a sedan and, even if gas is cheap, any money saved at the gas pump is money you can always spend elsewhere.

Shoppers who want a car that, through its styling and attributes, loudly exclaims “I’m trying to save the planet by getting great gas mileage” will be disappointed with the Niro. I’m not sure the rest of car buyers will feel the same way.

We’ll find out in January when the first Niros are expected to go on sale. Pricing hasn’t been set, but it’s expected to range from around $23,000 for the FE up to around $32,000 for a loaded Touring model.