The first-generation Kia Niro has been on sale since 2016, and despite the 2019 facelift, the model is now due for a more significant update. The second-generation model that is expected to hit the market in 2022 has already been spied showing an all-new exterior design, and, according to the latest report from Autocar, will be based on an updated version of the current model’s platform while retaining hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery electric powertrain options.
The new E-GMP platform is reserved for the electric-only models from Hyundai and Kia, like the Ioniq 5 and the EV6. Thus, the decision to move forward with similar underpinnings was the logical (and, most likely, cost effective) option given that Kia wanted the Niro to be compatible with electrified powertrains and the development of a new ICE platform for a single generation wouldn’t make sense.
This means that the new Niro EV will have similar underpinnings to the current model which is fitted with a front-mounted electric motor producing 201 hp and 395 Nm of torque and had a 64 kWh lithium-ion battery. We expect a series of updates on the platform, battery, powertrain, and aerodynamics, which will allow for an increased range over the 455 km WLTP range of its predecessor, possibly exceeding the 483-km mark. The PHEV variant will most likely use the turbocharged 1.6-liter GDI four-cylinder engine with an electric motor and a smaller battery, although it is unlikely to offer AWD like the Sorento PHEV.
Most importantly, the new Niro will benefit from a significant redesign in terms of both the exterior and the interior. From the outside, it will look more like an SUV, with a large central intake on the front bumper, headlights inspired by the 2019 HabaNiro concept, plastic cladding on the wheelarches, and a sculpted rear end with high-mounted LED tailights.
Inside, we expect a technological overhaul with a 12-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12-inch touchscreen arranged on a single panel, similar to the 2023 Sportage. We also expect an improvement in the materials used in the cabin, while spy pictures suggest that it will come with a two-spoke steering wheel and most of the physical controls mounted on the center tunnel. We will have more information about the Niro soon, as the second generation is expected to premiere before the end of the year, with a possible market launch in 2022. In the U.S., it is likely to appear as a 2023MY, since Kia already announced that the current Niro will soldier on for the 2022 model year.
