Skip advert
Advertisement

Kia confirms Niro hybrid utility vehicle is due in 2016

Low emission compact SUV will produce less than 90g/km of CO2

Not wanting to be left out of today’s fastest growing car segment, Kia has announced that it’ll be selling a compact SUV in global markets from late 2016. Powered by a hybrid drivetrain, the Niro will mix the space of a five-door SUV with a CO2 output of less than 90g/km.

Advertisement - Article continues below

From the sketches we’ve been provided with it appears the Niro treads the line between full SUV and crossover. It wears Kia’s familiar design language with short overhangs, and squats on large, five-spoke alloy wheels (that appear to be about 20-inches in diameter).

Though the car looks fairly large, the powerhouse under the bonnet is surprisingly small. Doing the heavy work will be Kia’s direct injection 1.6-litre four-cylinder GDI engine, producing a peak 104bhp and 108lb ft of torque alone, but it'll be mated to a 1.56 kWh lithium-polymer battery pack and 32 kW electric motor. The pairing works together to send drive through a six-speed double-clutch transmission, and the results make for a claimed sub-90g/km CO2 output. 

Helping the Niro trim its contribution of atmospheric greenhouse gas is a lightweight body structure, of which more than half is made from ultra-high strength steel. Kia says that this body will also help to reduce noise, vibration and harshness transmitted into the cabin, and previews a lighter future for its entire model line-up (it wants all Kias to be five per cent lighter by 2020).

So far, Kia has only confirmed that the Niro will be sold overseas starting in late 2016. But with demand for crossovers and compact SUVs soaring all over Europe, it’d be unwise to bet against the development of a UK-bound Niro in the future.

Whether sporty utility vehicles are your thing or not, there’s no denying that a segment that contributes to 25 per cent of all new car sales in Europe is one that few carmakers can ignore. Plus, the Niro is far more than just a new model, it also previews a more efficient, lighter future for Kia – which could bode well for evo-approved models like the Procee’d GT.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Porsche Cayenne Electric nears production – prototype appears at Goodwood 2025
Porsche Cayenne Electric
News

Porsche Cayenne Electric nears production – prototype appears at Goodwood 2025

The next Porsche Cayenne is on the way, with the ultimate evo tow car getting an electric option
11 Jul 2025
£15k off Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio super SUV
Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio
News

£15k off Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio super SUV

If you have to have an SUV, a Stelvio QV is acceptable. Now it's being heavily discounted.
8 Jul 2025
The 625bhp Range Rover Sport SV is now £35k cheaper than it was before
Range Rover Sport SV
News

The 625bhp Range Rover Sport SV is now £35k cheaper than it was before

While it was previously available only in special edition form, the V8-powered Range Rover Sport SV is finally on the market in ‘standard’ trim, bring…
1 Jul 2025
Best performance SUVs 2025 – family-friendly supercars on stilts
Best SUVs 2025
Best cars

Best performance SUVs 2025 – family-friendly supercars on stilts

The best hot SUVs offer entertaining dynamic characters all of their own – even if we'd rather drive an equivalent fast estate...
23 Jun 2025
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

£15k off Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio super SUV
Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio
News

£15k off Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio super SUV

If you have to have an SUV, a Stelvio QV is acceptable. Now it's being heavily discounted.
8 Jul 2025
Ferrari F80 2025 review – near-1200bhp tech tour de force tested on road and track
Ferrari F80 review
Reviews

Ferrari F80 2025 review – near-1200bhp tech tour de force tested on road and track

Maranello’s latest hybrid hypercar and successor to the LaFerrari blends mind-bending capabilities with deeply intuitive character
10 Jul 2025
New cars at the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed – all the debuts from Aston to Zenvo
Festival of Speed 2025
News

New cars at the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed – all the debuts from Aston to Zenvo

The 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed is underway. Here’s what’s in store from the biggest British motoring event of the year
11 Jul 2025