Yahoo Autos Tested: 2020 Kia Niro Hybrid Trades Power for Efficiency
The changes to the 2020 Kia Niro hybrid are not exactly extensive. Normally, a mid-cycle refresh prompts a car company to issue a 50-slide PowerPoint deck and a press release just slightly shorter than Clarissa to explain the various and wonderful new treats in store for the coming model year. In hyping the revised Niro, Kia expended just 181 words; the lyrics to "Bohemian Rhapsody" run more than twice as long. At least it was easy to identify the most significant new feature: the steering-wheel-mounted paddles that control brake regeneration and shifting for the six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Brevity is the soul of wit. Also, sometimes there's just not that much to talk about.
As we noted when the updated Niro debuted at last year's Los Angeles Auto Show, the 2020 Niro represents Kia being careful not to ruin a good thing.
A handsome hatch that stands just tall enough to plausibly claim crossover status, the Niro was artfully finessed with a new grille, double-chevron fog lights, and a revised rear fascia. A reorganization for the Niro's trim levels put our EX Premium tester, formerly the midrange model, at the top of the lineup. Priced at $33,910, Kia spares EX buyers the need to refer to the options sheet. Add-ons are limited to accessories like floor mats and a cargo net because Kia included all the high-zoot luxuries—climate-controlled front seats, a heated steering wheel, adaptive cruise control, and wireless phone charging are all standard.
The cabin blends premium features with a few odd programming choices. The comfy seats, trimmed in synthetic leather with contrasting stitching, suffer from short bolsters. The digital speedometer sits in the right corner of the instrument cluster, hiding behind the steering wheel rim. For some reason, the readout can't be moved to the seven-inch digital screen in the center of the cluster, with that space reserved for more important instruments—such as a compass.
Glossy black accents help rescue the cabin from dull-plastic monotony at the price of making dust and fingerprints constant foes. The 10.3-inch infotainment screen is usefully large, but Kia limits Android Auto to two-thirds of that screen real estate, with the remaining third reserved for a duplicative tile we couldn't banish.
Like Marvel's Ironman, the Niro's heart can be its greatest strength or its biggest vulnerability, depending on the circumstance. A 1.6-liter four-cylinder makes 104 horsepower and 109 pound-feet of torque, toiling in league with an electric motor that contributes 43 horsepower and 125 pound-feet. The combined output comes to 139 horses and 195 pound-feet. We clocked the drowsy run to 60 mph in 9.5 seconds, matching what we achieved in the former top-tier Touring trim. Speed is not the Niro's forte.
The Kia's fuel efficiency, however, is stellar. Thanks to languid throttle response and frequent reliance on the electric side of the powertrain, the Niro's hybrid system generates the numbers that are responsible for generating sales: 46 mpg city, 51 mpg highway (we averaged 46 mpg on our 75-mph highway test), and 49 mpg combined.