First Look: 2017 Kia Niro Hybrid
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Over the past two decades, Kia Motors has transformed from an inexpensive alternative to the perennial segment leaders, Honda and Toyota, to a legitimate competitor offering the maximum bang for the buck.
Recently at the 2016 Chicago Auto Show, the automaker unveiled the latest addition to its North American portfolio, the Niro hybrid crossover. The 2017 Niro HUV (Hybrid Utility Vehicle) is the first car in the company’s model lineup to use an “all-new, dedicated eco-car platform.” The Niro was jointly created at Kia’s North American styling studio in Irvine, California and its design studio in Namyang, Korea.
The boldly designed Kia Niro crossover is the latest step in the manufacturer’s quest to nearly triple its global lineup of green cars by 2020. With the first dedicated hybrid crossover, Kia’s goal is to lure Toyota Prius shoppers into its dealerships.
What’s New
The platform underpinning the Niro consists of 53% high-strength steel, including reinforcements in the A- and B-pillars and roof rails. It is specifically engineered to house a new gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain. Even with its somewhat wide rocker cladding, wheel arches, roof rails, and rear skid plates, the 2017 Kia Niro still manages to achieve a respectable 0.29 coefficient drag. Kia aims to achieve a combined EPA fuel efficiency rating of 50 mpg.
To minimize weight, Kia engineers utilized high-st...
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