The idea is simple: Plug it in when you can, and your visits to the pump will become less frequent. That’s probably the way plug-in hybrids like the Kia Niro should be pitched to car buyers. As much as regulators and policy makers revere PHEVs and see them as an important step on the way to electric mobility, the reality is that too often the format can involve glaring compromises—excess weight, sluggish performance, and higher cost, all for the sake of the occasional delivery of a few miles of electric driving.
The best plug-in hybrids sell themselves on low running costs and not overcomplicating things, and that’s exactly what Kia has done with this Niro. The carmaker has managed to fit an 8.9-kWh battery under the back seat without encroaching on seating or cargo space. There’s a 3.3-kW onboard charger capable of providing a full charge in about 2.5 hours with a common Level 2 commercial charger (or about nine hours with a 120-volt wall socket). Compared with the regular, non-plug-in Niro hybrid, the PHEV also has upgraded power electronics and a stronger electric motor—good for 60 horsepower versus 43. Total output remains 139 horsepower and 195 lb-ft, but there’s enough electrified muscle to reach 75 mph in EV mode.
As in the Niro hybrid, an Atkinson-cycle 1.6-liter inline-four achieves a claimed 40 percent thermal efficiency; it’s connected to a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, with the electric motor connecting to the transmission at its input. A third clutch can connect or disconnect the engine as necessary. The Niro may look like a crossover SUV, but it’s front-wheel drive only.
The Niro plug-in hybrid is quicker to 60 mph than the regular hybrid, according to Kia, as the powertrain improvements more than offset the stated weight gain of 163 to 285 pounds. Its hybrid-mode EPA estimates drop by about 3 mpg overall versus the hybrid to 46 mpg combined, 48 city, and 44 highway, compared with the 50/52/49-mpg ratings for the most efficient versions of the regular hybrid. (In its most luxurious trim, the regular hybrid is rated lower than the plug-in, at 43/46/40 mpg combined/city/highway.) The EPA claims a total range of 560 miles for the plug-in Niro when it has a full gas tank and a full charge.