Kia Niro Hybrid to target RAV4 Hybrid

Kia will target Toyota with its new Niro compact electric and hybrid SUV, which arrives in Australia in Q2 of 2021.

Kia this week confirmed the Niro would arrive in Australia within months.

While full electric versions of the Niro (or Niro EV) will be priced closer to $60,000 – similar in price to the Hyundai Kona Electric with which it shares key components – the Niro Hybrid is likely to start in the low-$30,000 bracket, possibly around $33,000.

That plonks the Kia Niro Hybrid – the most affordable of the three Niro models that arrive in Q2 of 2021 – directly in RAV4 Hybrid territory.

Unsurprisingly Kia has the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid in the crosshairs for the Niro Hybrid.

The RAV4 Hybrid is by far the top selling hybrid car in Australia. More than two-thirds of RAV4 sales are for the petrol-electric hybrid model and at times queues have formed as buyers rush to the fuel-saving advantages; fuel use of the RAV4 Hybrid can be around half that of some rivals, with city driving where the benefits are greatest.

Kia Australia product planning manager Roland Rivero says while the Niro Hybrid is slightly smaller than the RAV4 Hybrid he believes some buyers will be swayed.

“We’ve witnessed the success the RAV4 has had with their hybrid,” said Rivero.

“Some may be frustrated with the long wait for RAV4 Hybrid. We think we can stem some of that outflow and bring them to a Niro.”

While it’s smaller than the RAV4 Hybrid, the Niro Hybrid gets lithium-ion batteries versus the older nickel-metal-hydride ones used in most Toyota hybrids (Toyota is slowly switching to lithium-ion batteries, the Yaris Hybrid and Yaris Cross Hybrid the first to make the move).

The smaller Niro body also means fuel consumption is superior; claimed consumption according to the European cycle is 3.7 litres per 100km compared with 4.7L/100km for RAV4 Hybrids sold in Australia.

And Rivero believes the Niro’s clever packaging and placement of batteries will ensure the functionality family SUV buyers are chasing.

However, whereas the Niro Hybrid drives only the front wheels, the RAV4 Hybrid is available with an optional all-wheel drive system that adds another electric motor to the rear wheels for added traction in slippery conditions.

By the end of 2021 Kia will have an all-wheel drive hybrid on sale in Australia in the form of the Sorento Hybrid and Sorento Plug-in Hybrid.

It’s the start of a busy phase for Kia with electric vehicles, with the promise of 11 Kia EVs by 2025.