New Kia Niro gets sharper looks, interior upgrades and latest tech for 2026
The new and improved Kia Niro should arrive in the UK later this year, offering a choice of hybrid, PHEV and EV power
The facelifted Kia Niro has been revealed, sporting a sleek new look and a refreshed interior that incorporates the brand’s latest infotainment system.
Most of the design changes are up front. The silver trim that wrapped around the Niro's nose is now gone, and instead the new model just has a super-slim interpretation of Kia’s signature Tiger Nose grille flanked by a set of new, taller headlights that incorporate the same ‘Starmap’ lightning found on all the brand’s models, from the dinky Picanto city car to the flagship EV9, which you can currently save more than £7,000 on through our Buy A Car service.
The plastic on the bumpers, doors and wheelarch cladding appears to have a glossy black finish now, plus Kia has added a new set of 18-inch alloy wheels. The faux skid plates that give the Niro a slightly tough SUV-like look still feature, though.
The tail-lights are slightly smaller and thinner than before, and now have a smokey finish, while the rear bumper has received a bit of a revamp and a brake light has been incorporated into the roof spoiler.
Inside, the updated Niro features dual 12.3-inch displays running Kia’s latest infotainment system. There’s also a new, square-ish two-spoke steering wheel with physical buttons, plus a dedicated drive mode selector, borrowed from the all-electric EV3 SUV and EV4 hatchback.
The dashboard appears to have been tweaked slightly to accommodate the new rectangular screen and the centre console has a new finish too. However, the switchable control panel below the touchscreen remains.
That’s all we know about the new Kia Niro for now, but the brand has promised to reveal more details in March and we expect the refreshed SUV to arrive in the UK before the end of the year.
The new Niro will slot in between the facelifted Stonic and the all-new Seltos in Kia’s range of petrol-powered SUVs, and should be offered with the same selection of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric powertrains as the current model.
The hybrid uses a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, a single electric motor powered by a 1.32kWh battery and a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Power is rated at 127bhp, making the car good for 0-62mph in 11.3 seconds, and a return of up to 64.2mpg.
The PHEV adds an 11.1kWh battery and ups the power to 168bhp, providing a pure-electric range of 40 miles, a 0-62mph time of less than 10 seconds and supposedly allows it to return up to 353.1mpg.
Finally, the EV uses a 64.8kWh battery and a 201bhp front-mounted motor that offers a 285-mile range, and can be charged from 10 to 80 per cent in 45 minutes. However, for context, the newer, similarly sized Kia EV3 offers up to 375 miles of range, and takes half an hour to be topped up.
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