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The 2024 KIA Niro SX Touring: A first time for everything (again)

2024 Niro

At this point in my life there are very few firsts, especially when it comes to the automotive space. I’ve driven hundreds of cars, trucks, SUVs and the like; raced them, took long road trips and in the last few years plugged a couple into an outlet I had installed in my garage.

But I recently had a first when KIA delivered me a 2024 Niro for a week. While I’ve spent a great deal of time with KIA models, this was my first time with the redesigned Niro and one that didn’t plug into the wall. I had spent a week with the plugin hybrid version in 2022 and was underwhelmed. It got a redesign for the 2023 model year, and since I’m old and sometimes can’t remember why I walked into the kitchen, and I believe in second chances, I was all ready to take a fresh look at the Niro.

The Niro has always been an electrification-focused vehicle, offered in three versions: hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery electric and based on the same platform as the Hyundai Ioniq.

I’m a fan of the Ioniq and the Ioniq 5 the SUV version so I was expecting a nice week with the Niro, which KIA calls a ‘small SUV.’  As I learned however, in that context, ‘small’ might be an understatement, pun very much intended.

The Niro comes in five levels: LX, EX, EX Touring, SX and SX Touring. Every Niro comes with a four-cylinder hybrid electric powertrain with 139 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. More on this later.

My tester for the week was the SX Touring, the crème de la crème, the jewel in the Korean automaker’s Niro crown.

Now, I must confess, based on my prior research, and experience from 2022, I knew this car would be… petite. But even with that in mind, I wasn’t quite prepared for what awaited me in my driveway…I didn’t remember the last one being this diminutive.

Imagine, if you will, trying to squeeze a grand piano into a phone booth. That’s essentially what KIA seems to have done here. It’s as if they’ve taken a normal-sized car, fed it a strict diet of kale smoothies, and compressed it into the dimensions of a garden gnome’s pocket. It’s so small that even a moderately-sized hobbit might feel a tad cramped.

2024 Niro

In fact, if it were any smaller, it would be a matchbox car.

Now, to be fair the market for the ‘small SUV’ is the urban jungle, not the wide-open spaces of suburbia.

But that ‘small SUV’ that is the Niro looks more like a jacked-up hatchback that had a growth spurt during puberty and then abruptly stopped. It’s about as intimidating as a teacup chihuahua, and it’s not exactly going to make the neighbors jealous.

The interior is, to put it generously, cozy. And though the cabin is surprisingly upscale for a car in this segment you sit there snugly, surrounded by all the latest tech KIA could cram into the limited space. There’s a touchscreen that’s as intuitive as a Rubik’s cube and about as fast as dial-up internet. The seats are comfortable enough, but legroom in the back is a cruel joke. It’s like the designers thought, “Hey, let’s give passengers a taste of what it’s like to be in the fetal position again.”

Sadly, on the road the Niro accelerates with all the urgency of a snail on a vacation. No big surprise given that 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine paired with the electric motor. To put that in perspective, I’ve had more thrilling experiences watching paint dry.

Put your foot down, and nothing happens. It’s like asking a toddler to run a marathon. The 0 to 60 time is measured not in seconds, but in eons. You might as well get out and push. Merging onto the highway is an exercise in patience and prayer. I found myself muttering incantations to the traffic gods, hoping the gap in traffic would remain wide enough for my little Niro to finally amble its way up to speed.

On the road, the handling is… adequate. It goes around corners without too much drama, but it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. It’s more of a “steady as she goes” affair rather than “let’s see what this baby can do.” The steering is light, the ride, at least up front, is comfortable, and generally inoffensive. It’s like a beige sweater – practical, reliable, and utterly forgettable.

At the end of it all, the Niro isn’t a speedster marketed to those of us living in the suburbs. It’s aimed at the urban dwellers, those who don’t need a speed demon ready to take on the Nürburgring. Instead, they need to squeeze into small parking spaces while showing their friends how they are saving Mother Earth. And in that space, the KIA Niro is almost pure genius.

With its hybrid powertrain, it sips fuel like a dainty aristocrat at an English high tea. And this is where the Niro shines, eking out impressive mileage making it an economical choice for the environmentally conscious. It’s like the automotive equivalent of wearing hemp clothing and eating organic quinoa.

The 2024 KIA Niro SX Touring is a car that tries its best. It’s small, yes. It’s slow, definitely. But it’s also efficient and well-equipped. If you prowl the urban jungle, you’re looking for a tiny, eco-friendly car that won’t break the bank and you can live with the pace of a sedated tortoise, the Niro might just be your cup of kale smoothie. For everyone else, well, there are always faster, bigger, and more exciting options out there.

Not every car can be a supercar. Some, like the Niro, are destined to be the eco-friendly tortoise in a world of hares. And I think that’s the first time in my life I’ve ever used that phrase to describe a car, at least that I can remember.

The 2024 KIA Niro SX Touring
MSRP: $35,340
MSRP (as tested): $37,105
Engine: 1.6 liter inline 4-cylinder hybrid, 139 hp @ 5,700 rpm, 195 lb-ft torque @ 4,000 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed shiftable automatic
Fuel Mileage (EPA): 53 city, 45 highway, 49 combined
Fuel Mileage (as tested, mixed conditions): 52 mpg
Base curb weight: 3,247 lbs.

Exterior Dimensions
Length: 174.0 in.
Overall width without mirrors: 71.8 in.
Height: 60.8 in.
Wheelbase: 107.1 in.
Ground clearance: 6.3 in.

Interior Dimensions
Front head room: 40.5 in.
Front leg room: 41.5 in.
Front shoulder room: 56.2 in.
Front hip room: 53.3 in.
Rear head room: 39.5 in.
Rear leg room: 39.8 in.
Rear shoulder room: 55.4 in.
Rear hip room: 53.0 in.
EPA interior volume: 127.9 cu.ft.
Cargo capacity, all seats in place: 22.8 cu.ft.
Maximum cargo capacity: 63.7 cu.ft.

Warranty
Basic: 5 yr./ 60,000 mi.
Drivetrain: 10 yr./ 100,000 mi.
EV Battery: 10 yr./ 100,000 mi.
Hybrid component: 10 yr./ 100,000 mi.
Rust: 5 yr./ 100,000 mi.
Roadside assistance: 5 yr./ 60,000 mi.

Greg Engle
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