Video: 2017 Kia Niro - First Look

new Kia Niro. If the Niro looks like a subcompact SUV, that was intentional. Kia styled this to look very utilitarian and subcompact SUVs are a red hot segment right now with shoppers. A lot of kind of utility seeming attributes here, kind of an upright profile. You've got a lot of cladding down here to give it some ruggedness. Even though this technically isn't an SUV at all, it's a front wheel drive hybrid. All wheel drive won't even be offered. Very peculiar face up here. Kind of a new look here. You see some traditional Kia cues in the grill, but you get around to the lights, just kind of an interesting, weird, some might say bizarre look, especially with these lighting elements down here in board of where you'd normally expect traditional fog lights to be. See if you like it. A few things stick out about the interior of the Niro. First of all, the rear window, very small, kind of hard to see out of. Second of all, quality seems to be a decent where it counts here, arms and kind of elbow points, padding, where it needs to be, especially for kind of a compact hybrid. Some interesting effects here. Some layering going on on the dashboard just as far as areas like the center screen here, and some interesting trim pieces. Check out this, glossy black right next to glossy white. Now, this is a conventional six speed dual clutch automatic transmission, instead of a CVT you typically find in other hybrids, which should make the Niro drive a little more like a normal car. Kia expects EPA gas mileage to be about 50 miles per gallon combined. Now, we don't know about pricing yet, but you can expect the Niro to be competitive with cars like the Ford C-Max and that Toyota Prius once it goes on sale in early 2017. [Trunk Slamming]