Quick Take: 2018 Kia Niro PHEV LX

COSTA MESA, California — One of the well-known market limitations of electrified vehicles—be they PHEVs, EREVs, or EVs—is where to plug them in. If you don’t have a garage where you can set up a charging station, it can present some challenges for prospective owners. But things are starting to change. For example, my apartment complex features a bank of 240-volt charging stations, giving me a place to charge plug-in hybrids like the 2018 Kia Niro PHEV LX.

This so-called crossover (there’s a dash of plastic cladding ringing the Niro, which seems to be the dividing line between cars and crossovers these days) rides on the same 106.3-inch wheelbase as its Forte5 hatchback stablemate and is just 0.2-inch longer. But it’s 3.3-inches taller, has an extra 0.8-inch of ground clearance, and there’s a bit more headroom (plus 0.7-inch up front, 0.4-inch rear). On the negative side, the location of the Niro’s 8.9 kWh battery pack below the cargo floor and rear seat impacts space—3.8 cubic feet of cargo room disappear with the seats up and 1.9 cubic feet with them down, while rear hip room is a full 4.8-inches shy of the Forte5’s.

The tradeoff of course is that the Niro PHEV’s battery supplies juice to an electric motor mounted up front to power the front wheels. The motor itself is rated at 60 hp and 125 lb-ft of torque and the EPA estimates the car’s electric only range at 26 miles. The gas-powered propulsion is supplied by a 1.6-liter Atkinson-cycle inline four that makes 104 hp and 109 lb-ft. Combined system output is 139 hp and 195 lb-ft and is routed through a six-speed dual-clutch automatic.

Like many vehicles of its kind, the Niro PHEV is more enjoyable in EV mode, quietly and smoothly scooting around without any engine noise or vibration. Acceleration isn’t exactly immediate, but it’s good enough for urban settings, and the steering offers satisfying levels of speed and resistance. Zero-out the battery after roughly 20-25 miles on the road depending on speed (you can also switch into hybrid mode at the touch of a button), and the engine will kick on, which changes the environment back to that of a buzzy, traditionally powered four-cylinder economy car.

Regenerative braking force while coasting isn’t that significant, so don’t expect to make up too much range while in stop-and-go traffic. The Niro PHEV’s brake pedal applies force smoothly and progressively, however, and nothing unusual happens when it transitions from regen to friction braking.

The cabin is plenty spacious and nothing inside has been sacrificed versus any other modern Kia. Safety focused buyers will be happy to know that the Niro PHEV LX comes standard with adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, forward collision warning, and autonomous emergency braking. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard as well, because Kia understands what the people truly want.

When it came to charging the car, though, I started to question the economics of owning one. The stations in my complex are metered at $1.25/hour, and it took the Niro PHEV about 2.5 hours to reach a full charge, which ends up being somewhere around $3.25-$3.50—roughly one gallon’s worth of California regular—to get to the EPA-rated maximum 26 miles of range. For the record, that’s significantly higher than the EPA’s “Cost to Drive” estimate of $1.04.

The math for those without direct access to cheap electricity gets even less favorable when you compare the Niro plug-in to its plug-less equivalent. First, the Niro PHEV’s powertrain is less efficient overall, getting 48/44 mpg city/highway versus 52/49 mpg city/highway for the hybrid. Second, the Niro PHEV LX’s sticker of $28,840 is significantly higher than the $26,040 for a Niro Hybrid LX equipped with the $1,450 LX Advanced Technology Package that brings its active safety suite to the Niro PHEV’s standard levels.

But wait—the plug-in Niro qualifies for a $4,543 federal tax rebate (though the Niro isn’t listed on the official government site, Kia confirmed its eligibility) plus state rebates like the $1,500 one offered by California. Shaving the price down to $24,297 with the federal credit alone swings the price math decidedly into the Niro PHEV’s corner, regardless of charging cost. For Californians, the price goes down to a mere $22,797—and you get an HOV sticker, to boot.

Even though the 2018 Kia Niro PHEV makes for pretty good EV, its limited electric-only range means that pure electric operation will be limited to urban suburban retirees that don’t go outside of a 5-10 mile radius of their homes as well as those lucky souls blessed with a short commute. In terms of raw cost, the Niro Hybrid is the better deal as spending an extra $2,800 for a maximum of 26 miles of electric range doesn’t make much sense. While the tax credits last, however, the Niro PHEV is the one to get even if you’re public charging-dependent, especially if you’re not ready to commit to the electric-only lifestyle.

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