Kia Niro, the first hybrid SUV from the brand, is about to arrive

Kia is one of the brands that is making the most and best progress in today’s automotive landscape. One of the areas it is developing most is hybrid mobility.

In the SUV market, Kia had not offered any hybrid alternative until now, something it will remedy in the coming months with the arrival of its first hybrid SUV, the Niro.

Currently, Kia’s SUV range consists of the Sportage, which has just been renewed with a completely new generation, and the Sorento, a large SUV with a 7-seat option that, for the first time in its history, has well-recognised premium aspirations.

However, most premium brands already offer—or will offer in the near future—propulsion alternatives based on hybrid systems, something in which Kia still falls short. This will change with the arrival of the Niro. Its body will be conventional, with five doors, focused on practicality, but with a very defined style in line with the brand’s latest creations.

In addition to a couple of drawings of the future Niro, Kia has revealed some details about its hybrid system. The Niro will initially launch with a conventional hybrid system, and in the second half of its commercial life a plug-in hybrid system will be added.

The combustion engine will in any case be a 1.6 naturally aspirated petrol engine producing 105 CV, whose main feature is its high thermal efficiency, above 40%. A NiMH battery pack with a capacity of 1.56 kWh will power the electric motor, all combined with a dual-clutch automatic transmission with 7 speeds.

The official launch of the Niro is scheduled for the first half of 2016, when we will be able to get to know the latest creation from the Asian giant in depth.

Source | Kia