2023 Kia Niro GT-Line Hybrid review

Electrification is the name of the game for new cars these days, but Australian buyers don't necessarily need to go head-first into something fully electric for their next wheels. Along with plug-in hybrid vehicles (which combine a petrol with a modest electric-only driving range), you can also opt for what many call a 'closed-loop' hybrid – like this 2023 Kia Niro GT-Line Hybrid – which doesn't need plugging in at all.

There's a fuel tank that needs topping up, but the trick here is that refills should happen less regularly. And for a new small SUV (like this Niro) in this day and age, running costs have never been more important.

When writing a car review, I sometimes fall into the trap of going too hard on the technical aspects of how a car works: numbers and figures, details, and engineering examples of things that exist underneath the sheetmetal.

This approach works in some cases, mostly with things like sports cars, four-wheel drives and utility vehicles.

But not all of us want to surround ourselves in that kind of detail. They just want a simple question answered: is this a good car?

And in the case of this hybrid Niro, you need to ask one more question. Is it cheap to own and drive? Let's get into it.

The Kia Niro comes in two distinct flavours: a full electric Niro EV, and the car we have here, the Niro HEV – for hybrid electric vehicle. The latter is a closed-loop-style hybrid powertrain popularised, perfected and dominated in recent years by Toyota.

A petrol engine does most of the heavy lifting, but is supplemented by an electric motor and battery that harvests energy through braking and coasting (along with an engine-powered generator). That harvested power is then used to take the load off the petrol engine where it might otherwise be at its thirstiest.

It's a relatively complicated set-up, which puts it at odds with the kind of buyer who wants something like a Kia Niro. This car isn't for the hardcore enthusiasts or technocrats of the world. All of this complexity and engineering is there for one simple aim: reducing fuel consumption.

And so, I'll park a lot of the techy stuff there. This is a car that you still need to fill up with petrol whenever that little yellow fuel bowser in your instrument panel lights up. The beauty of a hybrid powertrain like this one is that should happen less often.

Whereas the Niro Hybrid range starts at $44,380 before on-road costs in more basic Niro S trim, we've got the up-specced Niro GT-Line with pricing starting from $50,030 plus on-road costs.

This model gets upgraded interior trimming and larger twin 10.25-inch infotainment displays, along with a smart key and push-button start.

There are a few other important inclusions in this specification, like front parking sensors (in addition to standard rear sensors), LED headlights, privacy glass (with laminated front) and a premium-wrapped, heated steering wheel. There's also ambient interior lighting and wireless charging pad for GT-Line models, along with automatically locking child locks for the rear door (which operate via a button, instead of the hidden toggle on the door itself).

In terms of overall dimensions, the Kia Niro lines up similarly to key competitors like the Toyota Corolla Cross and Subaru XV. The cost-effective Mitsubishi ASX, another popular seller in this regard, is feeling its age and is a little smaller overall.

And in comparison to the previous-generation Niro – which was already old before it arrived in Australia – the interior of this new Niro feels quite sharp, modern and angular. There are many new elements going on here, signalling a new look and feel for Kia's interior design. The two-spoke steering wheel is quite striking, and there is plenty of shiny gloss black, curves and angles that vie for one's attention.

It's comfortable and feels quality, but storage solutions maybe weren't as high up in the minds of designers in the case of this Niro. For example, the angular design element in front of the passenger, clearly there to break up the large slab of piano black, could easily be a handy little shelf for some extra bits. But it's designed with a slant that precludes any kind of practicality.

Instead, you've got the regular range of storage spots like a glovebox, centre bin, and spot in front of the rotary gearshifter (where the wireless charging pad lives). The cupholders live in a compartment further back, but can be flipped away for some extra storage.

Power outlets are well accounted for, however, with USB-A, USB-C and 12V outlets available up front. And if that's not enough, there are USB-C points mounted on the front seats for those in the back that you could usurp.

Second-row space overall is decent, with enough room for adults to fit in front and rear in terms of leg room and head room. The exterior design of the Niro isn't overly great for visibility from the rear, especially if you're a kid. However, there are air vents in the back, along with the aforementioned power outlets, room for a single bottle in each door, a pop-down armrest (with cupholders) and map pockets.

The 425L boot was a surprise, which was able to swallow our bulky and burdensome double pram. We fit it in sideways instead of lengthways, but still had room to stack up some other bags in the back.

GT-Line variants of the Niro enjoy twin 10.25-inch displays up front, both of which are mounted on a big slab of gloss black atop the dashboard. In terms of modernity, this set-up is quite stark and certainly helps.

One of these is the infotainment display, which includes things like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It's not wireless in the case of the GT-Line, but wireless access is included in the entry-level S variants. Regardless, the system is easy to use and I didn't experience any annoying drop-outs or glitches during my time with the car.

There's also digital radio and native navigation for this GT-Line specification model.

The other display serves as the digital instrument cluster, which offers a relatively basic set of functions and displays to run through. Because GT-Line specification Niros miss out on a 360-degree camera (unlike other top-spec Kias), this display isn't able to use that trick blind-spot camera function.

The 10.0-inch colour head-up display is quite good, however, and crams in a lot of information such as directions, speed limits and active safety assistance into its remit.

And while the sound system seemed okay to my untrained ears, it's worth noting that the hybrid GT-Line variant misses out on the eight-speaker Harman Kardon system, which includes a subwoofer, that's exclusive to the GT-Line EV.

Getting a new five-star ANCAP safety rating is no easy feat, but the new Kia Niro is one of the latest models to do such a thing. This Niro impressed with an 88 per cent score for adult occupants and 84 per cent for child occupants. Vulnerable road users (pedestrians) scored 76 per cent, while the active safety systems were rated at 87 per cent. 

An important part of this rating is the inclusion of a driver's knee airbag, as well as a front centre airbag for reducing collisions between front occupants inside the vehicle. All up, the Niro has eight airbags inside.

Along with the impressive recent ANCAP safety rating, the new Kia Niro has a slew of active safety technology: autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assistance and lane-follow assistance, blind-spot warning with collision avoidance, rear cross-traffic alert with collision avoidance, safe exit warning and safe exit assistance, driver attention alert, intelligent speed limit assistance, and automatic wipers and headlights (with high-beam assist).

The lane-keep assistance technology used by Kia (and Hyundai for that matter) seems to be steadily improving these days, and is certainly less infuriating than it was in older vehicle designs. It feels less intrusive on this new Niro, and less perturbed by the varying quantity and quality of road markings on typical suburban and country Australian roads.

Servicing a Niro Hybrid – through a Kia dealership – is set to cost $1299 for three years and $2645 for five years, which works out to be $433 or $529 per year respectively. This isn't too much of a budget buster, but it's worth noting that key rival Toyota Corolla Cross works out to be noticeably cheaper through dealership services. In this regard, the Toyota is something of an outlier.

Insurance for a Niro Hybrid GT-Line like this one costs $1454.99 per year based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

This is the major point of importance for the Niro, whose electrified powertrain aims to maximise fuel usage by combining a frugal petrol engine with an electric motor (which is fuelled by a small lithium-ion polymer battery). 1.32kWh (or 5.5 amp hours) isn't much, but the flip-side is it only weighs 34kg.

That compares to 443kg for the battery in the fully electric Niro, which has 64.8kWh of battery capacity. The idea with such a small battery is that you're not hauling around additional weight, and the battery quickly recharges through coasting and regenerative braking (capturing energy that would be otherwise lost).

Overall, we managed 4.7 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres, which did include a couple of longer drives into the New South Wales countryside. There was a good dose of town driving in there as well, and it compares reasonably well to the claimed average of 4.0L/100km.

In fact, there was one short driving loop (mostly downhill, admittedly) where I was able to see a sustained average of 3.8L/100km.

Another interesting anecdote here: this Kia Niro Hybrid is the first vehicle I have come across where the average fuel consumption across all testing disciplines (urban, extra-urban and combined) is the same figure. It points to the strength of a hybrid powertrain like this one, which can noticeably reduce that big penalty one normally gets from stop-start town driving.

While things like fuel consumption and running costs might not be overly exciting bits of subject matter, Kia has clearly tried to inject something interesting into the way this Niro looks and feels. This seems to extend to the driving experience, which is surprisingly enjoyable and well balanced for an economy-focussed small SUV.

Perhaps it's no surprise, then, to read that the Niro was one of the first of Kia's vehicles to get an Australian-developed suspension and steering tune. I often find these to be subtly different to so-called 'International' tunes, and a little more suited to our local roads and tastes.

The suspension seems to tread that fine line of comfort and compliance without being too wallowy. And it's matched by a steering feel that's equally well balanced.

Naturally, the Niro Hybrid isn't going to be playing the role of a corner-carver or Sunday sports car warrior, but at least it's nicely balanced and comfortable for town and country usage alike.

Perhaps more importantly in this case is the combination of electric and petrol power, and the Niro's ability to blend these into something that's easy to live with. We've seen it done with Toyota hybrid vehicles many times over, and it is something important to get right.

Its 77kW of power from the 1.6-litre naturally aspirated mill doesn't sound like a whole lot, but the good news is that 32kW from the electric motor is seemingly never not in play. While not fast, the Niro feels quick enough for general driving. The engine is fast and smooth as it regularly switches on and off, allowing the electric side of things to do as much as possible.

There's only some occasional engine flaring – noted through the increased droning noise – that disturbs otherwise serene running, as the engine meets the demands of propulsion and the attached generator.

I was initially a bit skeptical about how a dual-clutch transmission – which can sometimes upset smooth progress – would handle a hybrid application like this. However, I shouldn't have worried. Kia's recent batch of dual-clutch transmissions have been smooth and easy to use, and this Niro is no different.

The recent arrival of the Toyota Corolla Cross has likely blunted the edge of this Niro's arrival, which is otherwise a sharp and modern take on the small SUV. The Corolla Cross is cheaper in terms of purchase and ownership, but on the other hand feels frumpy and boring (inside and out) in comparison to this Niro.

Safety is strong, the interior is well executed (if not overly practical), and the powertrain is undoubtedly efficient. Perhaps you want something a little more interesting than some of the other SUVs out there, and you don't mind paying a little more for the experience? If you look at the Niro from that point of view, then it's got definite merit.