[ColoNiro]

There have been questions here about the availability of roof racks of various sorts. I went to the KIA USA website and the Niro and under accessories they have pictures and videos showing several roof rack options that mount on the rails that come with the Niro

 

[Bigmura]

that's good! I'm interested in that! Let us know if you see prices or anything....

 

[ColoNiro]

Roof attachment prices

Searched "Kia UM000 AY008RA price" with the part numbers and got these prices from a large online source, but of course do your own searching. Prices likely different from Kia dealers. The part numbers are from the Kia USA website.

Roof bike attachment UM000 AY008RA $113.01
Roof cargo basket UM000 AY008LW $280.35
Roof kayak attachment UM000 AY008KA $151.42
Roof rack cross bars UM000 G5211 ADE00AL $ 234.95
Roof ski/snowboard attachment UM000 AY008SA $146.81
Roof cargo box UM000 AY00815 $313.82

 

[Alex]

Those prices are just about what I typically see from brands like Thule, good move on Kias end without getting all fancy and pricing themselves out of the market. But even with what Kia offers, how many here would still go aftermarket?

 

[lrpavlo]

I went with Thule, because I wanted 60" long bars so I could carry 2 paddle boards side by side. I had to tell them it was for a kia sportage, and I had to modify the aero bars to fit. In my case the rear is 1/2" lower than the front so I put an extra thick foam under the rear. I'm usually getting 42mpg with the board on the roof for my local paddles.....37 on the highway (72mph) with just the roof racks.....it's not a great highway cruiser though IMHO. Waiting for a trailer hitch so I can add a bike rack.

 

[hodad66]

How did you do the modification?

 

[lrpavlo]

How did you do the modification?

cutting wheel on a hand held.

 

[Redbrick1]

I went with Thule, because I wanted 60" long bars so I could carry 2 paddle boards side by side. I had to tell them it was for a kia sportage, and I had to modify the aero bars to fit. In my case the rear is 1/2" lower than the front so I put an extra thick foam under the rear. I'm usually getting 42mpg with the board on the roof for my local paddles.....37 on the highway (72mph) with just the roof racks.....it's not a great highway cruiser though IMHO. Waiting for a trailer hitch so I can add a bike rack.

How stable does the sportage mounting feet seem on the Niro? From eyeballing the roof rails of both vehicles at the dealer, they seem similar.

Still waiting on an official kit from Thule, but itching to get my canoe out.

 

[lrpavlo]

Very stable....I've carried 3 boards on top already with no bow or stern lines. Only a distance of 7 miles with a 65mph max speed.

 

[Redbrick1]

So, it seems that Thule UK has Niro specific mounting kits on their website: Kit 4076.

It appears they recommend rapid system 753 for square bars, which is what I have. System 753 appears available from US-based retailers.

I contacted Thule USA about Niro specific kits but haven't heard back. If they don't respond soon, I'm tempted to order the mounting kit from a UK based Thule distributor.

 

[BlueEX]

I want to get the Factory Roof racks for my Niro and the dealer gave me a discounted price of $270, since I bought my car there. I want to be able to attach my 16 foot canoe to them by just strapping it securely to the two cross bars. Does anyone think I will have a problem or will I have to add tie downs to the front and rear?

 

[lrpavlo]

Tie downs front and rear are never a bad idea.....I have a loop triple stitched into a piece of nylon strap about a foot long. At the other end I take out a radiator support bolt, heat it and burn it into the strap. Then replace the bolt with the strap on it....you can fold it out of the hood and tie the front of the canoe to it. For the stern you could use the tie downs in the rear....tie a loop of parachute cord or something similar that you can leave sticking out of the hatch to tie to.

 

[Redbrick1]

Updates:

I was tired of waiting on Thule USA, so I ordered Thule fit pack 4076 from Hammersleys.com (UK based seller). The fit pack with the Podium 460 foot pack work perfectly on the Niro's flush bars. If your Thule rack bars are not square (like mine) you will need a different foot pack, but the Thule part 4076 is always needed.

I have used the same Thule rack on multiple vehicles over many years and on the Niro it is just as stable as any other. As always, I would NEVER travel at highway speed without front/rear tie downs. In the picture, I used my old standby of Sherpak hood/fender straps ($7) at Amazon with tow eye on the back.

However, I now have two tow eyes/hooks, I will plan on using them on both on front and back. The tow eyes are easier than than the fender straps, no knots to tie, just click tight and go.

Glad to answer any questions about my setup or Thule parts needed.

 

[lrpavlo]

Your canoe looks pretty level! I found I had to raise my rear 1/2" to achieve that for my touring....Unfortunately I don't recall the numbers of the Thule foot pack. My normal paddling commute is still getting me 40 - 42mpg hand calculated with the racks and the board!!!!

 

[BlueEX]

Redbrick1, For your front tie downs, aren't you concerned about damage to your hood in anyway? Also, where / what are you attaching your rear tie down to?

 

[Redbrick1]

Redbrick1, For your front tie downs, aren't you concerned about damage to your hood in anyway? Also, where / what are you attaching your rear tie down to?

It is possible to damage your hood, in that the hook or whatever you use to attach to the fender straps could vibrate or be dropped on the hood. I guess I'm just careful how I tie it on to avoid major issues. Some minor scratching is probably inevitable.

The back is the tow eye/hook that came with the car. You just pop out the little circle on the bumper (drivers side) and screw it in. Instructions are probably in the owners manual. The same pop out circle is on the front bumper also. Of course, the car comes stock with only one tow eye. When I bought my spare tire kit, that's when I got the second one.

 

[Redbrick1]

Your canoe looks pretty level! I found I had to raise my rear 1/2" to achieve that for my touring....Unfortunately I don't recall the numbers of the Thule foot pack. My normal paddling commute is still getting me 40 - 42mpg hand calculated with the racks and the board!!!!

I also averaged about 40 mpg on my 55 mile trip with the canoe last weekend at 65-70 mph. I'm pleased with that mileage.

 

[BlueEX]

I ended up buying the Kia Roof cross bars and they seem very nice. I do have a couple of questions though.

1. The mounting blocks have a nice rubber insert that will protect the inside and top of the roof rails, but the clamp that goes on the outside edge is just all metal. I am wondering if this metal clamping piece will scratch the finish of the roof rail ? If so, I may try to insert a rubber piece between it and the rail.

2. Does anyone know if I can mount the cross bars to the Front or Tail sections of the roof rails? There are three sections to the roof rails and I am not sure if the front and tail sections are secured to the car that well or do you have to just attach the cross bars to the middle section. I am trying to make the distance between the two cross bars as wide as possible.

The picture shows the front section circled that I m talking about.

Thanks for any help or advice.

 

[mastman26]

Hey BlueEX - I also have the blue EX and bought the Kia cross bars from the dealer. I followed the directions regarding spacing along each side rail, and that meant no clamp on the separate front or rear section. When you grab hold of those end pieces and try to shake the car, they just don't seem quite as solid as the middle section. I may spread them a little further apart to facilitate moving the Yakima basket and roof pod between my car and my wife's Forester, but still keep them on the middle rail section. You may be able to put a thin sheet of rubber or even leather between the clamp and the rail, with thin being the operative word. You want to make sure the clamp is securely attached. If the cross bars are attached securely, they won't move/scratch. Just be careful when you put them on if scratching is a concern.

BTW, I initially did a 'partial' installation of the cross bars just to see how they rode - partial meaning i did not install the rubber strip along the bottom side of the bars. BIG mistake, as it sounded like a tornado blowing across the top of a coke bottle when i hit freeway speeds. Much better with the strip, but there is still much more noise than the Yakima bars on the other car, likely because it is much less aerodynamic and has a fatter cross section. Considering my options now.

 

[Squidkid]

I'm seeing conflicting information about compatibility with the Yakima Ridgeline towers and the 2017 Kia Niro. Has anybody here tried this yet?