2023 Niro hybrid and EV specs and prices

KIA AUSTRALIA has announced pricing for its second-generation Niro, with substantial price increases being matched by a corresponding lift in features, dimensional growth and wholesale revisions to the model’s styling – both inside and out.

Prices start at $44,380 (plus on-road costs) for the entry-level Niro S Hybrid, rising to $50,030 (+ ORCs) for the up-spec Niro GT-Line Hybrid – increases of $4390 and $6140 respectively against the outgoing DE-generation Niro S and Niro Sport hybrids. For the all-electric ‘SG2’ Niro, prices are up by $2710 for the base S grade and $6110 for the range-topping GT-Line electric. 

The global economic situation has put upward pressure on list prices and, combined with the fact that the new model has a lot more standard kit, the lift in the Niro’s price of entry was not unexpected. 

However, that does give the Niro EV an uncomfortable proximity to the more technologically-advanced EV6, whose range opens at $67,990 (+ ORCs) and features a two-wheel drive high-spec model at $74,990 (+ ORCs). It remains to be seen if Kia will adjust the EV6’s price point accordingly.

As reported by GoAuto, the plug-in hybrid that filled out the middle of the range in the previous DE generation has been deleted for now, with Kia Australia citing very low uptake of that powertrain option during the DE’s brief tenure. That said, homologation work has already been completed for the PHEV and it was involved in the SG2’s local tuning programme, meaning Kia’s local subsidiary could easily add it to the range should customers start petitioning for it.

And a local suspension tune was something the previous Niro missed out on due to COVID-related lockdowns. Not so this time around – the new Niro is the first post-pandemic model to receive Kia Australia’s usual suspension- and steering fettling. 

You’ll have to wait until next week for our first drive impression of the SG2 Niro, but Kia claims the model’s ride and handling characteristics have been vastly improved with this generational jump.

Cabin space is also better than before. Thanks to a 20mm boost to the Niro’s wheelbase and overall width, plus a longer body, the model offers 36mm more distance between its front and rear passengers, up to 61mm more rear legroom and up to 12mm more rear headroom. It’s load-bay capacity is also more generous than before, with hybrids offering 425 litres of seats-up luggage space and EV variants providing 475 litres (plus an extra 20 litres under the bonnet). 

But for prospective buyers, it’s arguably the improved design – inside and out – that will command much of their attention. Compared to the conservative, inoffensive styling of the previous model, the new Niro should look far less anonymous out on the road thanks to sharp-edged styling, more futuristic lamp housings and light graphics, as well as a distinctive contrast-colour C-pillar treatment on GT-Line variants (though only with three specific colours out of the eight-strong palette). 

It also brings the Niro into line with Kia’s more modern products, particularly the Stonic, Sorento, Sportage, EV6 and Carnival models. The modernisation is especially profound on the inside, with wraparound infotainment and instrument panel displays (there’s not an analogue dial to be found), capacitive ventilation/infotainment controls (pinched from the EV6) and a rotary-type transmission selector on all variants bar the base-spec Niro S Hybrid. However, what you’ll find on those screens – as well as their physical size – will be determined by how much you spend.

The S-grade hybrid receives a basic fit-out, with a 4.2-inch LCD instrument panel and an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen with no built-in navigation. The S EV gets the same infotainment screen, but scores a larger 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, which is shared with GT-Line versions. 

Other standard S features that are new for the SG2 include a pair of USB-C charge ports for the rear passengers, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, high-beam assist, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot collision avoidance, an upgraded AEB system (it now works at intersections too), a centre side airbag and, for the EV, the ability to run regular appliances off the battery via an internal power point.

For the GT-Line, the list of new features is considerably longer. It receives all of the new equipment of the S grade, while adding laminated front door glass for improved sound suppression, privacy glass behind the B-pillar, an additional household power outlet for running external devices, ambient interior mood lighting, a 10.25-inch infotainment display with built-in satnav, a 10-inch head-up display, wireless phone charger, heated and ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, a powered tailgate, remote self-parking, voice-command recognition, front parking sensors (in addition to the rear parking sensors that are already standard), as well as reverse AEB.

GT-Line EVs get even more, with power-adjustable front seats (the hybrid only has a powered driver’s seat), a “Premium Relaxation Seat” for the front passenger, LED interior lighting and an eight-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system.

The GT-Line also offers something box-fresh for Kia: its first comprehensive telematics suite. Kia Connect, which incorporates vehicular functions into a phone app, allows monitoring of key stats remote activation of charging, climate control or engine start, geofencing and other restrictions, and so forth. 

The hybrid is powered by a 77kW/144Nm 1.6-litre direct-injection petrol engine and a 32kW/170Nm permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor, with drive going to the front wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The powertrain’s combined outputs are listed at 104kW and 265Nm – identical numbers to the DE Niro, but achieved via internal refinements that yield lower friction, a higher compression ratio and lower weight. Its claimed combined-cycle fuel consumption is 4.0 L/100km, but those looking to burn no unleaded have the option of the fully-electric variant. 

The Niro EV’s 150kW electric motor is a legacy unit, but has had its torque output downgraded from the DE’s 395Nm to a more sedate 255Nm. Kia says the old model had more torque than it knew what to do with and the downgrade has enhanced driveability (our test drive will assess that claim. 

A 64.8kWh battery pack contains enough energy for a claimed 460km range, with charge times dropping slightly across the board – though you’ll need just under 9.5 hours to get a full charge on a 7kW wall box. A DC fast charger can take the Niro EV from 10 to 80 percent charge in 45 minutes. 

Kia says supply should be adequate at launch. However, with recent experience with the EV6 showing that demand for electric cars is extraordinarily healthy – and demand for hybrids of all kinds being similarly strong – Kia’s new Niro may prove to be much hotter property than its predecessor.

2023 Kia Niro pricing*:

Niro S Hybrid (a)     $44,380
Niro S EV (a)         $65,300
Niro GT-Line Hybrid (a)     $50,030
Niro GT-Line EV (a)     $72,100 

*Excludes on-road costs