2020 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid Review

Name: 2020 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid Review
Brand: Kia

Price Range: $16,587 - $23,990

The plug-in hybrid Niro boasts 26 miles of EV range. That's pretty good as plug-ins go. Just know you're paying significantly more for this model compared to a regular hybrid Niro. How often you can recharge it will make a big difference. Overall we like the 2020 Niro Plug-In Hybrid, but rival models are more refined and enjoyable to drive.

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Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid model years

Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid for Sale

2020 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid Review

by the Edmunds Experts

What's new

Refreshed exterior design
LXS trim replaces the LX as the entry-level model
Part of the first Niro Plug-In Hybrid generation introduced for 2018

Cost to Drive

Monthly estimates based on costs in Illinois

$80/mo

$179/mo

Avg. Compact SUV

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Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid Owner Reviews

4.3

39 reviews

5(69%)

4(13%)

3(5%)

2(5%)

1(8%)

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Most Helpful Owner Reviews

The Right Vehicle for my needs.

Jerry, 12/28/2018

2019 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid EX 4dr SUV (1.6L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6AM)

Very pleased with the NIRO PHEV. Have been driving it for six months, with one long trip. The long trip was just over 2000 miles which was broken up to four 500 mile legs. Mileage for this legs where 49, 52, 50 and 53 in the hybrid mode. Granted I drove somewhat conservative staying at the posted speed limit, which was 70 most of the way on interstate five. The remaining miles, which is …

Compromise Can Be Good Updated Review 6/10/25

Doug, 05/06/2019

2019 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid EX 4dr SUV (1.6L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid 6AM)

Update 6/10/25 65k+- Finally had to change out the original tires. And I could have waited a few thousand more, but we were going on a road trip and I didn’t want to risk it. Needless to say, very pleased with them. Michelin Energy Savers. Other than the intermittent rattle which we believe is coming from the rear spoiler, the car is running fine. Update 12/9/24 Almost at 60k miles. … The 12 volt battery failed. One morning it wouldn’t start. I learned that it’s somewhat difficult to source. AAA doesn’t stock it. Pep Boys has to order it. So I opted to bring the car to Kia dealer for repair. The “service consultants”… I mean salespeople are something else. They tried to charge me more than their own parts department was quoting. I know that they ripped me off on the labor charge. What a racket!! Ive just passed the 5 year warranty threshold so this will be the last visit to Kia. The tires are still ok. I have another 5 k tread left on them. And even that measure is right at the beginning of the recommended safety threshold for tire depth. Brakes are still ok. Other issues- the rear spoiler is rattling again. Had to have it tightened. Battery level basically unchanged. Interior is still in good shape with a few signs of wear and tear- nothing major. Update 5/31/24 51k on car. We’ve lost about 4 percent on the battery capacity, which isn’t terribly alarming since we charge it every night. Tires need to be replaced (first set). Had some minor trim issues, the real spoiler over the back window was rattling and needed to be tightened, and the drivers side visor anchor broke off. Both were repaired under warranty. Brakes are still good. Seems like there is a yearly recall which is an inconvenience (we live 20 miles from the dealership). Car is pretty much what we expected: reliable, utilitarian, decent comfort. It’s not exciting, just practical. Wish it had more power especially at lower speeds. We find it ironic that the 100% ev version (at least model years 19-22) is pretty zippy. We are a two car family. We own a 100% EV (Nissan Leaf) and were looking to replace our 2008 CRV. It's important to us to reduce our carbon footprint, so we agreed that we would move to a "greener" car. However, we weren't ready to purchase another 100% EV due to range and charging infrastructure concerns. The Niro PHEV is a good, but not a perfect compromise. The size of the car is great for the city and it's hard to believe that the interior is so spacious, given its outside dimensions. Back seat is particularly comfortable with nice support and generous legroom. Headroom is excellent, even for those with long torsos. Safety features are really good. We chose the EX trim and it really has everything you need. The EX trim (not the premium) has HID headlamps, which have longer range than the LED's on the premium trim (check out the insurance institute's safety ratings). Love the adjustable cruise control, though I understand that some other makes (Tesla??) will take you down to a full stop without disconnecting. Performance is OK. We thought that it would supply more of the EV Torque, which we so love about our Leaf. If you floor the pedal it shifts into ICE mode, makes a lot of noise, but really doesn't get up and go. In regular Hybrid mode there is little regeneration to the battery. I understand that shifting into sport mode will regenerate the battery, however the MPG goes down, so isn't this defeating the purpose? Don't have anything to say about reliability (only had the car for a couple of weeks) but Consumer reports and other publications give it high ratings. In another couple of years maybe the battery technology will be better and charging infrastructure improved so that we could go 100% EV on both vehicles. Until then we will live with the compromises. NOTE: we will be watching the competitors (Tesla Model Y and others) and continue to evaluate the options. Update 11/12/2021 22000 miles on the car...Thank goodness for the factory warranty. The transmission failed at around 15 K miles. Yes, on long trips we would occasionally shift into sport mode to get through the mountains and regenerate the battery, but still, isn't that normal usage? I thank myself for purchasing the mid level trim that had blind spot, rear cross traffic detection, and great headlights. The car runs well, and the seats are pretty comfortable ( drivers side has power with lumbar support).Interior is wearing well. Access is good, and there is plenty of head room. We mainly run the car on electric, I wish that the range on battery was about 60 miles, instead of 26. The car really doesn't have a heck of a lot of pickup, which is really the main fault I have with it. Aside from the tranny failing, I am satisfied. Update 5/19/22 Just came back from a 2k road trip. Odometer is at 28K. I noticed that the cruise control doesn't work well when going up steep grades through mountains. I will bring it in for service. The annoying sound coming from the steering wheel has come back. This was subject of a service bulletin. Dealership "fixed" it, but now it has come back. We have had a couple of instances where the 12 volt battery has died and had to be charged by AAA. Fortunately it occurred at home and we weren't terribly inconvenienced. We've been told by dealer that the battery is at end of life and this is normal wear and tear, and it's time to replace it. Ok, if you say so... Overall it's been a pretty good car for us. The car will be paid off in April 2023 and then we will look to retire the Leaf and purchase another fully electric vehicle. Would I buy the 100% Niro EV? I like the size and utility of the Niro. It suits our needs, but I feel that there are better options now. Early favorites: Ioniq 5 and Nissan Ariya. 11/23/22 Chugging along just fine. No rattles or strange noises. Safety systems are working well. Excellent daily driver. Gonna hold on to the car for a while, especially given the cost to purchase a new vehicle. 5/30/23 39000 miles. Issues with retractable drivers side mirror and rear liftgate struts were repaired under warranty. Drivers side sun visor clip pulled out and may require some super glue. All minor repairs, but never the less are nuisances which require multiple trips to the dealership. Comparing to my other car, a Nissan Leaf which has over double the miles and none of these issues. We were rear ended and one of the replacement moldings finally arrived after 3 months on back order. By and large it's been a good car, the size, safety features and utility work well for us.

Great car for San Diego; Flawed Heating System;

Lazyj, 10/25/2018

2018 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid LX 4dr SUV (1.6L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid 6AM)

We live in Olympia, Washington. This is a great car for our needs. It's a small city, so 26 miles electric is plenty for our in-town driving. We just passed 3,000 miles, and have used 24 gallons of gasoline. We really like the ease of entry and exit. Upright seats, high enough off the ground so you don't crawl out of it like a Prius, and doors that open super wide. There is one … clear bit of lazy engineering: the heating system only works when the engine is running. The Prius Prime (the heads up competitor) has a heat pump system, that runs using electricity. The Niro does not, even though an air conditioner is essentially the same device as a heat pump running in reverse. In Olympia, where we have cool weather and dampness, we do need to run the heat all winter. That forces on the engine (but the car still is propelled as an electric; this big four-cylinder 1600cc engine running just to provide heat and defrost. This is why I say it's a great car for Phoenix or San Diego, where you don't need heat much of the time. Around here, the Prius Prime is probably a better value if it meets your needs. It does not meet our needs. I am a big 300# fella. This car fits me reasonably well. The Prius does not. Update at two years and 23,800 miles: We've had the Kia Niro Plug-in for two years now. We still like it. The E-Niro has become available, with 240 miles of range. If were were buying today, we would probably buy the full-electric. We've carefully tracked how many times we would have needed to charge "on the road." Three trips, for a total of about 10% of our total miles. Each time, we had overnight charging available to us close to where we stayed. Even if we had to pay a premium price for a fast charge, it would still be a great value to be all-electric -- charging at home is the equivalent of $1.20/gallon. No squeaks or rattles at the 2 year mark. Just entering winter, the frustrating season when we cannot run all-electric because of the heating system engineering flaw mentioned in the original review. Update at the 3-year mark: Still happy with the car. Have taken some longer road trips, and learned to use the "sport" mode for steep highway climbs. It drops you a gear lower, and the car zips up the steepest grades (and keeps the engine in the power range, so the "economy" gauge shows green. If buying a new car today, we would buy the E-Niro. Update at the 6 year mark. We still like the car a lot. Very spacious inside, small outside, comfortable, easy to get in and out. We have just had our very first repair, an item on which Kia has a specific service bulletin. The 12V battery was going dead. Very dead. I could charge it with a conventional battery charger, and it ran fine. Turns out the problem was a failed rear door latch, creating a power drain. A $447 repair. Other than that, it's been one oil change a year, and nothing else. We're seriously considering leasing a new E-Niro (lease is a way around the tax credit limitation we would face as a buyer). But we definitely urge Niro PHEV owners to learn where their 12V battery is in the rear cargo area, and also where the "jumper points" are under the hood.

Great car! except for...

Former Subaru driver, 10/25/2020

2020 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid EX 4dr SUV (1.6L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid 6AM)

Bought this car about 2 months ago and love it! Except for the Very Loud backup alarm. I understand that this is required to warn pedestrians and cyclists as the engine in electric mode is very quiet. Warning sound is required to be between 56 and 75 dBA - mine measures at 73 which is LOUD. Leaving our garage early in the morning is excruciating; trying to back out quickly enough to …

We have a limited number of reviews for the 2020 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid, so we've included reviews for other years of the Niro Plug-In Hybrid since its last redesign.

See all 39 reviews of the Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid

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2020 Niro Plug-In Hybrid Highlights

Trim:

LXS

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$29,490
EV Tax Credits & Rebates	$7,850 Based on income
Engine Type	Plug-in hybrid
EPA Electric Range	26 miles
Combined MPGe (Electric + Gas)	105 MPGe
Cost to Drive	$80/month
Total Charging Time (240V)	2.3 hours
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	19.4 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	5 years / 60,000 miles

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Safety

Our experts like the Niro Plug-In Hybrid models:

Blind-Spot Detection: Detects and alerts you with visual and audio warnings when a vehicle in the adjacent lane is in your blind spot.
Smart Cruise Control: Maintains a set speed and distance behind the car ahead and will bring the car to a stop briefly before relinquishing control.
Lane Departure Warning: Identifies lane markings and alerts you if you begin to drift out of your lane.

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2020 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid Review

Price & Payment

2020 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid Review

What's new

Cost to Drive

Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Trending topics

The Right Vehicle for my needs.

Compromise Can Be Good Updated Review 6/10/25

Great car for San Diego; Flawed Heating System;

Great car! except for...

2020 Niro Plug-In Hybrid Highlights

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