2023 Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid in doubt for Australia

The 2nd-generation 2023 Kia Niro variety could not incorporate a plug-in hybrid possibility – as presented by its predecessor – when the initially cars get there in showrooms all over July.

Facts published on Kia Australia’s web site recommend the new Niro will only be readily available with ‘conventional’ hybrid or thoroughly-electric drivetrains – spelling the finish of the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) available in the recent model.

It is probably sluggish revenue are to blame, just after the PHEV accounted for just 8 for every cent of Niro sales in 2021, or 7.4 for every cent above the very first 3 months of 2022.

Nevertheless, even though the Niro PHEV could possibly not be offered at launch, Kia Australia has licensed the automobile for sale regionally should it decide on to introduce it, showing along with the electric powered and hybrid versions in Australian governing administration certification paperwork.

Kia Australia could not remark on its designs for the new Niro PHEV regionally. Push understands further particulars are due in the coming weeks.

Powering the new Niro PHEV is a 1.6-litre non-turbo petrol motor, paired to an electric powered motor and 11kWh battery for a put together output of 134kW.

About 60km of electrical driving assortment is claimed abroad, from a battery pack that’s up around the outgoing model’s 8.9kWh unit.

In the meantime, the conventional hybrid design pairs the similar petrol motor with a fewer strong electric powered motor and 1.32kWh battery, excellent for 104kW put together and minimum electric driving array.

The pure-electrical design in Australia appears established to use a 160kW electric motor and circa-64kWh battery pack, fantastic for close to 460km of claimed driving vary.

That electric power determine – attained from authorities documents – signifies a 10kW improve around the 150kW claimed for the same vehicle in Europe. It’s unclear if and why Australian versions are additional strong – or if there’s extra to the discrepancy than the numbers suggest.

The lack of a Niro PHEV would depart the Sorento as Kia’s only plug-in hybrid design, as the plug-in version of the Generate Auto of the Yr-profitable Sportage medium SUV carries on to be unavailable regionally.

For extra particulars on the 2023 Kia Niro selection, click in this article to read Drive’s previously tale. The 1st autos are envisioned to arrive in showrooms all over July 2022.