Kia Niro Test Drive Review – Hybrid Crossover!

Interiors – As mentioned before, the Niro is not a high-riding car so ingress and egress is an easy affair. The Niro’s cabin looks plain and you instantly realise that it is more substance than style. It is a rather conventional layout with not much variation in colours and textures. There is no fancy ‘floating’ infotainment screen or nifty details like a clock. In fact, the infotainment touch screen comes across as being a touch too small and not very intuitive to operate. 

The infotainment system isn’t very intuitive and ends up feeling too small

Kia has ticked all the practicality boxes with the Niro’s cabin. Storage spaces are ample and the dull but logical layout of the interior makes it very user-friendly. Quality, at large is commendable but not significantly special like that of a Hyundai. Plastics feel enduring, the buttons are nice to operate and everything feels well put together.

The instrument cluster on the hybrid Niro is very easy to read and informative giving you the usual details like the battery charge and distance to empty. the steering is chunky to hold and the buttons on the steering wheel, although too many, are convenient to operate. The equipment list is long too as you get dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and go, wireless phone charger, front and rear parking sensors and a premium JBL sound system among others. 

Build quality is decent and the Niro is well-loaded and spacious on the inside

The front seats are supremely comfortable and offer stellar bolstering. There is ample space for the driver and passenger to stretch out. the rear seats are impressive too, with good headroom, legroom and shoulder room. However, the backseat may be best suited for two as the central console protrudes into the legroom of the middle passenger.