2020 Kia Niro

The 2020 Kia Niro comes in five trims. The base LS trim starts from MSRP $24,690, followed by the LXS and Touring model which costs $26,090 and $28,390, respectively. The two top models, Touring SE and EX Premium get standard luxury features like ventilated and leather seats, heated steering wheels, and driver-assist features like rear park assist and blind-spot monitor control. 

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Sparing the base 2020 Kia Niro LX aside, we’d go for the LXS trim. This model gets some critical standard safety features like forward-collision warning, driver attention warning, lane-keep assist, and rear-cross traffic alert. On the inside, both the steering wheel and shift knob are leather-wrapped and keyless entry with a push-button start is available. So, overall, the 2020 Niro LXS is safer and better-equipped. Moreover, a budget-friendly price tag on this one makes it a better deal. 

The base Niro LX is also the lighter model that helps achieve the magic number of 52 mpg in the city and 49 mpg on the highway. Our trim choice, the LXS model returns 51 mpg in the city and 46 mpg on the highway. The top-trim Touring model is heavier with standard 18-inch wheels, sunroof, etc, and these factors make it less fuel-efficient with 46 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway. It comes with a small fuel tank of about 11.9 gallons which affects the driving range.

Both the Kia Niro and Hyundai Ioniq have the same fuel tank size at 11.9 gallons, but with bigger batteries, the Ioniq gets more miles on less fuel consumption. The Toyota Prius started this whole revolution, and it is still reigning with an average of 56 mpg inside the city. Hyundai Ioniq offers the highest driving range in the segment- a whopping 702 miles on a fuel tank on the highway.

The crossover profile gives the 2020 Niro the added headroom space advantage over its competitors. The standard seats in the base trim are mostly covered in cloth upholstery, but both, Touring Special Edition and EX Premium models get leather seats as a standard feature. Their seats are also ventilated with heating options, unlike the base trims, which at best get a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with 2-way lumbar support.

The vehicle can seat 5 people comfortably, and it offers a balanced front and rear row room. Standard interior feature on the 2020 Kia Niro includes Dual-Zone automatic climate control with the option to turn the passenger’s climate control off. The UVO infotainment system is standard across the line-up, and the graphics have been updated too. There’s also an option for a sunroof with the LSE and Touring trims. 

Despite the crossover profile advantage, the 2020 Niro has 19.4 cubic feet of default cargo space. But with the second row folded down, space increases to 54.4 cubic feet. Since the Niro was built from scratch as a hybrid model, the cargo floor is low as well, with no all-wheel-drive component to eat into space. Toyota offers the most cargo space in the competition at 27.4 cubic feet. Standout interior features include:

• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Leather upholstery
• Power-adjustable driver’s seat
• Sunroof
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Heated steering wheel

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The base 2020 Niro hybrid gets a standard 8-inch touchscreen that runs the UVO infotainment system. It supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The base model also gets Bluetooth connectivity and Onboard Navigation, but a 10.25 infotainment screen is exclusively reserved for upper Touring SE and EX Premium trims.

Also standard is a six-speaker system, but upper trim models get an 8-speaker Harman Kardon speaker system. Standout infotainment features include:

• 10.25-inch touchscreen
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Onboard Navigation
• 8-speaker Harman Kardon speaker system

As part of its mid-cycle update, Kia has given the 2020 Niro certain visual upgrades. This includes new headlights, a new diamond-patterned grille, new LED DRLs, and a new 16-inch and 18-inch wheel design. Keeping intact the Niro’s conventional crossover design helps make it easier to blend in traffic.

The 2020 Niro has remained largely the same looking since its debut in 2017. Minimal enhancements have made the Niro sharper looking than the previous generation. Also, upgrading to the Touring SE trim gets you a Solar Orange exterior color finish.

The 2020 Niro sits 2.9-inches taller than the Prius. It also has more ground clearance at 6.3-inches, and its wheelbase of 106.3-inches is equal to both the Hyundai Ioniq and Toyota Prius. The 2020 Toyota Prius Hybrid is the longest car of the lot, while the 2020 Kia Niro is the shortest. Standout exterior features include:

• 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels
• Projector-beam headlights
• Gloss Black Radiator Grille w/ Chrome Lower Trim
• Black Fender and Rocker Rail Cladding
• Rear Spoiler

The 2020 Niro received 4 stars from the NHTSA, with one significant concern for the passenger-side occupants in a frontal crash test, which recorded high acceleration injury. IIHS has tested the 2020 Niro and has declared it as one of their Top Safety Pick+ vehicles. This is despite the fact that the headlights had received a ‘Poor’ rating in IIHS testing. 

Besides that, standard driver-assist safety features are available from LXS models and above. This includes features like blind-spot monitoring with rear-cross traffic alert, lane-keep assist with driver attention warning, auto braking, and auto high beams. Top trims like the Touring Special Edition and EX Premium models get adaptive cruise control with a lane-centering option. Standout safety features include:

• Forward collision warning
• Automatic emergency braking
• Blindspot monitor
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Rear parking sensors
• Lane keep assist
• Adaptive cruise control

2020 Kia Niro vs 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid

Both the Hyundai Ioniq and Kia Niro share a similar powertrain of 1.6-liter Inline-4 engine, and both have the same power and torque figures. Mechanically, both are the same, but the Hyundai takes the lead with better fuel economy ratings of 58 mpg, compared to the Niro’s 50 mpg. Also, Hyundai is slightly cheaper than Kia, thus coming out as a better option.

2020 Kia Niro vs 2020 Toyota Prius Hybrid

Kia markets the Niro as a crossover, and despite being a hatchback, the 2020 Niro looks more conventional than the polarizing Toyota Prius. But the Toyota Prius is the only hybrid that offers an AWD option, something that would have made more sense in the Kia Niro, for it has the highest ground clearance in the segment. 

If the need is for a high-riding hatchback that has an extremely efficient powertrain, the 2020 Kia Niro is the perfect fit. It gets an excellent infotainment system and important interior features like Dual-zone climate control, heated and ventilated seats as well. What works against the Niro is that it does not have an AWD option, and there’s no rated towing capacity either. And if the last point doesn’t bother you, then the 2020 Niro might just fit your bill.