Kia Niro review

This is Kia's second go at the Niro. Its predecessor was a sensible, straightforward family transporter but it was never the kind of car you'd lust after. To be fair, the latest model probably won't be featured on many bedroom-wall posters, but it certainly looks a lot more modern than the car it replaces.

Gone are the rounded edges of the old Niro, with the new car embracing an altogether more angular look. The front end is dominated by a wide chrome line that runs above both headlights like Robocop's visor. Those lights are oversized, squared-off units with a neat LED signature running beneath the main and dipped beams, giving the car a distinctive presence.

Down the sides, the Niro's profile is a bit more conventional. It's a little over 4.4 metres long – similar to family SUVs like the Nissan Qashqai and Volkswagen Tiguan – but appears lower than those cars in the metal, seeming more like an oversized hatchback than a 4x4-aping SUV. Towards the back, the angular shape of the rear doors neatly matches up with the boomerang-shaped C-pillar and brakelight units, which run up the car's rear quarter.

You'd hope the car's geometric design equates to a practical cabin and, in this case, those hopes are well founded. Passenger space is excellent – right up there with the very best in class. There's more room than you'll find in a SEAT Ateca, while the Skoda Karoq only beats the Kia thanks to its sliding rear seats. Whether you're carrying six-foot-tall passengers in the back, or ferrying kids in bulky car seats, the Niro makes life easy.

All the engine choices in the Niro are geared towards making it easy to use, too. You have a choice of a full self-charging hybrid, a plug-in hybrid, or our test car – the fully electric version. That means all models are automatic-only with a strong focus on efficiency. Considering the Niro's natural stomping ground will probably be urban and suburban roads, the electrified engine lineup should equate to some impressive real-world economy numbers.

As for price, entry-level full-hybrid models start from just over £30,000, with the PHEV priced from £35,000, and the full EV starting around £37,000. That falls in line with rivals like the Nissan Qashqai and Skoda Karoq although, unlike those cars, Kia offers a seven-year factory warranty, which helps tip the scales marginally in its favour. More importantly, the price difference between hybrid Niros and the fully electric model – our pick of the range – essentially vanishes on the used market, with electric Niros priced either the same or cheaper than fuel-powered versions.

There's just one problem, however, and it comes in the form of the newly launched Kia EV3. This electric-only model is a similar size to the Niro but rides on the company's high-tech E-GMP platform. That means it stretches the interior out for even more passenger and cargo space, without needing a larger on-road footprint. Entry-level models start from £33,000 – £4,000 less than the Niro EV – while very nearly matching its range figure, offering 270 miles against the Niro EV's 285-mile range.

Whether you like the look of the Kia Niro's cabin is a matter of taste, but there's no question the company's made plenty of deliberate styling choices inside – refreshing compared to some more conservative rivals. There's an angular sweep that starts from the front door cards, rising up to meet the corner of the dashboard, which then slopes back down again towards the passenger side, with the dual infotainment screen's housing following the same line. The materials themselves feel hardwearing and well assembled, but the colour scheme is a little more grey than we'd like.

There are plenty of physical buttons to control cabin features such as heated seats and auto-hold brakes, which makes them easy to find with your finger while driving. We also like the modern-looking twin-spoke steering wheel, again decked out in proper buttons that are easy to prod with your thumb. Behind the gear selector, you'll find an open storage area that includes clever flick-out cupholders, allowing you to fold them away for more space when you're not nursing a grande mochaccino.

There are a few different infotainment setups as you rise up through the Niro's trim levels but, crucially, all have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, which include most of the nav and entertainment apps you're likely to use. You'll also get a reversing camera and rear parking sensors regardless of which version you choose. Models in entry-level 2 trim get an eight-inch centre infotainment screen that looks a bit dwarfed in the sweeping plastic panel. The larger 10.25-inch screen on 3 trim and up is sharper and fills the space better. Range-topping 4 trim gets a larger, more configurable driver's display too – or you can pick the Niro EV in any trim level, which automatically gets the fanciest screen setup.

We can't fault the clarity of the screens but we're not quite so impressed with the system's graphics and layout. Kia's added a few fussy details, with lots of icons on the home screen and persistent info at the top – all of which makes it harder to pick out the function you want at a quick glance. More recent setups from Kia's sister brand Hyundai have been a clearer in our opinion, as are competing systems from Renault and Mazda. Our final gripe is with the touch-sensitive centre console buttons, which swap between climate controls and infotainment shortcuts at the tap of an icon. We still don't like this solution as much as proper buttons for eyes-off adjustments, but at least the icons are are in the same place every time across the two separate settings.

As mentioned, the Niro doesn't feel as large as some SUV rivals it shares a footprint with thanks to its relatively low roof height. Despite this, it's right up there with the most spacious cars in the class. Even sliding the front passenger seat all the way back for someone with a basketball player's physique still leaves enough space for a medium-sized adult behind them. There isn't quite the same rear headroom of loftier SUVs like the Skoda Karoq, but only the tallest passengers will notice.

The Niro's rear doors are also unusually wide – almost as wide as the fronts. That means excellent access to the rear row, although you might have to be a little more mindful when opening them in tight car parks. Nevertheless, that makes the Niro a strong choice for a small family car as you'll have easy access to the two rear Isofix points to fit bulky child seats.

Self-charging hybrid versions of the Niro boast a 451-litre boot, while the fully electric version actually comes in a little larger at 475 litres. The Niro EV also includes a small under-bonnet 'frunk' to store its charging cable. Those figures aren't quite up there with the class best but it's still plenty for most buyers, with room for a big pushchair or a couple of large suitcases.

The boot floor can be adjusted to a higher setting to meet the load lip, making it easy to slide heavy items in. You essentially lose this lower-floor level on PHEV models due to the battery pack's location, dropping the total figure to 348 litres.

All the Niro's engine options include a degree of electric assistance. The most affordable model is the full-hybrid, which pairs a 1.6-litre petrol engine with an electric motor for short-distance electric running. This combo doesn't need to be charged up and should return around 60mpg in mixed driving.

Next up is the plug-in hybrid, which uses the same 1.6-litre engine but adds a stronger electric motor and a much larger battery pack. This can cover a claimed 38 miles on electric power alone or average north of 280mpg if you make optimal use of both powertrains. Company car drivers who need the option to run longer distances on petrol might want to consider the Niro PHEV due to its low 8% benefit-in-kind rate.

Our favourite option, however, is the full electric Niro EV. This swaps out the petrol engine entirely for a 150kW (201hp) electric motor and a 65kWh battery pack. Claimed range stands at 285 miles, so around 250 miles should be achievable in the real world. A full charge from a 7kW home wallbox should take 9.5 hours, or you can expect a 10-80% fast charge in 43 minutes if you can find a location that can deliver the car's maximum 72kW rate.

Of all the Niro's engine options the EV is the smoothest, quickest and easiest to use. We've found that Hyundai and Kia hybrids can sometimes hesitate for a beat as their six-speed automatic gearboxes figure out what to do, and the Niro EV eliminates this problem entirely. There's loads of off-the-line response as you'd hope from an EV, with plenty of horsepower to whisk you silently up to motorway speeds, and no waiting around for a gearbox to pick the right ratio. Regen braking can be adjusted using paddles behind the wheel, all the way up to full one-pedal driving.

This is a safe, sensible family car, so potential buyers probably won't care how the Niro handles on the limit. The important thing is the car is easy to drive and simple to place on the road. You have good visibility everywhere except over your shoulder – pretty much the same as every other car in this class – with the reassurance of parking sensors and a reversing camera for trickier manoeuvring.

Throw the Niro about with more gusto and it copes admirably, with plenty of grip and stability in the chassis so you feel confident in most scenarios. It's just not very exciting. There's no feedback through the steering wheel and the weighting errs on the lighter side, which robs any sportiness from the controls – again, something most Niro drivers will probably appreciate during normal use.

Some cars that offer both fuel and electric powertrains end up a little compromised on the road. Versions powered by electricity tend to feel overly heavy, with firmer, bouncier suspension to cope with the extra mass slung under the car's floor. We found the Niro EV didn't really suffer from this issue, despite not being built on a chassis solely developed for an EV. It felt solid and balanced, resisting understeer at any kind of reasonable road speeds, and controlling body motions faultlessly over big bumps.

What's more important than the Niro's athletic prowess is how easy it is to use as an everyday family car. Here, the car scores strongly – the controls are light and accurate, the engine options are efficient and fuss-free, and the dashboard is easy to use. On-road refinement is pretty strong, too, especially if you choose the Niro EV, which eliminates virtually all noise from under the bonnet. The only real noise you hear at speed is a bit of tyre roar, which stands out a little more obviously due to the lack of white noise from the car's engine.