[Dr.T]

Jodi Lai on the Kia Niro.

Looks more like a hatchback than a crossover, to me at least. Looking forward to seeing one in person.

 

[Alex]

Great first look at the Niro and from this video alone I can tell that red is going to be one of my favorite colors. Just have to wait to see it in person for final decision.

 

[KiaJoe]

Short but informative. The coast and acceleration signals for the driver sound interesting. I like that it isn't designed to look like a battery and scream hybrid. I just want a normal car that happens to be a hybrid.

 

[Alex]

It will be interesting to see how this low profile Hybrid styling goes in comparison to the other Korean brand, Hyundai which takes a different approach, going for more in your face hybrid styling. I think there's a greater portion of people that want to let it be known their in a hybrid.

 

[Neuron]

Just watched the video and have one question; how does it coach drivers on when to brake and when to coast? Does a signal light turn on? Or is this automatic?

 

[Alex]

Found one video of it at the Geneva show for anyone interested. Helps to see how blue looks through high quality video like this..

 

[Neuron]

The blue keeps shifting depending on the lighting from a darker shade to a lighter one.

 

[Alex]

Well the same goes for most colors, the best thing is to see them in person but about 50% of you deciding on which color you want can come form just seeing it through online media like what we're seeing here.

 

[wrcfocus]

That red in the video doesn't seem to have much metallic in it, which is a bummer. Offering a DCT is quite risky on Kia's part as DCT has not been well accepted by the public (just read about the DCT's in the Ford Fiesta/Focus). Needless to say I will be taking one on an extended test drive or even renting one for a weekend to make sure the transmission is not jerky at ALL points.

With just a 1.6L a CVT would have been a better choice since the engine size is small which means it won't be offering as much torque anyway (leave that up to the electric motor). A CVT allows for a much wider gear ratio spread to help out on the highway. It may come across that I'm putting the car down, which I am not, I'm all for more hybrid/electric crossovers as competition brings innovation. I am actually looking at a Ford C-Max hybrid right now but I can wait a few more months to see how the Niro drives.

I am sure the Niro will hit 50MPG without any issue in the real world, I mean, the C-Max Hybrid's are hitting 50-65MPG in real world driving. It's all in the way you drive it and that'll come with time.

 

[Alex]

Even after that test drive it might be a gamble since you don't know how it will perform throughout the break in period and even after that. For all we know 1/2 way through the break in we might notice some issues others have talked about with other models. My rule of thumb is to wait at least 6 months before making a move.

 

[Neuron]

My rule if thumb is to wait one year after a newly released vehicle has been out and about. That's generally enough time for most problems to appear and have the dealerships fix the same problem on the cars still on their lot. Once the year is up, you can purchase a Niro with most of the bugs fixed and still have a long factory warranty period to look forward to.

I'm patient, I can wait. As for the color, stuck between the red and blue but if Kia comes out with a dark shade of green, I would go for that.

 

[wrcfocus]

That's true about about avoiding the first model year as they tend to be working out the bugs. That being said, the Niro was just launched in S.Korea so that may give us an indication of the running gear in the vehicle.

Does anyone know where the Niro will be manufactured for the North American market?