The next-generation Kia Niro will arrive in Australia just 18 months after its predecessor went on sale, bringing new technology and an overhauled cabin with it.
The next-generation 2022 Kia Niro will launch in Australia in the second half of 2022, the South Korean car maker has confirmed.
While the first-generation Niro only went on sale in Australia in April 2021, it has been on sale in US and European markets since 2017 – with Kia’s typical five-year model life cycle placing the small electrified SUV in line for its second generation sometime next year.
Whether all three powertrains (hybrid, plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and all-electric) will arrive at the same time – or whether the electric variant will follow at a later date, as per the outgoing Niro – remains to be seen.
Spied extensively in Europe and South Korea over the last 12 months, the new Niro is slated to draw styling inspiration from the HabaNiro concept of 2019 (pictured in the gallery above), with a distinctive C-pillar design, vertical LED tail-lights, and an angular front-end LED light signature.
Inside, spy photos suggest a layout reminiscent of the latest EV6 electric SUV (due in the first half of 2022) and Sportage mid-size SUV (due in October 2021), with a curved panel stretching across the dashboard housing two 12-inch screens. The rotary ‘shift-by-wire’ gear selector and two-spoke steering wheel also draw links to Kia’s latest models.
Previous spy photos have pointed to the fitment of push-button start, heated and ventilated front seats, and extensive surround-view cameras and parking sensors – features not offered on many or all Niro variants in Australia.
Under the skin, the new Niro isn’t slated to switch to the Hyundai group’s latest E-GMP modular platform for dedicated electric vehicles; instead, in order to continue to support hybrid powertrains with petrol engines, the UK’s Autocar reports an updated version of the outgoing Niro’s underpinnings will be employed.
A similar array of electric motor and battery options to the current model are expected to offered in the new all-electric variant, though it’s likely only the largest and most powerful setup will come to Australia, which currently takes the form of a 64kWh lithium-ion battery with a 150kW/395Nm motor driving the front wheels.
It’s not known if and/or how far Kia will boost the powertrain’s specifications for the next-generation Niro Electric, however Autocar speculates efficiency upgrades will increase the car’s driving range closer to the 500km mark.
Meanwhile, hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants are likely to feature versions of their predecessors’ powertrains, which paired 1.6-litre non-turbo four-cylinders with single electric motors for shared outputs of 104kW/265Nm.
A full suite of active safety technologies are expected, including adaptive cruise control, lane-following assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert (with braking), and safe exit warning.
The 2022 Kia Niro is slated to be revealed overseas by the end of 2021, ahead of first Australian arrivals in the second half of 2022.
It’ll be joined in showrooms by the new EV6 electric SUV, slated for the first half of 2022, and the facelifted Seltos small SUV, due in the second half of next year.
The post Next Kia Niro due in Australia in late 2022 appeared first on Drive.
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