2022 New York Auto Show: Best in Show

Due to the pandemic from which the auto-show juggernaut has been slow to recover, the 2022 New York International Auto Show didn’t have as many high-profile vehicle introductions as we’re accustomed to. But we soon realized that the 2023 Kia Niro redesign is worthy of the Best in Show badge not only on its own merits, but because it serves as a reminder that battery-electric vehicles aren’t the only type of EV you can buy or the only way to burn less gas, save some money and release less carbon.

Related: More 2022 New York Auto Show Coverage

Each of the three versions — battery-electric, plug-in hybrid and regular hybrid — were redesigned for 2023, and each version boasts upgrades over the previous generation. The hybrid is more efficient, the PHEV has longer range, and the EV has both longer range and faster Level 2 charging, with the added option of onboard generator functionality from the Kia EV6.

The interiors were modernized but without an abundance of touch-sensitive buttons, which we don’t care for and frequently denounce in debuts and redesigns. We don’t know pricing yet, but the cabins seem a step up.

We’re in an era where automakers are getting very creative about updating vehicles by doing the bare minimum. We recognize that not every aspect of a vehicle can or should be upgraded, even in a full redesign, but sometimes this practice is taken too far. By contrast — with the understanding that we haven’t driven them yet — the 2023 Niros look like a master class in how to update a vehicle for maximum effect without wasting resources. The powertrains themselves are fundamentally unchanged, but the results aren’t. The overhauled exterior and interior breathe new life into the Niros, which give you choices beyond the powertrains. The Aero Blades on the rear flanks can be painted in accent colors, but if that’s too much for you, Kia wisely lets you downplay them with a single exterior color.

Sustained high gas prices have piqued interest in EVs and other alternatives perhaps like never before, and it’s going to take a diversified portfolio to satisfy the demand. Not everyone needs the all-wheel drive and long range of an EV6, and not everyone wants a battery-electric; the Niro has PHEV and hybrid buyers covered as well. The 2023 Kia Niro is the Best in Show, and it couldn’t come at a better time.

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More From Cars.com:

• 2020 Kia Niro PHEV Review: Old-School Hybrid With Old-School Issues
• 2023 Kia Niro to Debut at the 2022 New York International Auto Show
• Here Are the 11 Cheapest Electric Vehicles You Can Buy
• What Are the Most Fuel-Efficient Cars for 2022?
• Power: Tesla Model 3, Kia Niro EV Rank Highest in Electric-Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction
• What’s New for Kia in 2022?

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