The all-new Kia Niro is making its way to dealers and we’ve had the pleasure of driving it already. Before we had seat time in all three flavors of Niro we asked you what you wanted to know about the small electrified crossover. Here are all of the details that didn’t make it into our full review.
As a quick reminder, we really like the new 2023 Niro EV. It’s not a perfect crossover but it’s highly competent. It’s also the only vehicle available in three distinct powertrain forms including a conventional hybrid, a plug-in hybrid, and an all-electric version.
How’s the cabin noise, especially on the high-end Niro EV?
One thing that we mentioned in our review was how quiet the Niro is. Sometimes, EVs end up struggling with noise, vibration, and harshness but we’re glad to say that this Kia doesn’t have that problem. While it’s by no means a scientific test, we drove the Niro EV with two different phones each running a decibel meter application. Each one produced results in the high 50s and low 60s during the test.
Review: The 2023 Kia Niro Has A Powertrain For Everyone And Rides On A Cloud
How effective is the climate control (I live in Arizona so…)?
Sadly, we didn’t have any sort of extreme weather to test this so I can’t promise you that it’ll manage triple-digit temps for hours on end without issue. Still, we can confirm that in normal conditions, the climate control is quick to react and accurate. It’s also not overwhelmingly loud when the fan is set to high which is a big plus in our book.
Is that blue color going to be an option for the EV?
Yes! It’s called Mineral Blue and it’s available on both the Wind and Wave trims. Interestingly, among the available paint colors, only one is reserved for the Wave trim. That color, Snow White Pearl, is also the only way to get a Kia Niro EV with a non-body-matching Aeroblade. The cars above are the PHEV version.
Speaking of the Aeroblade: is it *really* functional?
Kia’s engineering team confirmed that it is indeed functional but with the caveat that it’s such a minimal effect that it’s somewhat negligible. Frankly, I still think it’s cool and wish more car companies would follow that lead so long as it’s not detrimental to efficiency or whatever the intended purpose is. Death to fake vents, long live barely functioning real ones.
Does it feel cheap or does it look and feel more premium than the price tag?
There are hints and touches on both sides of the coin. The door card and armrest for instance aren’t particularly nice or luxurious. At the same time, the center console looks great and the switchgear physically feels great to use. It doesn’t feel flimsy or cheap at all. There are also little touches like the speaker grilles or the side-mounted USB ports in the front seat backs that speak to good design and quality. It’s not as impressive as something like a top-end Kia Telluride but it doesn’t feel cheap and plasticky like some rivals.
