A 2024 Kia Niro PHEV SX Touring Joins Our Long-Term Fleet

While most automotive conversations these days focus on hybrids or fully electric vehicles, there’s a groundswell of interest in plug-in hybrids, which offer the flexibility of a hybrid but with a plug and a larger battery for genuine electric travel. Our long-term garage has been thick with just about every kind of propulsion except for PHEVs, so when Kia decided to add a more powerful electric motor to its 2024 Niro PHEV, we thought it would be a good opportunity to get better acquainted with this middle-ground approach that continues to grow in popularity.

We’ve only previously welcomed two long-term PHEVs to our stable: a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica, which might have been ahead of its time and didn’t hold up to the gasoline-powered Pacifica; and a 2020 Volvo S60, which arrived right at the beginning of the tumultuous work-from-home era and didn’t allow for much EV operation given the lack of home-charging options at the time. Now, we’re back in the office, with new EV chargers about to be installed, so we’ll have plenty of chances to see how much we can squeeze from the Niro, which is rated at 33 miles of EV-only operation.

When it came time to choose how we wanted to spec our Niro PHEV, we opted for the SX Touring trim, which starts at $41,515 and comes with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder gas engine paired with an 83-hp electric motor sandwiched between the engine and transmission, as well as an estimated 8.9-kWh lithium-ion battery located under the rear seat. Total output is rated at 180 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. Moving up to the SX Touring boosts the PHEV’s price by $5750 over the base EX, but the features list grows significantly. In addition to increasing the wheel size to 18 inches, the SX Touring adds a power sunroof, a power liftgate, a Harman/Kardon premium audio system, and front seats with both heating and ventilation. We also tacked on carpeted floor mats for $175 and a cargo mat for $95, taking us to a grand total of $41,785.

The Niro PHEV arrived with its break-in miles completed, so we were able to jump right into testing. Our initial results include a 7.5-second romp to 60 mph and a quarter-mile pass of 15.8 seconds at 89 mph. That proved quicker than a 2023 Niro hybrid we tested that needed 8.9 seconds to reach 60 and ran the quarter-mile in 16.9 seconds at 82 mph. Weighing in at almost 3500 pounds, the Niro PHEV pulled 0.83 g around the skidpad, while the hybrid gave us a stickier result of 0.87 g. In our 70-mph braking test, the Niro PHEV ground itself to a halt in 185 feet, nowhere close to the lighter hybrid’s more impressive 168-foot stop.

It didn’t take long for us to get the Niro PHEV on the road. Almost immediately, we took a trip to Kansas City that had the Kia returning an average of 38 mpg over the course of 1591 miles. But PHEVs introduce an interesting twist: Most PHEVs, including this Niro, are not equipped to be recharged during road trips. They only have the SAE J1772 plug without DC fast-charging capability, so you aren’t able to plug it into, say, your local high-speed Electrify America stall. If you can’t find a basic Level 2 charger where you can park for a few hours, or if you lack access to a 120-volt plug for overnight charging, you’ll probably treat your plug-in more as a regular hybrid. However, if you’re able to charge overnight and you keep the trips short, those 33 miles of estimated EV range should make for minimal gas-engine usage in daily driving.

In addition to treating the Niro PHEV as we would any other long-term vehicle, we are excited to dive into plug-in-specific questions during our time with it. How much range can you really get from the battery? How many of our 40,000 miles will we be able to cover on electricity alone? Do PHEVs with a low-range battery even do much? These are all questions we’re looking forward to investigating over the course of the next year.

Months in Fleet: 2 months Current Mileage: 6004 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 40 MPGe
Fuel Tank Size: 9.8 gal Observed Fuel Range: 390 miles
Service: $0 Repair: $0

Source: Reviews - aranddriver.com