A few months have passed since its debut, but the specifications of the new Kia Niro Hybrid, Niro PHEV and e-Niro have finally been revealed.
At the end of November last year, the South Korean firm unveiled the new Kia Niro, the second generation of the electrified crossover. So, he did not announce data about his engines, although he confirmed that there would be a hybrid, a plug-in hybrid and a 100% electric version. Now, at last, the specifications of the new Kia Niro Hybrid, Niro PHEV and e-Niro have been revealed.
We learned about its design, dimensions, interior and technology, but Kia was not yet ready to reveal the data regarding its powertrains. Like its predecessor, the new generation would boast electrified powertrains, including self-charging hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric as the three main pillars of the range.
It has been Kia Sweden who has announced the technical data of the two versions of which nothing was known yet: the Kia Niro PHEV and the electric Kia e-Niro. However, in January of this year the specifications of the Kia Niro Hybrid, the third model, were revealed, and it will be the first that we will talk about next.
Specifications of the new Kia Niro Hybrid, Niro PHEV and e-Niro revealed
This version is equipped with an updated 1.6 GDI petrol engine from the Smartstream family that now develops 105 hp and 144 Nm of torque. At his side, a 32 kW (44 hp) electric motor joins for a total power of 141 hp, identical to the previous generation. Power is sent to the front end via a six-speed DCT gearbox.
The propulsion system is associated with a small battery (size undisclosed) located under the rear seats. We do not know the electric range of the Niro Hybrid, but the company announced an average consumption of 4.8 l/100 km according to Korean standards, so we would have to wait to know its figures according to the WLTP protocol.
We make the jump to the plug-in hybrid version, the Niro PHEV. This variant features the same Smartstream 1.6 GDI engine as a base, but is associated with a more powerful 62 kW (84 PS) electric motor, resulting in a total output of 185 PS. The battery is also bigger than before, with 11.1 kWh of capacity, which is enough to travel up to 60 km in electric mode.
Finally, the 100% electric Kia e-Niro uses the same engine as its predecessor, with 150 kW (204 hp). However, the torque is reduced from 395 Nm to 255 Nm. The 64 kWh battery is identical, but the autonomy increases by 9 kilometers to a total of 463 km. On a fast charger, the battery can go from 10% to 80% charge in 43 minutes.
Of course, these figures for consumption and electric autonomy are preliminary and have not yet been approved by the WLTP cycle by which the European market is governed. Some data could be altered under this protocol. The new Kia Niro is scheduled to land in Europe during the first quarter of this year in its three versions.
