The 2018 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid will be arriving early next year with a starting price of $28,840, including $940 destination, for the base LX trim.
The base Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid can be had for $259 per month for 36 months with $1,999 due at signing when factoring in the $4,543 Federal tax credit and allowance of 12,000 miles per year.
The base LX trim will come standard with 16-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights, a 4.2-inch display in the gauge cluster, a power adjustable driver’s seat and dual-zone automatic climate control. The base infotainment offering is a 7-inch touchscreen with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
The EX trim, with a starting price of $31,500, will add more features including heated front seats and outside mirrors, 10-way adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar support, cloth seats with leather inserts, blind spot detection, lane change assist and rear cross traffic alert.
Finally, the range-topping EX Premium trim has a starting price of $34,500. EX Premium features include LED headlights, a 7-inch display in the gauge cluster, a 110-volt power inverter, leather seats with ventilation, a heated steering wheel, and an eight-speaker Harman Kardon sound system. Safety gets a boost, thanks to parking sensors front and rear. The infotainment screen gains both an inch in size and navigation capabilities.
Rated at an EPA-estimated 26 miles of All-Electric Range, the 2018 Kia Niro PHEV can help some drivers consume less gasoline in most driving conditions and in all-electric mode it produces zero emissions.
The Niro PHEV pairs an all-aluminum, efficient 1.6-liter GDI (gasoline direct injection) four-cylinder engine with an 8.9 kWh (59 kW) lithium-polymer battery pack and a powerful 60-HP (44.5 kW) electric motor, a set-up for optimum fuel efficiency and electrically driven range. While the Niro PHEV boasts an MPGe rating of 105, its EPA-estimated MPG ratings of 48 mpg city, 44 mpg highway and 46 mpg/combined are similar to those of Niro hybrid. The estimated driving range when both electric and gasoline systems work together is up to 560 miles.
Increased high-voltage battery capacity (+7.34 kWh more than Niro hybrid) and output/power have helped make the Niro Plug-in Hybrid an efficient, low emissions crossover with a 105 MPGe rating. The Niro PHEV’s compact, high voltage battery is neatly tucked under the cargo floor and under the rear seat and maintains the same spacious cargo capacity as the Niro hybrid. A single charging port is located in the driver’s side front fender. A full charge can be achieved in approximately 2.5 hours via a 240V (Level 2) charger, and under 9 hours via a 120V (Level 1) charger.
