The paint is practically still wet on the all-new Kia's Niro hybrid crossover, but already there's talk of an all-electric version set to go on sale next year.
In an interview with Dutch publication AutoRai, Kia Europe boss Michael Cole revealed that the Niro will adopt the electric drivetrain from the Hyundai Ioniq following the addition of a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version that Kia has already confirmed for North America.
Confirmed is one thing; an actual arrival date is quite another, and Kia Canada hasn't committed to a hard timeline for either plug-in Niro, though the company has announced that the plug-in hybrid Niro will arrive by either late 2017 or early 2018. That Niro PHEV will offer roughly 40 km of all-electric range, though it's quite possible Kia wants to see how the all-electric Ioniq does in North America before it commits to bringing a Niro BEV here. The Ioniq BEV uses a 28 kWh battery and a 120-hp electric motor that combine for a promised 200-km driving range.
Hyundai rolled out hybrid and electric versions of the Ioniq side-by-side, and is adding a PHEV version later this year. We expect the Niro PHEV to come in 2018, so a BEV version might see the light of day in North America late next year or as an early 2019 debut.
You may also like
