[Kia Niro News]

Kia plans to improve their overall fuel economy by 25% before 2020 ends and the hybrid Niro brought them one step closer to that goal. Now, the automaker is coming out with a plug-in variant of their new crossover and it is set to go on sale in Europe this fall.

Debuted at the 2017 Geneva Auto Show, the Niro PHEV has a 8.9 kWh capacity battery pack which is 5.7 times more than the regular hybrid’s 1.56 kWh. At full charge, the plug-in NIro has a pure-electric range of 34 miles.

Even though it uses the same 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine and permanent-magnet synchronous AC electric motor/generator as its hybrid sibling, the plug-in variant has a higher total system output at around 139 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque. That is enough for the plug-in Niro to sprint from o-62 mph in 10.8 seconds, which is a 0.7 second improvement.

For those who wants to squeeze even more mileage out of the plug-in Niro, Kia is offering plenty of fuel saving features including regenerative braking, ECO Driving Assistant System, Coasting Guide Control, and Predictive Energy Control.

Car And Driver says the Niro plug-in hybrid will hit European showroom floors this fall, but the U.S. launch date has not been released yet.

 

[yticolev]

The PHEV has a 60 hp motor versus the HEV 43 hp. Got to love those press releases.

The Niro was released in Europe long before the US, so it only makes sense that they get the PHEV before us. Our PHEV is unlikely to be here in the fall, and is almost certainly going to be a 2018 model.

 

[jdonalds]

The PHEV has a 60 hp motor versus the HEV 43 hp. Got to love those press releases.

The Niro was released in Europe long before the US, so it only makes sense that they get the PHEV before us. Our PHEV is unlikely to be here in the fall, and is almost certainly going to be a 2018 model.

I'd really want the PHEV but it won't have room for a spare tire so it's off my list. I could still go for the Niro hybrid though.