Contender for Car of the Year (2/7): Is the Kia Niro a contender?

The resolution of the 2023 car of the year election is approaching. As in previous years, seven finalists were selected. Every day for the coming days we will be highlighting a contender for the title of “Car of the Year”. Today the Kia Niro.

Is there a clear winner this year? A model of which you say: It must be very crazy if it doesn’t want to win? Not at first sight. The retro-futuristic Volkswagen ID. Buzz definitely has the gun factor, but is little more than a van on the well-known MEB platform.

Kia Niro has been a bestseller for years

If the car of the year vote were a Dutch competition, the Kia Niro would have an advantage. The first generation of the model has been a bestseller in our country for many years. The plug-in hybrid variant is hardly popular, but the hybrid and fully electric variants are.

Where the Kia never scored was in its looks. The new one brought a big improvement. It now looks sleek and matter-of-fact, with optional frivolity in the form of a different-colored C-pillar. There are still three engine versions: hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric.

Fully electric version unchanged

The first is powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder assisted by an electric motor. The total power is 141 hp. The PHEV has exactly the same four-cylinder engine, but then coupled to a more powerful electric motor. It has 183 hp and can travel up to 65 kilometers in electric mode with its 11 kWh battery.

The most interesting for the Netherlands is probably the Kia Niro EV, which does not bring any innovation in terms of powertrain. It is still equipped with a 64.8 kWh battery and has an unchanged range of 463 kilometers. Charging is possible with a maximum of 73 kW, which means that it takes 45 minutes to charge the battery to 80 percent.

Follow the 2023 Car of the Year Awards

This year’s Car of the Year awards will take place on January 13th. Until then, the live stream can be seen via Autovisie.nl.