Skip advert
Advertisement

Kia Niro (2016-2022) review - Reliability and safety

Kia continues to perform well in our Driver Power awards, while a seven-year warranty provides further reassurance for buyers

Reliability and Safety rating

4.4

How we review cars
RRP
£30,085 £35,085
Avg. savings
£2,996 off RRP*
Find your Kia Niro
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

Kia continues to shine in our Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, moving up from third place in 2019 to second position in the 2020 and 2021 polls for Best brand. The Niro finished in an outstanding fourth spot in 2020, out of a 75-car list, although placed 15th in 2021, while its Rio supermini and Sportage SUV siblings achieved 2nd and 9th spots respectively.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The Niro originally earned a four-star Euro NCAP safety rating in 2016, but if you added the optional Advanced Driving Assistance Pack the rating moved up to five stars. Kia now includes Emergency Stop Signalling, Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, a Lane Keep Assist System  and a Lane Follow Assist function as standard on all models, while the top-spec '4' versions feature a Blind Spot Detection system with Rear-Cross Traffic Alert.

Warranty

With that in mind, it's good to know that the petrol-electric drivetrain is covered by the same seven-year/100,000-mile warranty as the rest of the car, and that should give you extra peace of mind if you are planning to take the plunge on this new technology. You only get 12 months' breakdown assistance, though.

Servicing

Service intervals for the Niro are every 10,000 miles or 12 months, whichever comes first. 

The manufacturer offers the Kia Care service plan package, offering fixed-price servicing designed to the age and mileage of your car. Kia also provides the 'Drive now, pay later' scheme, which allows you to pay 25% of the cost of your service up front, followed by the remaining balance at 0% interest over three months.

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

KIA Niro

KIA Niro

RRP £29,355Avg. savings £2,996 off RRP*Used from £16,950
Hyundai Kona

Hyundai Kona

RRP £26,735Avg. savings £3,742 off RRP*Used from £22,582
Honda Hr-V

Honda Hr-V

RRP £30,935Avg. savings £2,074 off RRP*Used from £17,200
Renault Arkana
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New MG IM5 has the Tesla Model 3 beaten on price and range
MG IM5 - Goodwood front

New MG IM5 has the Tesla Model 3 beaten on price and range

The all-electric IM5 brings new technology and design to the MG line-up
News
10 Jul 2025
New MG Cyberster Black is a dark sign of things to come for the brand
Cyberster Black - front 3/4

New MG Cyberster Black is a dark sign of things to come for the brand

MG boss thinks special editions like this might be the ticket to keeping up demand for the electric sports car
News
10 Jul 2025
Vauxhall Mokka vs Hyundai Kona: small hybrid SUVs in a big battle
Vauxhall Mokka vs Hyundai Kona - front end

Vauxhall Mokka vs Hyundai Kona: small hybrid SUVs in a big battle

Hybrid newcomers slug it out for family buyers’ hearts and minds
Car group tests
12 Jul 2025