2023 Kia Niro | First Look

For the latest Kia Niro pricing and information:

The Kia Niro now comes as a Hybrid, a Plug-in Hybrid and a pure EV. All of them redesigned from the ground up. All of them full of new tech.


The Niro is now more aerodynamic, a bit more sophisticated. First thing to mention is this aero blade. Yes, this is functional and helps give the Niro its impressively low drag coefficient. This blade can be body colored as well.


It gets the Kia signature tiger nose grille and some other really nice styling cues. It remains a small crossover but it gets longer with a longer wheelbase which mean more room inside for both passengers and their stuff.


How do you tell which one is which? The HEV and PHEV get black door cladding and wheel arches and the EV gets Steel Grey or black exterior trim.

The interior is upscaled. Is that a word? It is now.

This does a great job of cribbing from the Kia Concept Habanero.

It gets more soft materials, that are sustainable and animal free and more of a driver-focused cabin up front.


There’s of course state-of-the-art connectivity and tech including available 10.25-inch dual screens, yes I’m looking at you instrument cluster, as well as ambient lighting and sound design to enhance the sounds of your motor.

You can get upgraded audio sytems and heated and vented front seats as well.

Standard you’ll get forward collision avoidance that can detect pedestrians, lane-keeping assist and lane-following assist, and Kia’s are outstanding in my opinion.

Driver attention warnings, blind spot collision and safe exit warnings, I mean, this is all standard, folks. That’s just part of an impressive list.


The Niro EV gets its power from a 64.8 kWh batter and a 150kW motor that makes 201 hp. That’s a very decent number for a vehicle this size. Plugged into a Level 3 fast charger and you can get to 80% charge in under 45 minutes. Not lightning fast, but for something at this price that’s impressive. Plus you’ll have time for a snack and a bathroom break.


Targeted range on a full charge for the EV is 253 miles.

The Niro HEV, that’s the base model, mates a 1.6-liter engine with a 32kW electric motor for a total of 139 hp and up to 53 mpg at the fuel pump.

With a level 2 charger your PHEV can get a full charge to its 11.1kWh batter in less than 3 hours.


That powertrain includes a 1.6-liter engine with a 62kWh motor for a total of 180 hp. Range for the PHEV is expected to come in around 33 miles pure electric range.

According to Kia that’s 25% better than the previous generation.

That HEV and PHEV now have a feature called Green Zone Drive Mode which puts both into a pure EV drive mode in residential areas or places that include schools and hospitals. It can also recognize your house or office as favorite places and operate in pure EV mode there, too. Not sure if this works with CarPlay or Android nav but we’ll get clarification on that for the next video.


Both the HEV and PHEV use a 6-speed dual clutch automatic transmission and all Niro models are front wheel drive only.

All three flavors of Niro come with regenerative braking capabilities at a variety of levels.

Pricing isn’t available yet but Kias saying it will be close to the current Niros. That means the EV should come in close to $40 grand not including the eligibility for a $7500 tax credit on that EV.

00:00 2023 Kia NIro
0:23 Exterior
1:05 Interior
3:40 Powertrain Options

[anthonyc]

The new Niro is a big improvement over the last one! The old Niro EV has the face of a hippopotamus but the new one looks much better.

[googleit]

If they can get this vehicle down to around $40k for the EV version, I'll honestly sell the car I got two years ago and buy this one. My only complaint is the front end design (the lighting), but that's it. Everything else looks amazing!

[kyrosmike]

I'm surprised Hyundai/KIA doesn't fly y'all out to Korea I've seen this car inside and out, and road tested months ago. The Korean youtubers who do videos in English showed this a while ago. Edit: The videos were posted April 7th about new Niro.

[NaniVitali]

glad to see cars are moving towards more futuristic designs

[nickcascioli]

I wish they would do an AWD dual motor version that undercuts the cost of the EV6 by a healthy margin…

[evang]

While I find the EV6 to be a more compelling design (and platform), I see the Niro EV as an appealing and more economically viable option.
I realize the contrasting panel is not for everyone, but I like its distinctivenes. Would be into the blue with contrasting black.

[eganfo]

Kia is boss. I just bought a Sportage hybrid so I’m a bit biased. This looks great and a nice alternative for buyers bummed about the loss of the Ioniq hybrid and PHEV.

[RigiLiquid]

As a current owner of the 2019 top trim Niro SX Touring HEV, I would say that these are good commuter cars and also good for longer road trips because they are comfortable and just roomy enough, have good tech, good warranty, and don't cost too much for what you get. In summer, I average 43 mpg with highway speeds of 65 to 75 mph. Could it be more efficient? Ya, I suppose it could. Could be be quicker on acceleration? Maybe, I wish it was. Can it be both? Probably not. Maybe the new PHEV will do better, but costs a bit more and who know when they'll be available. I think I would wait for the AWD Sportage PHEV, which can at least tow a small trailer.

[dbamaro]

On the hev... At what speed the combustion motor becomes the primary motor?

[freebirdiii]

Had me in the first half, then broke the bad news that there's no AWD. Oh well. Hoping for a hybrid AWD Seltos now.

[ayushmalpeddi]

I was hoping the EV version would cost closer to 35K because the refreshed Bolt will be starting around 26-27K for similar battery size, range, power, and size. If the new Niro EV starts around 35K, with the federal tax credit it could compete with the Bolt.

[libmanj]

Thanks for the review. Do you know the front headroom measurement (the trim with the sunroof)? I can’t find it anywhere online.

[evang]

I helped a friend pick out and “order” one (PHEV), but she isn’t even sure if she’ll end up with a ‘22 or ‘23. When are these due in dealers??

[chuckwalla]

Those intrusive headrests are an automatic deal-breaker for me.

[zebulon]

Still no awd? It's pretty odd that the perfect vehicle leaves out that one option.

[Broba_Fett]

I’m surprised they released it as an EV without it being built on their new platform. But if you like it then that’s good for them.

[javierservigon]

3 years ago I narrowed my search for a new car down to the Niro and the Mazda CX3. Yes, the Niro had way more space but the breaks were crap and it had no acceleration. The Mazda felt so much better... and not just a little bit, it felt like the difference between driving a real car and a toy car. Hope they've made some improvements.

[stephenriggs]

I like that the instrument cluster looks like actual gauges. ... Oh, I get it. If you've been out late and want to sneak home unnoticed, it switches to electric mode for you. 🤫

[rustbeltrobclassic]

These are way nicer than the last models, but, all these new cars and no inventory, so what's the point?

[Somebody]

40k is too much to ask for a vehicle that small with that slow charging.