The 2018 Kia Niro offers pretty solid practicality and, being a hybrid, really appealing fuel consumption figures. Here’s our flash review of a new kid on the block that’s making its way against some pretty stiff competition – see our Top 10 best Subcompact SUVs for 2018 to see where we rank it.
What we liked
+ High seating position and vehicle stance means great visibility
+ Fantastic fuel economy
+ Seamless transitions between electric motor and gas engine
+ Ergonomically friendly instrument cluster, dashboard
+ Practical cargo area, as in decent-sized and adaptable
+ Slightly raised ground clearance makes it almost like a real live utility vehicle
+ Doesn’t look or feel like a budget car, though the price tag is in that range
+ Safety and drive assist features are improved for 2018
+ Decent interior space overall, good array of storage spaces
+ Battery pack doesn’t eat into cargo space or passenger room
+ Earned best safety rating from the IIHS for 2018
What we liked less
- Snooze-inducing exterior design
- Lack of all-wheel drive as standard or option
- Mediocre acceleration
- Not ideal if you’re going to do a lot of highway cruising
- Back seat legroom on the chintzy side
- Eco mode (would you drive a hybrid in anything else?) makes for sluggish performance
- We were supposed to get a plug-in hybrid version by now, but we’re still waiting
Road Tests and Reviews
