Kia Niro (2016 - 2021)
1.6 GDI Phev 139bhp 3 DCT 5dr SUV
Brilliant
I bought this car as an ex-demo with 1900 miles on the clock. I have back, shoulder and neck problems, and I find the heated seats excellent. The car is comfortable - better than the Jag X type and DS5 I had previously. I thought I might miss the blind spot indicators - but there is no blind spot! visibility is brilliant.
I use the "granny charger" which comes with the car - plugged into a 13A socket in the garage. It charges from "empty" in a shade over 4 hours and gives me 30 miles plus of spirited Electric driving for around town if I don't use the cabin heater. Unfortunately the cabin heater is needed occasionally at this time of year to prevent the windows from misting up, and that does limit my fuel economy to 200mpg or so.
On longer trips when the EV range is exhausted, the economy drops to 60 mpg or so.So far I have covered 2500 miles over 3 months at an average of over 100mpg or so.
The DCT gearbox is great, as is the seamless transition between electric an petrol, and between regenerative and friction braking. You really don't have to worry about these things, it just drives like a normal auto. If however, you want to take control, you can put it into a semi-automatic "sports" mode, and then the acceleration is really brisk. You would never believe that from the reviews - don't believe them.
I find the "smart" i.e adaptive cruise control and Lane Keep Assist reduce the fatigue on the longer journeys - they work brilliantly. Set a speed on the M25, and you don't need to touch the accelerator or brakes, despite the "lumpy" traffic, unless the car comes completely to rest. Being held up by the car in front, change lanes, and the car automatically accelerates back up to a safe speed. Brilliant. Similarly, the Land keep Assist does most of the steering for you, only minimum effort needed, but it doesn't fight you if you do want to change lanes.
The Satnav is fine - but you do need to pay the £25 each year for updated maps, and connect your phone as a mobile wifi hotspot to get traffic updates, speed cameras etc.... Or you can use Android Auto with Google Maps or Waze.
I've been told that rear seat passengers are comfortable, even with 3 adults in the rear.
So far my dealer experiences have all been positive - and it does benefit from the 7 year warranty.
The only problems are that the boot is a little small, and the extra batteries results in losing the space for a spare wheel.
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About this car
Price | £27,550–£38,220 |
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Road Tax | A–Alternative fuel, C |
MPG | 64.2–76.3 mpg |
Real MPG | 91.0% |