Kia will unwrap the second-generation 2022 kia Niro tomorrow (25 November), the latest in a series of important unveilings from the marque as it transitions to becoming a “sustainable mobility solutions provider”.
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 Niro is a hugely important car for Kia, accounting for 61,000 sales in the UK alone since its 2016 launch and spawning 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.
2022 Kia Niro to be revealed tomorrow with bold new look
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.
