It doesn’t quite moo like a CVT but in some ways it’s actually worse, most CVT-equipped hybrids being fairly refined beasts these days. With that modest output, it needs working quite hard to make progress – and when you do, the thrashy engine note and rather clunky gearbox make themselves well known. We’ll start with the HEV, which is by far the weaker of the two offerings. Surprisingly different to each other, though not a lot different to the old car. The best hybrid cars What are they like to drive? For the PHEV, it’s a 62kW motor, 11.1kWh battery and 180bhp output.Įlectric range is somewhat negligible for the HEV but the PHEV can go up to 40 miles WLTP on electricity alone. The two hybrid offerings both start with a 1.6-litre naturally-aspirated four-pot petrol and six-speed DCT.įor the hybrid, it’s paired to a 32kW electric motor and 1.32kWh battery pack giving a total system output of 139bhp. The new Niro’s slightly longer and wider than the old car, with a longer wheelbase which gives it more interior space.Īs for engines, we’ll deal with the electric powertrain of the Niro EV in its own review. It rides on the latest Kia K3 platform, stiffer and lighter than the one that it replaces. So is it a new car under that swanky body? It’s a shame, then, that the indicators are set into the bumper instead. The rear’s more anonymous but we do like those high-set taillights both in terms of styling and visibility.

Up front there’s the latest evolution of Kia’s ‘Tiger Nose’ grille – now rather ugly, if we do say so – atop low-set, angular headlights. Props to Kia for not hiding it away, we suppose – on most press models you’ll even find it painted in a contrasting colour to really draw attention to it, though solid shades are available across the range too. There’s actually some aero trickery going on here – a channel terminating by the rear lights which minimises turbulence and drag. The boldest addition is the C-pillar, which stands proud of the rest of the body. While the first-gen model looked like a jelly mould of a SUV that hadn’t been given quite long enough in the fridge, the latest car’s been beaten with the styling stick. We’ve a separate review of the Kia Niro EV (no longer called the e-Niro) here, and this review will cover both hybrid (HEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models. It’s based on a new platform, gets interior styling and tech inspired by the brilliant EV6 and promises to address some of the weaknesses of the old car.

Car hoppers backseat edition nathan