I had the pleasure of visiting Kia Motors’ Sohari Plant in South Korea a few months ago. I’ll be writing about that tour and other fascinating things I’ve learned while traveling the world, visiting factories and studying manufacturing in a series called Building the Future. Driving the Niro after observing Kia’s manufacturing process gave me a deeper appreciation of the vehicle. The Niro PHEV is a well-built technological marvel that combines Kia’s excellent technology suite, UVO, with what is fast becoming an expertise in making hybrid and fuel-efficient vehicles at an affordable price. I drove the Kia Soul EV years ago and had a blast with it, though the 93-mile range at the time was a challenge to manage. The Soul EV’s range has since increased but with the Niro PHEV I did not have to worry about range anxiety with an available 26-mile all-electric range and a hybrid powertrain that gets a combined 46 MPG. The Niro PHEV has an EPA MPGe combined rating of 105 with a total driving range of 560 miles. The Niro PHEV EX Premium starts at $34,500 and comes with standard smart cruise control, Harman/Kardon premium surround sound, a navigation system with an 8-inch touchscreen display and so much more. The delivered price was $35,575. For more info, visit www.kia.com/us.
