Kia takes wraps off new Niro at Seoul Motor Show
The new Kia Niro is more aggressive on the outside and more calming on the inside than its predecessor
Drawing on inspiration from the 2019 HabaNiro concept, the new Kia Niro gets a change of character with fresh exterior and interior designs. The car has been unveiled at the Seoul Motor Show, which is taking place between 25 November and 5 December.
Kia says that the Niro has been “completely redesigned” under the company’s ‘Opposites United’ design philosophy, and although it retains the same size and shape as its predecessor, it’s clear that the new model is far more modern in its design details.
The front end features the brand’s signature ‘tiger face’, a first on the Niro, but differs from the one on the EV6 and new Sportage. It changes slightly depending on the version – the Niro HEV has a thin chrome strip that runs underneath the top air intake, but is positioned at the top of the intake on the Niro EV. Also, on the EV, the top and middle sections of the grille are filled in with a diamond-shaped black surface, and a charging flap is positioned at the centre and is the same colour as the rest of the body. The body work wraps around the lower air intake on the EV, while on the HEV it makes way for the bumper that includes a chrome strip.
To ensure the design is neat and cohesive, the top of the grille is in alignment with the shoulder lines, and the bumper sections link up to a black section that stretches across the bottom of the doors. It’s all quite subdued and restrained. But after that, the rulebook seemingly gets thrown out the window and the design becomes far more aggressive.
The C-pillars are painted a different colour to the rest of the body work and remain thick at the top, which makes the rear seat windows extremely small. Contained inside this section are the boomerang-shaped vertical rear lights. These are unique and, without the ever-common presence of a lightbar, give the Niro a distinctive appearance at the back. They also emphasise the sporty shape of the rear, accentuating the wheel arches and the sloping roofline.
Below the boot, the body work is painted the same colour as the C-pillars and includes the lower lighting units, making it feel wide. This painted lower does not align with the black sections on the sides of the car or to the C-pillar sections, so that sense of cohesion is lost.
The Niro’s interior is greatly improved on this latest model when compared to the previous one, and it comes with some peculiar yet arguably brilliant elements. For example, the shelf that includes the grab handles and window controls on the front doors extends to link to the sill beneath the windscreen, while the upper IP section curves and falls to meet the same line. This takes the cocooning cockpit concept to a new level, and will likely maximise the sense of comfort and relaxation.
The middle section of the IP is hollowed out, making for a small shelf above the front passenger that includes four horizontal strips of ambient lighting – another soothing element. Sitting astride the shelf is the same large, curved touchscreen as seen on the new Sportage, which includes both the central infotainment system and the driver instrument cluster. Small air vents are placed on either side of the screen and underneath it, where climate controls are also located in a narrow strip of touch-sensitive buttons along with two rotary dials.
A large shift dial is positioned on the centre console, along with the engine stop/start button and seat heating controls. The console also includes an angular barrier on one side that closes it off to the front passenger while also tying it to the lower section of the IP.
In keeping with the sustainability trend that is sweeping across the industry, Kia says that the new Niro features recycled wallpaper for the headlining, while the seats are made from Bio PU with Tencel from eucalyptus leaves. Furthermore, the door panels are finished with a water-based paint that is free from benzene, toluene, and xylene isomers – all the nasty harmful toxins usually used to give doors their funky colours.
Not content on making a splash just at the Seoul show, Kia also currently has a significant presence at the LA Motor Show with its Concept EV9. Far chunkier and edgier than the new Niro, this concept shows a completely different direction for exterior design.