Electric cars don’t come cheap. Cost is still the biggest reason why car shoppers are reluctant to upgrade from conventional gas-powered vehicles, which is why I’ve been such a strong supporter of PHEVs (plug-in electric vehicles). The Kia Niro PHEV lives up to that with its mixture of gas and all-electric power.
After driving the 2024 Kia Niro PHEV SX Touring for a week, it’s a reminder of how you don’t need to put up luxury car prices in order to tap into all-electric power. Best of all, the Niro has one of the best values around because of its outstanding fuel economy and all-electric range of 31 miles.
In an era where the average EV costs $55,544 according to Kelly Blue Book, the $40,790 cost of the Niro PHEV SX Touring that I tested makes it something I could actually afford on my budget. Here’s all of my pros and cons.
2024 Kia Niro PHEV SX Touring: Specifications
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | 2024 Kia Niro PHEV SX Touring |
| Battery | 11.1 kWh |
| Engine | 1.6L Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) 4-cylinder engine |
| All-Electric Range | 31 miles |
| Gas Fuel Economy | 30 mpg |
| Gas-Electric Fuel Economy | 108 mpge combined |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 9.8 gallons |
| Horsepower | 180 hp |
| Wheels | 18-inches |
| MSRP | $40,790 |
2024 Kia Niro PHEV SX Touring: Testing summary
I drove a total of 334.1 miles in my week’s worth of testing the Kia Niro PHEV. Since the vehicle doesn’t break down how much of that driving was done on strictly all-electric power, it’s worth pointing out that the car showed a gas range of 441 miles when I first got it and then ended at 441 miles. This means that 252 miles of driving was on hybrid power that uses gas, while the remaining 82.1 miles were done with all-electric power.
In one of my long distance driving tests, which included a fully charged battery, I traveled 41.8 miles and averaged a fuel economy of 82.5 mpg. That’s unbelievable given how the average hybrid car gets around 40 mpg, like the Hyundai Elantra Hybrid I drove months back. By charging nightly, you’ll be able to lessen your gas consumption, especially if your daily commute comes out to around 30 miles round trip.
Charging the 2024 Kia Niro PHEV SX Touring, however, does seem obnoxiously long compared to other EVs and PHEVs I’ve tested. With Level 1 charging at my home, the Niro PHEV gained 24 miles of range after 14 hours and 30 minutes. That’s much longer than the Level 1 charging times I got with the Lexus RX450h+, which got a full charge in about 10 to 12 hours. However, I was told that adjusting the amperage on the charger itself could’ve yielded faster times because I was getting 0.6 kW Level 1 charging speeds.
- Total miles driven: 334.1 miles
- Average fuel economy: 76.4 mpge combined
- 252 miles of gas driving, 81.1 miles of all-electric driving
- Level 1 charging: 14 hours and 30 minutes of charging yielded 24 miles
- Averages about 0.6 kW speeds with Level 1 charging
2024 Kia Niro PHEV SX Touring: What I Like
Ultra affordable cost for a PHEV
I can’t stress enough how the Kia Niro PHEV is one of the cheapest vehicles I’ve driven all year. While its $40,790 starting cost looks modest for a subcompact crossover SUV, the bigger savings are found in how you won’t be filling up with gas as frequently.
If you’re able to charge nightly, you could very well only need to fill up the Niro PHEV's 9.8 gallon tank perhaps once a month. But what’s even more attractive is that the other base trim, the Niro Plug-in Hybrid EX, starts out at an even cheaper $34,490. You sacrifice on performance with that trim, but you still get the same outstanding fuel economy and all-electric range. It's the cheapest PHEV I've tested to date, beating out the Kia Sportage PHEV and Chrysler Pacifica PHEV.
It looks like a mini Kia EV9
I’ve got to hand it to Kia for designing the Niro PHEV with a similar design language as its top-of-the-line Kia EV9. There are striking similarities all around the body, like its tapered front hood and slick LED-accented headlights.
Furthermore, I love how the rear brake lights have this boomerang-esque shape to them — while the tail spoiler above the back windshield helps to give the vehicle a slightly sporty look. The Niro PHEV is definitely smaller in size compared to the EV9 on the inside, but at least it’s not as cramped as the equally sized Hyundai Kona Electric.
Smooth accelerating on EV Power
While it drives much like most hybrid cars on gas power, I do like how EV mode makes the Kia Niro PHEV drive much like other EVs. That’s because the acceleration is smooth and you don’t get all the gear shifting that happens with gas power. As a result, it gets to cruising speed relatively quickly on EV mode.
This is interesting because once the battery’s all tapped out and it has to go back on hybrid-gas power, there’s a noticeable difference in the Niro PHEV’s acceleration. It’s not quite as smooth or quick.
Slick Panoramic displays
Although it’s not as over imposing or sprawling compared to the Kia EV9’s display, the size of the dual panoramic displays in the Niro PHEV are perfect. There’s a main 10.25-inch touchscreen display that features a slick neon-accented interface, while the driving cluster right above the steering wheel is positioned low enough in the dashboard to give me more visibility of the windshield.
Charming modern design, inside and out
More of the Kia EV9’s futuristic design is evident in the interior space of the Kia Niro PHEV. Most notably, I love the dazzling ambient light bar right above the glovebox that can change to different colors. The seats are also extra comfortable, but I also like how the SynTex Seat Trim makes it more spill resistant than other seating fabrics.
Overall, there’s a charming modern feel to the Niro's interior space that I wasn’t expecting to find in a subcompact crossover such as this.
2024 Kia Niro PHEV SX Touring: What I Don't Like
Stutters on acceleration with gas power
Like I said, it’s hard going back to gas-powered driving after using the all-electric EV mode of the Kia Niro PHEV. What’s most apparent about the driving experience on gas power is that the acceleration takes a significant hit, despite the engine’s 180 hp performance. It just stutters shifting through the gears getting to cruising speed.
Tight trunk space
On one hand, I love the extra utility the Niro HPEV has over sedans because it’s a subcompact crossover SUV — you can fold down the rear seats to make extra room for the trunk. However, the trunk space itself is cramped to begin with, so much so that it couldn’t fit my JackRabbit OG2 ebike without bringing down the rear seats. I’ve seen bigger trunk spaces on sedans, like the Volkswagen Jetta GLI, that fit my micro ebike with ease.
No auto dimming mirrors
For a Touring trim, I was hoping for more premium features over the base trim. Unfortunately for the rearview and side mirrors, they don’t have any auto-dimming films on them — so headlights at night reflecting from them become distracting. In other EVs, auto-dimming mirrors make those lights less of a strain on the eyes.
2024 Kia Niro PHEV SX Touring: Verdict
Owning a car today is much more challenging than ever before. As much as I love electric cars, their excessive costs make them nearly impossible to own. The only models I could realistically afford are the Hyundai Kona Electric, Hyundai Ioniq 6, and Toyota bZ4X — all of which cost more than the 2024 Kia Niro PHEV.
Even though it’s not as good of a recommendation as a family car like the Kia Sportage PHEV, the Niro PHEV suffices for couples or anyone looking to get a single car for themselves that offers the best of both worlds. You’ll have the electric power that you can use to lessen your cost on gas consumption, but you still have the excellent fuel economy of a hybrid when you need to use gas.
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