ALAN DOUGLAS: A stylish new look for an innovative eco model, the latest Niro, manufactured by Kia
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It’s a problem faced by all DIY enthusiasts – what to do with that pile of old flock wallpaper once you’ve managed to scrape it off without removing most of the plaster at the same time.
Anyone who’s been there will know it’s tough stuff which seems too good to just throw in the bin.
Fortunately, clever Korean manufacturer Kia have come up with a solution as part of their ongoing commitment to sustainability.
Take a close look inside their latest Niro compact SUV – their second-biggest selling model after the Sportage – and believe it or not, the roof headlining is made from recycled wallpaper.
Not just that, but the seats are made from cloth which is derived from eucalyptus leaves which must make the model one of the most environmentally-friendly cars on the road.
Following a tradition of innovation, the latest model is also leading the way in the new generation of electric power.
The original Niro arrived in 2016 and while the design may have done little to capture the imagination, the technology behind it was highly advanced.
Far ahead of the field, it came as a petrol-electric hybrid and plug-in and a pure electric version, the e-Niro. Not surprisingly, its low running costs and tax benefits for company drivers proved a big draw and over the years more than 75,000 have taken to UK roads.
There’s now a huge choice available to buyers looking to join the electric revolution but Kia have come back with a second generation version of the Niro, although the fully-electric EV isn’t available just yet.
In the meantime, there’s a hybrid and plug-in clothed in a dramatically stylish new body which is a complete contrast to the rather bland looks of the first version.
The car sits on a new platform and has been completely redesigned to include features which are already in the latest Sportage and much-praised EV6.
From the outside, there’s Kia’s signature ‘Tiger Face’, which extends to the front wings below the wide windscreen along with angular ‘Heartbeat’ daytime running lights and skid plates and cladding are designed to give the car a rugged look.
The side view has a ‘Starsky and Hutch’ style flash on the C pillar which is designed to manage airflow through a cavity for improved aerodynamic performance.
Boomerang-shaped LED tail-lights rise at either side of the bootlid to form a neat and stylish back end with a big skid plate to give the impression of a touch machine.
But apart from the superb styling, the attraction of the new Niro is the technology under the surface. Both the hybrid and plug-in PHEV use the same 1.6-litre petrol engine and six-speed automatic gearbox, but the featured PHEV has a more powerful electric motor to give it a combined output of 180bhp, while the hybrid’s is only 139bhp.
The switch from petrol to electric power is done automatically according to the driving conditions but the driver can get an extra boost by switching from Eco drive mode to Sport which injects some lively performance with sharper throttle response.
In my time with the
PHEV the larger electric motor had no trouble providing the extra power needed for overtaking or making progress on the motorway.
Plugged in to a regular type two charger, the battery can be topped up in just under three hours but on the move, you can use the paddles behind the steering wheel to adjust the level of regeneration during deceleration, although it’s not enough to allow one-pedal driving, avoiding the need for braking, that you get with a pure electric version.
I really like what Kia have done with the popular Niro, transforming it from a pretty nondescript car, developing its innovative electric technology and giving it a fresh and stylish set of new clothes.
