Kia has announced an all-new hybrid compact SUV called the Niro which is slated for launch late next year.
Engineered from the ground-up as a hybrid vehicle, the Kia Niro’s design has been jointly developed by its design teams in California and Korea.
These design sketches show a long wheelbase, short overhangs and the hallmark Kia ‘tiger nose’ grille.
Power will come from Kia’s 77kW/147Nm ‘Kappa’ 1.6-litre direct injection petrol engine combining with a 32kW electric motor and 1.56kWh lithium-polymer battery pack to drive via a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Kia says a plug-in hybrid version will follow later in the Niro’s model cycle.
Kia has the Niro penciled-in for class-leading fuel consumption and C02 emissions below 90g/km.
