Hybrids at their best: Kia's $29,000 2023 Niro wagon gets 53 mpg

Enlarge / It's not fast, expensive, or particularly luxurious, but we keep trying be very impressed with the Kia Niro. Jonathan Gitlin
The Kia Niro is one of those cars that continues to impress us. It's now in its second generation, with slightly bolder styling - certainly more angular - but still the same highly efficient powertrain options. There is an all-electric version and a plug-in hybrid version, but today's review is for the parallel hybrid variant. Ars spent an hour or two driving one last October, but we've now experienced a week with a 2023 Niro at home, and in fact our respect for this solid little hybrid has only grown.
Kia calls the Niro a crossover, but parked next to a neighbor's Volvo XC40, it's obvious how much lower the Niro sits. For all intents and purposes, you can think of it as a family sedan, the kind of car that conquered Europe in the '80s but still struggled here in the States. Kia's design team opted for straighter lines for its second iteration of the Niro, but it's not a design that looks or feels menacing, unlike much of the metal that comes from Detroit these days. here.

Enlarge / It measures 174 inches (4,420 mm) long, 71.8 inches (1,824 mm) wide and 60.8 inches (1,544 mm) high if you count the roof rails. The wheelbase is 107 inches (2,720 mm) long. Jonathan Gitlin
There are a few interesting design details that kept catching my eye. The headlight cluster features some fairly intricate detailing, as does the integrated turn signal at the end of each side mirror. Our test car came with a contrasting color on the bodywork behind the rear doors - more than just a cladding, this also houses a working aeroblade that sends air through to clean the flow at the rear of the car. I started seeing Niros around town with body-colored aeroblades, so you still have that option if you don't like two-tone cars.

The shape of the Niro generates a drag coefficient of 0.29. Ten years ago that would have been considered pretty impressive, but the onslaught of increasingly aerodynamic electric vehicles in recent years has truly redefined what low drag means, especially for a production car. /p>
Being able to glide through the air more easily doesn't just help reduce fuel consumption, it also has benefits for what they call aeroacoustics. It's probably more important in the Niro EV, since it doesn't have an internal combustion engine to muffle wind noise, but even that version shuts off its engine as often as it can (unless you're in mode sport), and the relatively quiet cabin is appreciated.

Enlarge / This car is...

Technology Apr 14, 2023 0 25 Add to Reading List

Hybrids at their best: Kia's $29,000 2023 Niro wagon gets 53 mpg

A green Kia Niro next to a mid-century modern building and a cherry blossom tree

The Kia Niro is one of those cars that continues to impress us. It's now in its second generation, with slightly bolder styling - certainly more angular - but still the same highly efficient powertrain options. There is an all-electric version and a plug-in hybrid version, but today's review is for the parallel hybrid variant. Ars spent an hour or two driving one last October, but we've now experienced a week with a 2023 Niro at home, and in fact our respect for this solid little hybrid has only grown.

Kia calls the Niro a crossover, but parked next to a neighbor's Volvo XC40, it's obvious how much lower the Niro sits. For all intents and purposes, you can think of it as a family sedan, the kind of car that conquered Europe in the '80s but still struggled here in the States. Kia's design team opted for straighter lines for its second iteration of the Niro, but it's not a design that looks or feels menacing, unlike much of the metal that comes from Detroit these days. here.

It is 174 inches (4,420 mm) long, 71.8 inches (1,824 mm) wide, and 60.8 inches (1 544 mm) tall if you include the roof Wheelbase is 107 inches (2,720 mm) long. src=

There are a few interesting design details that kept catching my eye. The headlight cluster features some fairly intricate detailing, as does the integrated turn signal at the end of each side mirror. Our test car came with a contrasting color on the bodywork behind the rear doors - more than just a cladding, this also houses a working aeroblade that sends air through to clean the flow at the rear of the car. I started seeing Niros around town with body-colored aeroblades, so you still have that option if you don't like two-tone cars.

The shape of the Niro generates a drag coefficient of 0.29. Ten years ago that would have been considered pretty impressive, but the onslaught of increasingly aerodynamic electric vehicles in recent years has truly redefined what low drag means, especially for a production car. /p>

Being able to glide through the air more easily doesn't just help reduce fuel consumption, it also has benefits for what they call aeroacoustics. It's probably more important in the Niro EV, since it doesn't have an internal combustion engine to muffle wind noise, but even that version shuts off its engine as often as it can (unless you're in mode sport), and the relatively quiet cabin is appreciated.