If you asked me to name the kind of car most likely to cure my insomnia, I’d probably plump for a crossover plug-in hybrid SUV. But then they’re not aimed at me and even I must recognise the fact that, once in a while, one comes along that does its job well enough at least to earn my admiration, even if it leaves me unmoved. This new Kia Niro is one such car.
Available as a conventional hybrid, a plug-in or a full EV, this second generation car sits on a brand new platform, comes laden with tech and provides an entirely pleasant if easily forgotten driving experience. What it does not do, or at least the plug-in I drove, and which makes it stand out from the crowd somewhat, is annoy.
I know this because I drove one from Wales to the far side of Brussels and back. In a day. And if a car was ever going to wind me up it would be on a marathon solo journey like that. But it didn’t. Now, you may think that ‘not actively irritating’ is hardly a ringing endorsement but let me assure you that, in this class, it’s the next best thing. This Niro gets so much right: it has acceptable performance, outstanding economy, comfortable seats, capable handling and excellent infotainment. And you don’t need the top spec 4 model tested here. A mid-range 3 is plenty. It will neither surprise nor particularly delight you, but if it’s good honest plug-in transport you’re after, in this perennially underachieving class, there’s none better than this. AF
Price £39,575
Engine 1.6 litres, four cylinders, petrol, turbocharged, hybrid drive
Power 180bhp
Torque 195lb ft
Weight 1594kg
Power to weight 113bhp per tonne
Transmission Six-speed dual clutch, front-wheel drive
0-60mph 9.8sec
Top speed 100mph
Economy 282.5mpg (WLTP)
CO2 22g/km
Verdict Doesn’t anger; thumbs up.
Fifty years ago McLaren and Ferrari were battling it out on the track as Emerson Fittipaldi and his rival Clay Regazzoni chased the 1974 Formula 1 World Championship. Fast forward…
Here’s a fact for you – the MG Cyberster is the world’s first production two-seat EV to go on sale. It’s brave, to put it mildly. The car looks great…
Remember the Fiesta and Focus – the brilliant bread-and-butter Fords on which the company built its reputation in Europe? Forget them now – one has gone and the other is…
A while back, Max Girardo leant me his Daytona for a day and, yes, I know both that I’m a lucky chap and that it should really be called the Ferrari…
Here is a car that should make sense as an EV. With zero sporting intent, it matters less that it is heavy and more that it is quiet, which it…
Actually, the fact it’s the Spider version is not of any great concern. For those who are interested, the roof costs almost exactly £20,000, can raise or lower in just…
This might be the most-late review of an important new car that I’ve ever written. And there is perhaps something to be learned in that. This new ultra-high-performance estate with…
To say the current generation of VW Golf is doing less well than that which preceded it is putting it mildly. Ten years ago VW was selling a million Golfs…
The most fun I’ve ever had driving an electric car was not in the 939bhp Porsche Taycan Turbo S referred to in my column in this issue, but a couple…
Monterey Car Week is now one of the world’s premier automotive events – and a brilliant 2024 showing demonstrated just why
The Quail’s 2024 edition proved again why its concours, exhibits and auctions are becoming so popular – there are few out there to match it
Rudi Klein’s legendary Junkyard set – featuring some of the world’s rarest cars and thought possibly to be the greatest private collection on the planet – is now going up for auction