Kia Niro Hybrid Review
Car Tested: Kia Niro Hybrid; Road Test No. 1092; Test Location: Delhi, NCR
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 20,00,000/- (est.)
The Kia Niro offers a smart blend of practicality and fuel-efficiency from its spacious interiors and hybrid powertrain
Kia is making all the right noises ahead of its launch in India. They seem to be understanding the complexities and trends of our market and planning their launches accordingly. The Niro looks like one of the first few cars that will come to India. A mid-size crossover with a hybrid variant, Kia hopes to make its presence felt in the 20-lakh rupee price bracket. Can the Niro be a torch-bearer for the hybrid-crossover segment in India and can it lure the buyers away from the established rivals? We find out.
Motor Quest: Kia showcased the SP-Concept at the 2018 Delhi Auto Expo giving Indians a taste of what they should be expecting from this Korean brand. Kia has invested almost Rs. 7500-crores in their new plant in Andra Pradesh. The company has also announced that it will be launching a new car every six months in India. Owing to the ever-growing popularity of electrified cars, Kia is looking at the Niro Hybrid as one of their first cars for the Indian market.
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From the rear, the Niro looks beefy and bold
Exteriors – Kia cars are known the world over for their simple designs and the signature ‘Tiger Nose’ which Kia says is inspired by our very own Royal Bengal Tiger. The ‘Tiger Nose’ grille was first showcased on Kia KEE sports coupe in 2007 and since then, it has been sported on every Kia, making Kias generally easy to recognise.
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The Niro has quite a lot of styling elements
The simple yet smart design language makes the Niro look sophisticated
Despite wearing the family face, the Niro looks quite different from other Kia SUVs or sedans. Kia is one of the very few brands that have successfully managed to make their cars look different from one another while still boasting of many common elements. The Niro is one of the smaller SUVs in the Kia range and it is apparent when you look at it.
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The black hatch spoiler and the tailights look very modern and sporty
The car does not have the road presence of an SUV and ends up looking as a jacked-up hatchback. But it is a smart looking crossover that has all the Kia details to make it stand out from the crowd. The front, with its swept-back headlamps, ‘Tiger Nose’ grille, centrally-positioned fog-lamps and dominant creases on the bonnet, makes it look premium and modern. The side profile of the car is simple but those cool looking alloy wheels definitely stand out. The shade of blue and the large chrome door handles look similar to the that of the Maruti Baleno.
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The Niro gets the traditional Kia grille and some neat looking alloys
The Kia Niro looks subtle and premium at the same time; has an elegant stance
The rear profile is probably the best angle of the Niro, where it looks rather macho. We like the slightly stubby placement of the tail lights and the large black hatch spoiler. The well-executed bumper design and the subtle crease on the boot lid are also the highlights at the rear. Overall, we feel Kia has played it safe with the design. It is not a very striking car but has an understated design language which we think suits the car of this segment better.
