2021 Kia Niro pricing and specs detailed: New MG ZS EV and Hyundai Kona Electric rival arrives with Hybrid, plug-in and electric car options for customers

The Kia Niro 2021 range has arrived in Australia, ushering in a new era for the South Korean brand in the country.

The new Niro small SUV range arrives as Kia Australia’s first hybrid model, its first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), and its first full electric model. Much like the trailblazing Hyundai Ioniq that came before it, this is a significant stepping stone towards broader electrification of the model range for the Korean company’s local operations.

The 2021 Kia Niro line-up arrives in HEV hybrid, PHEV plug-in hybrid and EV electric car guises, with an entry-level S grade and top-spec Sport trim available range wide. 

Now, being a forward-thinking model, the Kia Niro comes across as rather expensive for a small SUV, but it’s competitively priced for the powertrain choices that are on offer.

The HEV hybrid model starts at $39,990 before on-road costs/$41,990 drive-away for the S grade, while the Sport trim is $43,890/$45,990. 

Next up the powertrain range is the PHEV plug-in hybrid, which costs $46,590/ $49,990 for the S grade, while the richer Sport trim line is $50,490/$53,990.

And the top-of-the-pops full electric car, the EV, has a list price of $62,590/$67,490 for the S model, and the Sport trim costs $65,990/$70,990.

Here’s a rundown of the standard equipment across both trim lines.

Standard equipment for the S grade includes halogen headlights, LED daytime running lights, 16-inch alloys for the HEV and PHEV, LED rear lighting, roof rails, auto headlights, auto wipers, auto high-beam lights, a leather steering wheel, Eco and Sport drive modes, an 8.0-inch touchscreen media system with wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless/wired Android Auto, six speaker sound system, DAB digital radio, Bluetooth, 2x USB ports, tyre pressure monitoring, a 4.2-inch driver info screen, part-leather/part-cloth seat trim, electric adjust driver’s seat, power folding side mirrors, dual zone air-conditioning, and a turn key ignition (EV has push-button start and keyless entry).

The interior's execution is good, with piano black finishes on the dashboard. (image credit: Matt Campbell / PHEV S variant pictured)

The EV S grade scores a couple of other items, such as 17-inch rims, a rotary dial gear selector, a 7.0-inch driver info screen, additional drive modes (Eco/Eco+/Normal/Sport), steering wheel paddle shifters (to adjust the regenerative braking), an auto dimming rearview mirror, but loses dual-zone climate in favour of a single-zone air-conditioning system.

Sport models gain LED front lighting, a 10.25-inch touchscreen media system with integrated sat nav with live traffic updates, wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, paddle-shifters for the HEV and PHEV, “premium seats” with fake leather trim, alloy pedals, auto up/down windows, auto-dimming rearview mirror for HEV/PHEV, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.

The multimedia system features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. (image credit: Matt Campbell / HEV Sport variant pictured)

The Hybrid Sport model runs 18-inch wheels with a space-saver spare wheel. PHEV models have 16s in both S and Sport grades, and no spare wheel (tyre repair kit), and the EV Sport model retains 17-inch wheels but has a JBL eight-speaker sound system with subwoofer but no spare wheel. All grades come with tyre pressure monitoring, though.

Standard safety equipment for all grades includes forward AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane keeping technology, adaptive cruise control, a reversing camera and rear parking sensors. 

There are no heated seats on any grade, and no model comes with a surround view camera or front parking sensors. No sunroof is available, either.

The HEV and PHEV models have a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, which combines with an integrated electric motor as part of the transmission. The combined output for both models is 104kW and 265Nm.

The PHEV model runs the same powertrain as the HEV, but swaps in a larger 8.9kWh battery pack. (PHEV Sport variant pictured)

The HEV has a 1.56kWh battery pack with a 32kW/170Nm electric motor. The PHEV has an 8.9kWh battery pack with a 44.5kW/170Nm electric motor. Fuel use is claimed at 3.8L/100km for the S grade HEV, 4.4L/100km for the Sport HEV, and just 1.3L/100km for the PHEV grades.

The EV version has an electric motor producing 150kW and 395Nm, and it has a 64kWh battery pack. Range is claimed at 455km WLTP.

The 2021 Kia Niro range offers three futuristic powertrains. (EV Sport variant pictured)

Read the full detailed review for a rundown on how these systems work together, and what we saw for our real-world fuel consumption.

As with all Kia models, the Niro range is backed by a seven-year warranty, which spans unlimited kilometres for the car itself but is limited to 150,000km for the high voltage components (motor, battery).

2021 Kia Niro pricing: