The Crossover With A Plug 2020 Kia Niro PHEV
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Date: 2020-09-19
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Comments and reviews: 9
Dan
I've had my 2019 Niro PHEV for almost 17 months now, and it has been fantastic. I track MPG and power usage closely, and can state that the PHEV exceeds the EPA in both electric range and MPG when driving as a hybrid. I get 30 EV miles without any special effort, and that's with the HVAC on. 34 miles has been my best, again with the A/C on. I've taken a freeway trip from Seattle to Ellensburg and back (over a 3000' mountain pass each way, about 130 miles each way. Using the manual control, I use EV while in town and switch to hybrid or sport mode on the freeway. My round trip is usually about 62 MPG on the dash, so more like 60 MPG actual.
I did cross shop the Clarity, and dismissed it for several reasons. The infotainment system has zero EV information. There is no charge indicator anywhere on the display to tell you the state of charge or time remaining. There's a small light near the power connection on the fender, that was it. When the engine fired, it was horrendously loud, partially because of the CVT. As long as the battery was charged, and you could drive EV, yes it was nice. The passthrough between the truck and rear seating area was severely restricted on the size and anything that could go in. I was looking at a possible cross country trip for a work detail, and there was no way I could carry something like a flat screen TV with me, because the opening was too small.
I find the regen braking to be outstanding. I can never tell if/when the mechanical brakes take over from the regen. Since the '19 does not have the stop/start adaptive cruise like the '20 does, I always have to do the final braking when coming to a stop.
I traded a 2018 Outback 3. 6R for the Niro, and don't regret it at all. I have calculated that my total fuel bill (gas and electricity) is only about 20% of what I was spending with the Outback. Couple that with a monthly payment almost 200 per month lower, I'm saving about 3600 per year over the Sube.
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I've had my 2019 Niro PHEV for almost 17 months now, and it has been fantastic. I track MPG and power usage closely, and can state that the PHEV exceeds the EPA in both electric range and MPG when driving as a hybrid. I get 30 EV miles without any special effort, and that's with the HVAC on. 34 miles has been my best, again with the A/C on. I've taken a freeway trip from Seattle to Ellensburg and back (over a 3000' mountain pass each way, about 130 miles each way. Using the manual control, I use EV while in town and switch to hybrid or sport mode on the freeway. My round trip is usually about 62 MPG on the dash, so more like 60 MPG actual.
I did cross shop the Clarity, and dismissed it for several reasons. The infotainment system has zero EV information. There is no charge indicator anywhere on the display to tell you the state of charge or time remaining. There's a small light near the power connection on the fender, that was it. When the engine fired, it was horrendously loud, partially because of the CVT. As long as the battery was charged, and you could drive EV, yes it was nice. The passthrough between the truck and rear seating area was severely restricted on the size and anything that could go in. I was looking at a possible cross country trip for a work detail, and there was no way I could carry something like a flat screen TV with me, because the opening was too small.
I find the regen braking to be outstanding. I can never tell if/when the mechanical brakes take over from the regen. Since the '19 does not have the stop/start adaptive cruise like the '20 does, I always have to do the final braking when coming to a stop.
I traded a 2018 Outback 3. 6R for the Niro, and don't regret it at all. I have calculated that my total fuel bill (gas and electricity) is only about 20% of what I was spending with the Outback. Couple that with a monthly payment almost 200 per month lower, I'm saving about 3600 per year over the Sube.
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jmymlr
I own a 2019 Niro PHEV and love it. Zero regrets trading my 3-series wagon for it. TON of standard features. Near luxury car smooth in EV mode. My commute (back in the before time when I went to the office) is 14mi round trip, so I could easily go 3 months on a tank of gas.
Two complaints. 1) Low speed transmission response. Highway speeds, it's fine, but when the gas engine comes on at low speeds, you know it. The transmission scrambles to accommodate it. To mitigate, I make sure to use the EV/HEV mode selector button Alex shows next to the shifter while on the highway and save the battery for low speeds. 2) I make 2-3 trips a year across the Western PA mountains. It struggles on some of those hills. As often as I make the trip, I couldn't care less, but if you lived in Colorado, I could see it being an issue.
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I own a 2019 Niro PHEV and love it. Zero regrets trading my 3-series wagon for it. TON of standard features. Near luxury car smooth in EV mode. My commute (back in the before time when I went to the office) is 14mi round trip, so I could easily go 3 months on a tank of gas.
Two complaints. 1) Low speed transmission response. Highway speeds, it's fine, but when the gas engine comes on at low speeds, you know it. The transmission scrambles to accommodate it. To mitigate, I make sure to use the EV/HEV mode selector button Alex shows next to the shifter while on the highway and save the battery for low speeds. 2) I make 2-3 trips a year across the Western PA mountains. It struggles on some of those hills. As often as I make the trip, I couldn't care less, but if you lived in Colorado, I could see it being an issue.
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James
I own a 2019 Kia Niro EX hybrid. Funny as I was looking for a PHEV, but got this because even though it was a year old model, it was on the dealers lot for over a year and they were trying to get rid of it and paid 8, 000 off the MSRP. I actually really enjoy it. I am obviously not using it for quick speed. I would recommend not using the sports mode unless you are merging onto the expressway. It's very roomy, especially with leg and head space, but wish the trunk had more space. I love how I can beat the average mpg. Though I am not on the highway much, I have found I get about 53 mpg. What's great for me as well is it helps with the aggressive driving. I am not trying to sound smug, but not going to the gas station helps. Save money and time.
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I own a 2019 Kia Niro EX hybrid. Funny as I was looking for a PHEV, but got this because even though it was a year old model, it was on the dealers lot for over a year and they were trying to get rid of it and paid 8, 000 off the MSRP. I actually really enjoy it. I am obviously not using it for quick speed. I would recommend not using the sports mode unless you are merging onto the expressway. It's very roomy, especially with leg and head space, but wish the trunk had more space. I love how I can beat the average mpg. Though I am not on the highway much, I have found I get about 53 mpg. What's great for me as well is it helps with the aggressive driving. I am not trying to sound smug, but not going to the gas station helps. Save money and time.
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ronkemperful
You have a great point that having multiple PHEVs is better for the environment than a single EV. However, in making a purchasing decision it is a bit more complicated when buying a used EV because one has to calculate the total cost of the gasoline engine. Besides maintenance, which is more, there is the problem of burning off enough gas over a year of use to keep it fresh. for me it would be a problem since 99. 5% of my daily trips are less than 10 miles - so I might have problems with rotting gas lines, gunked fuel systems with a PHEV. Great video as always!
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You have a great point that having multiple PHEVs is better for the environment than a single EV. However, in making a purchasing decision it is a bit more complicated when buying a used EV because one has to calculate the total cost of the gasoline engine. Besides maintenance, which is more, there is the problem of burning off enough gas over a year of use to keep it fresh. for me it would be a problem since 99. 5% of my daily trips are less than 10 miles - so I might have problems with rotting gas lines, gunked fuel systems with a PHEV. Great video as always!
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Mark
My one big problem with the Ioniq plug-in is that its battery pushes the load floor up too much for a vehicle that already had a shallow trunk. If you deliver pizzas that might be perfect, but not if you ever carry luggage or boxy stuff. The Niro, with its taller, boxier shape doesn't have the same problem, and would be more realistic for a single-vehicle household. If all you needed was a commuter car either the Ioniq PHEV or the Prius Prime would be excellent, though I much prefer the Hyundai's styling. Toyota designers seem to have been struck blind.
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My one big problem with the Ioniq plug-in is that its battery pushes the load floor up too much for a vehicle that already had a shallow trunk. If you deliver pizzas that might be perfect, but not if you ever carry luggage or boxy stuff. The Niro, with its taller, boxier shape doesn't have the same problem, and would be more realistic for a single-vehicle household. If all you needed was a commuter car either the Ioniq PHEV or the Prius Prime would be excellent, though I much prefer the Hyundai's styling. Toyota designers seem to have been struck blind.
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midifool99
I've been driving my 2020 Niro PHEV for a little over a month and love it. I was surprised to learn in this video that the battery is air cooled. I thought it was liquid cooled! Glad I'm only leasing for 3 years. The paddles DO change the regen braking level, at least, when NOT in Sport mode. I haven't figured out how to use Sport mode yet. The left paddle increases the braking from 0 up to level 3. The right paddle decreases. I wish they were swapped. I think of left as down, and right as up.
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I've been driving my 2020 Niro PHEV for a little over a month and love it. I was surprised to learn in this video that the battery is air cooled. I thought it was liquid cooled! Glad I'm only leasing for 3 years. The paddles DO change the regen braking level, at least, when NOT in Sport mode. I haven't figured out how to use Sport mode yet. The left paddle increases the braking from 0 up to level 3. The right paddle decreases. I wish they were swapped. I think of left as down, and right as up.
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David
I have had my 2020 Kia Niro PHEV for about 9 weeks now. It is perfect for my needs. I do not travel far. I did not get gas until the 5th week and the car was delivered to me with only 3/4 tank. I do wish it had a few more miles of all electric range (about 5 more miles and I would never use the gas) and a bit more horsepower. But I am happy with it. And with the Federal and State rebates for electric vehicles, and Kia s rebate, the price dropped over 10, 000.
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I have had my 2020 Kia Niro PHEV for about 9 weeks now. It is perfect for my needs. I do not travel far. I did not get gas until the 5th week and the car was delivered to me with only 3/4 tank. I do wish it had a few more miles of all electric range (about 5 more miles and I would never use the gas) and a bit more horsepower. But I am happy with it. And with the Federal and State rebates for electric vehicles, and Kia s rebate, the price dropped over 10, 000.
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Andre
I own 2018 Niro PHEV - Alex, did you put sport mode for 0-60? Bjorn dislikes the Niro PHEV and I have to agree that the hybrid mode is jerky due to to DCT. But, when you need more power, the sport mode really helps a lot. And sport mode helps charging the battery faster as well.
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I own 2018 Niro PHEV - Alex, did you put sport mode for 0-60? Bjorn dislikes the Niro PHEV and I have to agree that the hybrid mode is jerky due to to DCT. But, when you need more power, the sport mode really helps a lot. And sport mode helps charging the battery faster as well.
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Husker
I own a 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid and looking to upgrade soon. I like this design, but I wish they could come out with a dual-motor AWD version of this vehicle. Or possibly come out with a Kia Sportage Hybrid dual-motor with AWD. Great video Alex!
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I own a 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid and looking to upgrade soon. I like this design, but I wish they could come out with a dual-motor AWD version of this vehicle. Or possibly come out with a Kia Sportage Hybrid dual-motor with AWD. Great video Alex!
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