2022 Kia Niro Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The 2022 Kia Niro is an efficient and functional compact crossover. It boasts great fuel economy and an easy-to-use infotainment system at...

The 2022 Kia Niro is an efficient and functional compact crossover. It boasts great fuel economy and an easy-to-use infotainment system at an attainable price. For 2022, the only change to the Niro is the switch over to the new Kia logo design. It retains its hatchback layout that provides up to 54.5 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. With the rear seats in use, the Niro provides 19.4 cubic feet.

The Niro is available in three flavors: hybrid, plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and electric (EV). The EV and PHEV are covered in separate reviews.

Trims for the Niro Hybrid are LX, LXS, LXS Special Edition, Touring Special Edition, and EX Premium. The LX trim comes with 16-inch wheels with aerodynamic covers, rear privacy glass, integrated roof rails, dual-zone automatic climate control, remote keyless entry, and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto.

Moving up to the LXS trim adds 16-inch alloy wheels, push-button start, remote start, and many driver assistance features as part of Kia’s Drive Wise suite of safety technology. The LXS Special Edition adds rear parking sensors, as well as leather upholstery and a power-adjustable driver’s seat.

The Touring Special Edition adds 18-inch alloy wheels, synthetic leather upholstery, satellite radio, an upgraded stereo, and a large 10.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Strangely, the Touring Special Edition gains wireless device charging but loses the wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This trim is only available on the hybrid version of the Niro and adds more driver-assistance features. The range-topping EX Premium trim adds a sunroof, a heated steering wheel, and heated and ventilated front seats.

The Niro comes equipped with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, which combines with an electric motor to make 139 net horsepower. This setup routes power to the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission.

The most efficient version of the Niro Hybrid is the FE. It returns fuel economy of 50 mpg city, 53 city, and 48 highway. The standard Niro returns 51 city, 46 highway, and 49 combined. The Niro Touring Special Edition is the least efficient, but it still returns a commendable 46 mpg city, 40 highway, and 43 combined.

The Kia Niro offers driver-assistance features such as forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, and rear-cross traffic alert. But all of these high-tech safety features are optional or come on upper-level trims. Many of these features come as standard equipment on rivals, such as the Toyota Prius.

Base MSRP for the 2022 Kia Niro is $24,690 for the base LX trim. An LXS starts at $26,060, and Kia asks $27,590 for an LXS Special Edition. The Touring Special Edition starts at $29,890. The range-topping EX Premium starts at $31,990. The Kia Niro is backed by an impressive 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.