I just bought a 2019 Niro Plugin and was told by my local trucksmart that there is no hitch for it, what is the part number you ordered and what all did you have to do to get it to fit?I have a 2018 Niro PHEV. It appears to be the same as my neighbor's 2019 PHEV. I mounted a Curt Class III hitch for a bike rack. There is a problem in that there is a piece welded to the frame on the passenger side which interferes with the hitch. The solution is to notch the vertical plate on the hitch so it fits around it. It can be done with a hacksaw blade on sawmill or cutting blade on grinder, a very simple modification of the hitch. It does not appear to affect the strength of the hitch, which is secured by 6 bolts. There is a small plastic piece under the car that needs to be trimmed too. I know the Curt works well and it easy to install. etrailer.com has some videos for the Curt hitch (perhaps for earlier model Niros or non-PHEV) which are 95% accurate (except for the notching). Of course none of this might apply to the EV. Robert
Roof rack would probably be cheaper than the hitch + install. $260 for the rack from KIA.i just want to mount my bike rack. and be able to take it on and off.
Ah that makes sens, honestly my biggest motivator for doing this was that it just looked nasty and incomplete from behind :laugh:The shield is there to protect the plastic bumper from heat inside the muffler. But as soon as you installed the hitch, the big massive chunk of steel in the hitch becomes a big heat sink for the muffler in it distributes the heat away from a concentrated area in the muffer and along the whole of the hitch that will cool off easier as it has a larger surface area.
Mines a plugin -- so the hitch had to also be modified to fitI guess it all comes down to user preference. Most cars don't have any heat shield and you see the muffler and tailpipes coming out the back. It is an esthetic sort of thing and I am glad that you took the time to show everyone what and how you did the modification so that others know it can be done and how to go about doing it.
I had a bit of a puzzled look on my face when I originally read your post as this is part of the Hitch for a Niro EV, and I had the question on why would you have a heat shield for a muffler on an electric-only vehicle, but I quickly gathered it was more for the hybrid versions. I would ask if your car is a Plug in or just the regular HEV?
oops posted in wrong thread, though this was the PHEV threadI guess it all comes down to user preference. Most cars don't have any heat shield and you see the muffler and tailpipes coming out the back. It is an esthetic sort of thing and I am glad that you took the time to show everyone what and how you did the modification so that others know it can be done and how to go about doing it.
I had a bit of a puzzled look on my face when I originally read your post as this is part of the Hitch for a Niro EV, and I had the question on why would you have a heat shield for a muffler on an electric-only vehicle, but I quickly gathered it was more for the hybrid versions. I would ask if your car is a Plug in or just the regular HEV?
Hey everyone,
New to the forum. I recently bought a 2019 Kia Niro EV and installed the Curt Class III hitch for it. And I WILL be towing with it, so look forward to details on that (reliability, range drop, stability, towing modifications, etc).
Yes, we have lots of towing experience, and will be towing 3,000-3100lbs (our race car and trailer) with the Niro EV. Specifically we are on a mission to prove:you are hardcore tower? curious how well it will do with an EV and how much range you will lose with complete removal of whole aero piece in the back. looks like you can trim the end pieces to seat between the hitch and the bumper and preserve some of the aerodynamics?