Test Drive: 2025 Kia Niro ideally suited as a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle

Kia Niro PHEV bridges the gap

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) lead to some consumer confusion. A PHEV is just a gas-powered powertrain with a battery assist. And unlike a standard hybrid configuration, the battery assist can be plugged in to provide some amount of pure electric driving.

Now with that background info out of the way, let’s talk about this week’s tester which is one of the aforementioned PHEVs. This week I’m driving the 2025 Kia Niro PHEV.

On looks, the Niro comes off stylish, modern and full of personality. The front end is clean and simple. The jagged shape of the headlights is the big stand out on the front end. Believe it or not but it’s the profile that showcases the most personality where the C-pillar has a blacked out portion that adds an attractive aesthetic element. The back side has a rear spoiler and taillights that match the jagged shape of the headlights.

Overall the Niro PHEV has a clean look that is well balanced and tied together. The design team of Kia has done well with this small SUV.

The powertrain consists of a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with a 11.1-kWh battery assist. The total combined horsepower is 180 hp while the overall torque is 195 pound-feet. Front-wheel drive is the only available option. All-wheel drive would’ve been a nice addition that would’ve added some confidence to the performance. There’s a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that does an adequate job. The transmission could use an update, but at least it’s not a continuously variable transmission. So there’s that.

The electric-only range (after it’s plugged in with full battery charge) is 33 miles. This means for 33 miles you can drive this SUV without any gasoline. That helps add to the already good fuel economy numbers of this small SUV.

The fuel economy rating when the EV range is gone is 48 mpg combined city/highway. With the extra 33 miles of EV driving the EPA rates the Niro PHEV at  108 MPGe. It has a combined driving range of about 510 miles.

For a small vehicle (curb weight of 1,513 pounds) the Niro provides good passenger space and comfort. There’s 39.8 inches of rear passenger legroom and 55.4 inches of rear shoulder room. There’s 41.5 inches of headroom for the rear passengers.

The cargo room is outstanding too. It offers 19.4 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats. The maximum cargo room is 54.6 cubic feet. That’s impressive for a compact SUV and even more impressive for a PHEV version.

My tester was the SX trim which gets heated rear seats this model year. The front seats are heated and cooled and there’s a heated steering wheel too. There’s a power sunroof and aluminum pedals for this top-tier trim.

Kia’s infotainment system is intuitive. And the Niro has a 10.25-inch touchscreen that is driver-focused and compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There is no wireless CarPlay unfortunately but the well-designed wireless phone charger is one of the best in the industry. Usually many of these are finnicky but this one holds the charge consistently.

The base trim EX has a starting price of just under $35,000. Meanwhile my tester (SX Touring) has an MSRP of $40,140.

As manufacturers race to get EVs out on the market, the PHEV makes more sense as a bridge between gasoline powered vehicles and EVs. I’m a big fan of PHEVs and they make a lot of sense for people who want fewer trips to the gas station but don’t want the range anxiety of a true EV.

Kia has done well “bridging that gap” with the Niro PHEV.