WHEN I picked up the new Niro from Hurst Kia in Boucher Road, I was more than pleasantly surprised at how the car looked. The design is that bit more adventurous than the previous model and the two-tone paint and black alloy wheels featured on our car set it off beautifully.
The Niro feels surprisingly roomy too. I’m 6’3” yet when the driver’s seat was set for me, there was still plenty of room for me to sit in the back, even for me, and there’s a respectable 451-litre boot.
The Hybrid version we tested is the most affordable in the Niro range at £27,745, but Plug-in Hybrid and fully Electric versions are available. My initial impression of the interior was that the dash was a bit plain, even bland, but when the system is switched on and everything comes to life, that impression soon goes. All Niros are fitted with infotainment touchscreens, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, DAB radio, and a rear parking camera as standard. 10.25-inch screens run Kia’s intuitive infotainment software with touchscreen and sharp graphics, while the sound quality in the car was superb.
Some might worry about operating of a hybrid vehicle, but it really couldn’t be simpler. Insert the key, select drive on the automatic gearbox and the car moves off effortlessly and silently. The Hybrid uses a development of Kia’s 1.6-litre petrol engine, assisted by an electric motor for a total output of 139bhp. The car prioritises pure-electric running at low speeds, producing a smooth, near-silent progress in town with the petrol engine cutting in when you need it. The transition between electric and petrol drive is seamless, and the electric motor continues to provide extra grunt when you need it. There's enough performance for most situations and I enjoyed how the power kicked in to pass on the motorway, and the six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox is smooth in its delivery.
The steering is positive and the weighting consistent, making it easy to thread through the narrow country roads we drove along, helping guide the driver through the tight corners. The motorway experience was refined with surprisingly little wind or road noise.
Kia claims an impressive 59.8mpg and having driven the car for several days, I achieved more than 50mpg on the combination of roads without trying to hard.
Verdict? The Niro Hybrid is an excellent mid-sized SUV, comfortable, roomy and a pleasure to drive. It has an excellent build quality, is modern, stylish and represents really good value for money. This SUV would stand comparison to any of its contemporaries available in the sector. But if you are in the market for a new car, don’t just take my word for it, book a test drive at your local Kia dealership and see for yourself.
All you need to know about those new petrol regulations
IN case you missed the announcement, drivers have been warned of major petrol station forecourt changes in connection with the rollout of E10 unleaded petrol. The changes started on November 1 when E10 petrol was rolled out across forecourts in a move to align our petrol supply with Britain.
E-NUMBERS: Don’t be caught out by forecourt changes
E10 fuel is now the standard grade of petrol, with the current form of unleaded E5 being upgraded and renamed super unleaded. The new fuel is called E10 because it contains up to 10 per cent renewable ethanol, developed to help decarbonise petrol-fuelled vehicles andmaking them greener as ethanol is renewable, made from various plant materials collectively known as biomass. It is hoped the greener fuel will cut carbon emissions as the world strives to decarbonise transport.
The new fuel was introduced in England, Scotland, and Wales back in September 2021. Around 95 per cent of petrol cars are compatible with the new fuel but if you are not sure if your car is one of them, go to the official biofuel checker at www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-e10-petrol to find out.
A small number of older vehicles, including classic cars and some from the early 2000s, will continue to need E5 fuel. As a rule, drivers of cars registered prior to 2002 are advised not to use E10 as problems have been reported. If drivers of these cars use E10 fuel, they will still run, but seals, plastics and metals may be damaged over longer periods because of bioethanol's corrosive properties. And E10 absorbs water from the atmosphere, leading to condensation in fuel tanks if the car is not used regularly, so this is something owners of classic cars that are rarely driven need to be particularly aware of.
End of an era as Ford halts production of Fiesta after 47 years
PRODUCTION of the much-loved Ford Fiesta will cease next June, ending 47 years and eight generations of the iconic supermini. Ford has also confirmed that production of Ford S-Max and Ford Galaxy will come to an end in April as well.
“We are accelerating our efforts to go all-in on electrification with our passenger vehicles being fully electric by 2030, and all other Ford vehicles by 2035,” the company said in a statement. “We will introduce three new exciting electric passenger vehicles and four new electric commercial vehicles in Europe by 2024.”
ADIOS: The last Ford Fiesta
The news is not a great suprise as the Fiesta’s popularity has waned in recent years, with buyers flocking to the rival Vauxhall Corsa – the UK’s best-selling car in 2021, while Ford has been doing well with its Puma crossover – third best-selling model in the UK so far this year, trailing only the Nissan Qashqai and the Corsa with the Fiesta not featuring in the top 10. It was reported earlier this year that Ford earns more from Lego licensing deals than it does from sales of the Fiesta, but it’s so typical of people that when the public heard the Fiesta was to be discontinued, it beat all others to top the sales tables for October.
Meanwhile, production of the Ford Focus will come to an end in 2025 and without a direct successor it is expected to be replaced by an electric crossover, one of four new EVs due by 2024 which will to sit between the Puma EV and the Mustang Mach-E. A similar model, expected to be a coupé-bodied sports SUV. will follow the year after. The company aims to sell some 600,000 EVs annually by 2026 under its Ford Model E (electric) division, which operates separately from its petrol and diesel car and commercial vehicle divisions (Ford Blue and Ford Pro, respectively). In line with many manufacturers, Ford has committed to only selling electric vehicles in Europe by 2030.
