Taking after the Roman emperor Nero, the 2017 Kia Niro hybrid is looking to take down the mother of gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles: the Toyota Prius. Pointing its knife at the heart of the hybrid segment, the Korean brand is bringing the Niro to market with a starting price of $23,785, or $1765 less than the least expensive Prius.
The most fuel-efficient of the Niro?s five trim levels is the base FE, which is EPA rated at 52 mpg city and 49 mpg highway. The Niro FE comes standard with a rearview camera, a 7.0-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto.

Those willing to accept a fuel-economy hit of 1 mpg city and 3 mpg highway in the name of convenience will want to check out the better-equipped LX and EX, which start at $24,095 and $26,595. The Niro LX adds roof rails, push-button start, and LED taillights to the features list, while the higher-end EX embellishes the package with heated seats, LED daytime running lights, fog lamps, a blind-spot monitoring system, and heated power-folding side mirrors. A forward-collision warning system, automated emergency braking, and lane-departure warning can be added at a cost of $1450 on the LX and $2300 on the EX. On the latter, the safety systems are packaged with a power sunroof and adaptive cruise control.
Atop the Niro?s empire is the Touring model, wearing EPA ratings of 46 mpg city and 40 mpg highway. Starting at $30,545, the Touring includes a plethora of luxury items including a sunroof, heated and ventilated...