Big-selling crossover will be reinvented with styling influenced by the radical HabaNiro concept.
Kia will unwrap the second-generation Niro later today, the latest in a series of important unveilings from the marque as it transitions to becoming a “sustainable mobility solutions provider”. The official debut will be at 12:30PM live from the Seoul Mobility show.
Just a week after showing its radical EV9 large SUV concept, Kia will present the production-ready version of its reinvented compact crossover at the Seoul Mobility Show.
The first-gen Niro launched in 2016 and spawned the e-Niro, the brand’s first electric production car and the precursor to a whole family of bespoke EVs.
Unlike the new EV6, however, the e-Niro uses an adapted version of a combustion car’s platform, and this is expected to be the case for the Mk2 model.
Whether Kia will continue to offer a full suite of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric powertrains remains to be confirmed.
What is clear from the first official preview images – and hinted at by earlier spy shots – is that the Niro will lean heavily on styling cues first shown on 2019’s HabaNiro concept, which means it will be more overtly SUV-styled with rugged elements to promote an “adventure-ready attitude”.
As with the EV9 concept, the new Niro has been inspired by nature, as part of Kia’s sustainability drive. It will, the brand said, have a design “that connects eco-friendliness with fun and driving pleasure”.
Visible details include a two-tone paint scheme – not available on the current car – and a new-look front end with a reworked version of Kia’s ‘tiger nose’ grille.
Interior sketches reveal an all-new layout modelled on that of the new EV6, with an asymmetrical centre console, a single-spoke steering wheel and a wide-format twin-screen dashboard.
Felix Page