At the 2021 Seoul Mobility Show in South Korea, Kia Motors unveiled the new 2023 Kia Niro. This new-gen Kia Niro looks drastically different from the outgoing model as it adopts Kia’s new ‘tiger face’ fascia and the brand’s ‘Opposites United’ design philosophy. The previous generation had bug-eyed headlamps with a bubbly exterior design. That’s gone away for a more subtle yet dramatic style that favors sharp lines over curves. The rear of the 2023 Niro shows LED tail lights going up the sub-compact SUV’s rear pillars. This is a Kia Niro that demands to be taken seriously.
Inside the 2023 Kia Niro, we see an all-new interior with a fully-digital instrument gauge cluster. The door panels incline and connect with the dashboard for an enclosed effect for the driver and passenger. The dash itself features a horizontal line traveling downward from the driver side to the passenger side with the infotainment screen tucked neatly underneath. In addition, the interior is constructed using recyclable materials. The headliner, for example, is made from recycled wallpaper, and the seats are made from Bio PU and Tencel, a natural fiber found in eucalyptus leaves.
The current Kia Niro offers Hybrid drivetrain options that will continue on this new generation. New additions to the 2023 Niro include “Greenzone Drive Mode” for plug-in hybrid variants. This feature will automatically switch the Niro to electric mode when driving through low-speed areas like residential neighborhoods, school zones, and hospitals. The car will also learn the driver’s most frequent locations and register them in the GPS as green zones to improve efficiency. At this time, no details on drivetrain specifications and options, but Kia plans to offer the 2023 Niro in hybrid-electric (HEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and solely electric variants when it goes on sale next year.
For more Kia-related news, check out the Kia EV9, the fully-electric alternative to the Telluride.