2023 Kia Niro Review

Name: 2023 Kia Niro
Brand: Kia

Price Range: $17,990 - $27,998

Kia Niro SX Touring 4dr SUV Exterior Shown

Good

8.0

out of 10

edmunds TESTED

The 2023 Kia Niro is a great all-around option for anyone wanting an efficient, compact crossover. Acceleration is lackluster, but the Niro gains back points with its helpful driving aids, smooth ride quality and value for the money.

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Average price: $23,165

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Appraise My 2023 Kia Niro

Pros

Smooth and quiet ride quality
High fuel economy
Spacious seating and cargo area for a compact car

Cons

Slow acceleration
No option for all-wheel drive
Can get unsettled when driving over bumps or around turns

What's new

All-new exterior and interior design
More space for passengers and cargo
Updated infotainment screen
Kicks off the second Niro generation for 2023

Overview

Written by automotive expert Alex Nishimoto

2/2/2023

The Kia Niro is a compact vehicle that splits the difference between SUV and hatchback. It's offered in three electrified flavors, including a traditional hybrid, a plug-in hybrid and an all-electric model. In this review, we're looking at the traditional hybrid, which is the most affordable of the bunch. All versions of the Niro receive a full redesign for 2023 and gain a larger footprint, improved interior and more tech features.

Continue reading Edmunds Expert Rating below

For sale near Ashburn, VA

233 listings

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2023 Kia Niro
EX 4dr SUV
$23,296
good price
$1,170 below market
- 12,171 miles
- No accidents, 1 owner, personal use
- 5 Seats, 53 City / 54 Hwy MPG
- Beyer Kia Falls Church (19 mi away)
- Back-up camera
- Bluetooth
- Navigation
- Keyless Entry/Start
- Blind Spot Monitorin...
Close
Located in Falls Church, VA
Discover the exceptional 2023 Kia Niro EX, a hybrid marvel that seamlessly blends style, efficiency, and cutting-edge technology. With its striking gr...
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: Yes
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
53 Combined MPG (53 City/54 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: KNDCR3LE1P5069935
Stock: L11172VK
Certified Pre-Owned: No
Listed since: 02-23-2026
2023 Kia Niro
EX 4dr SUV
$17,999
good price
$642 below market
- 88,329 miles
- No accidents, 1 owner, personal use only
- 5 Seats, 53 City / 54 Hwy MPG
- Premier Automotive (33 mi away)
- Back-up camera
- Bluetooth
- Navigation
- Keyless Entry/Start
- Blind Spot Monitorin...
Close
Located in Dumfries, VA
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: Yes
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
53 Combined MPG (53 City/54 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: KNDCR3LE2P5102196
Stock: PA8588
Certified Pre-Owned: No

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The Niro's exterior styling has been brought in line with its larger electrified sibling, the Kia EV6. Besides looking more futuristic, the new Niro is larger than before. Kia has slightly increased the Niro's overall length as well as its wheelbase for this generation. That means more space inside for passengers and cargo, the latter measuring 22.8 cubic feet behind the rear seats. The interior design has similarly been brought up to date, with an available dual 10.25-inch instrument panel and central touchscreen setup similar to the EV6's.

Though almost everything else is new, the Niro hybrid soldiers on with the old model's 1.6-liter four-cylinder hybrid powertrain, which makes 139 horsepower and is backed by a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Just as before, that drivetrain is adequate for driving around town, but passing power could be better. That said, when you need a burst of acceleration, or simply want to drive more enthusiastically, activating Sport mode provides a noticeable improvement in throttle response. Also like before, the Niro hybrid returns exceptional fuel economy, with an EPA estimate of 49 mpg combined.

The 2023 Kia Niro hybrid's most direct competitor is likely the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid, though it might also be cross-shopped against hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius. And with its increased dimensions, it could arguably be considered against compact crossover SUVs like the hybrid version of the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and even its own sibling, the Kia Sportage Hybrid. Now that it's been thoroughly updated, the Kia Niro is certainly worth a look if you're in the market for a small yet spacious hybrid. Check out the Expert Rating below to get our test team's full report on the Niro's comfort, real-world fuel economy and more.

Edmunds Expert Rating

edmunds TESTED

by the Edmunds Experts

Good

8.0

out of 10

We drove the 2023 Kia Niro on our test track and on real roads. Our Edmunds team conducts rigorous independent vehicle testing, driving 500,000 miles a year.

Performance

7.5/10

How does the Niro drive? The Niro is poised and easygoing at low speeds. But it's less endearing when you need a burst of speed. Considering the Toyota Prius' newly improved performance credentials, the Niro's athleticism is now subpar. At our test track, the Niro accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 9.7 seconds. That's slow for a modern hybrid, and it feels that way on the road too.

Beyond the lackluster acceleration, the Niro also comes up short in athleticism. Make some quick direction changes and the Niro's chassis gets very unsettled — it feels flexible and unsturdy. There's minimal feedback coming through the steering wheel, though the light weighting feels appropriate for this type of vehicle. The Niro is clearly much more at home in an urban environment.

Comfort

8/10

How comfortable is the Niro? The Niro has impressive road manners, with a quiet cabin that only gets noisy under hard acceleration. At city speeds, it's extremely pleasant. Similarly, the suspension is tuned to keep things cushy over bumps in the road. The Niro is nice and relaxing for a commute home. The seats are supportive and easy to adjust, but they feel slightly too firm. A bit more padding would go a long way to make long-distance driving more comfortable.

Standard dual-zone climate control is a great feature to have, and the system worked effectively in our testing. The optional ventilation for the front seats is a nice add-on.

Interior

8/10

How’s the interior? Kia put in the effort to make the Niro feel fresh and fun even at its affordable price point. The latest generation has much more personality than its predecessor, with a lively design full of angles and patterns. Every control is right in front of the driver and easy to access with a quick input. The switchable touch bar that controls both the audio and climate settings can be finicky to adjust and forces the driver to look away from the road when doing so. The center touchscreen, on the other hand, is higher on the dash and pretty easy to reach.

Considering the Niro's small overall size, the interior is generously roomy. The driving position is upright and the view is great out of the front. The rear roof pillar can create a blind spot but it's not too bad. Passenger space is better in the Niro than in the Prius, and the non-tapering roofline means that headroom doesn't suffer.

Technology

8.5/10

How’s the tech? Kia's tech is clean-looking and easy to use, but it suffers from a few things that age it. Smartphone integration is not wireless if you get the bigger touchscreen, and the data port is the older USB-A type instead of the newer USB-C. This means that a new iPhone's cord, for example, won't work out of the box. On the upside, the available Harman Kardon audio system sounds pretty solid considering the car's price.

The twin-screen housing for the digital instrument panel and 10.25-inch center touchscreen looks slick and premium. The infotainment system is generally easy to use, but the onboard navigation system is plagued by too many menus just to input a destination. Using Google Maps in Apple CarPlay is still the preferred way to get to a destination. The Niro's onboard voice controls don't do enough to add to the experience in any meaningful way.

Kia's Highway Driving Assist is one of the best in the game. It's active but never intrusive with daily driving. The stop-and-go cruise control feature is well calibrated, with the car hitting the brakes with plenty of time. It's also easy to activate.

Storage

8/10

How’s the storage? This little hatchback can hold a surprising amount of your stuff. The 22.8 cubic foot cargo area is wide and easy to access; the multi-level loading floor is extra convenient for adding items. The rear seats split in a 60/40 configuration and fold down almost completely flat, so you can fit long objects as well. The Niro's door pockets are a bit too small, but the center console is big enough to handle most of your everyday things.

Got small children? Accessing the anchor points for car seats in the rear is easy. However, the Niro's smallish door openings and low height might be a challenge when loading little ones into the car.

Fuel Economy

8/10

How’s the fuel economy? On our real-world test route, the Kia Niro achieved 47.7 miles per gallon. We expected a little more considering the Niro's EPA estimate of 49 mpg in combined driving. On the same route, the Toyota Prius got 50 mpg. The Niro is still a very fuel-efficient crossover, just less so than its main competitor.

Value

8/10

Is the Niro a good value? For the money, the Niro offers great efficiency and a solid list of features. We'd prefer less plastic in the interior and increase the use of premium materials, but our test car's build quality felt solid. A comparably equipped Toyota Prius costs the same money, making neither car a slam-dunk value over the other.

Kia's 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty remains one of the best in the industry. That makes the Niro a more compelling sell, along with its five-year, 60,000-miles basic warranty.

Wildcard

8/10

The Niro's biggest wildcard is that it truly does stand out from the crowd. The design is fun and forward-thinking, which are two qualities that some hybrids just don't have. This Kia won't dazzle you on a canyon road, but it's a total charmer in the city — and that's where it counts the most.

2023 Kia Niro trim level differences

The 2023 Kia Niro hybrid is a small SUV available in five trim levels: LX, EX, EX Touring, SX and SX Touring. Every Niro comes with a four-cylinder hybrid electric powertrain good for 139 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. That power is sent to the front wheels through a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Feature highlights for the Niro include: Compare the 2023 Kia Niro trim levels in-depth.

Which Niro trim does Edmunds recommend?

For a few thousand more than the base model, you can get into an appreciably nicer EX trim. By upgrading to the EX, you receive the larger 10.25-inch central touchscreen with onboard navigation, a smart key with push-button start, standard adaptive cruise control and seats trimmed with synthetic leather, among other handy features.

Cost to Drive

Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia

$77/mo

$183/mo

Avg. Compact SUV

Calculate my fuel costs

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Reliability

The 2023 Kia Niro has a 5 years / 60,000 miles basic warranty and 2 recalls. RepairPal gives it a reliability rating of 4.5 out of 5, ranks it #3 out of 6 among Alternative Fuel Vehicles. Below you’ll find our owner reviews.

Reliability Rating by RepairPal

4.5 out of 5 stars4.5/5Excellent

#3 out of 6 among Alternative Fuel Vehicles

RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.

Cost

$377/yr

vs. $377/yr
for Average Alternative Fuel Vehicle

Frequency

0.38x/yr

vs. 0.52x/yr
for Average Alternative Fuel Vehicle

Severity

8.3%

vs. 8.3%
for Average Alternative Fuel Vehicle

Recalls

2 recalls found

Checking if a car has a recall is simple. Just type the car's VIN number into the NHTSA website (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls). If there's an unrepaired recall, you'll see it there.

If a recall shows up, just call your local car dealer. They'll know about the recall and will work with the car maker to fix it for free (if the recall happened within 10 years of the car being first sold).

Recall Number:: 25V024000
Manufacturer Recall Number:: SC332
Number of vehicles affected:: 80255
Defect Description:: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Niro EV, Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV), and Hybrid vehicles. The floor wiring assembly beneath the front passenger seat may become damaged, which can prevent the front air bags and seat belts from deploying properly or cause an unintended side curtain air bag deployment.
Defect Consequence:: Air bags and seat belts that deploy improperly or an air bag deploying unintentionally can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Corrective Action:: Dealers will inspect, replace and reroute the floor wiring assembly, as necessary, free of charge. In addition, dealers will install wiring covers. Owner notification letters were mailed February 27, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC332.

Recall Number:: 23V298000
Manufacturer Recall Number:: SC270
Number of vehicles affected:: 108936
Defect Description:: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage Plug-in Hybrid, Niro Hybrid, Niro Plug-in Hybrid, Soul, and Telluride vehicles equipped with a digital instrument cluster containing a 4.2" LCD screen. The instrument cluster may fail to display any information when the vehicle is started. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 101, "Control and Displays," and 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
Defect Consequence:: A blank instrument cluster display will not show critical information, such as tire pressure, warning messages, and warning lights, increasing the risk of a crash.
Corrective Action:: Dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 26, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC270.

Warranty

5 years / 60,000 miles Basic Warranty

Basic Warranty: 5 years / 60,000 miles
Drivetrain Warranty: 10 years / 100,000 miles
EV battery Warranty: 10 years / 100,000 miles
Hybrid component Warranty: 10 years / 100,000 miles
Rust Warranty: 5 years / 100,000 miles
Roadside assistance Warranty: 5 years / 60,000 miles

Kia Niro Reviews

Owner Reviews

4.3

26 reviews

5(73%)

4(11%)

3(4%)

2(0%)

1(12%)

See all 26 reviews of the Kia Niro

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Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Trending topics

2023 Niro EX is very practical, but it's not SUV

MM11, 12/26/2022

2023 Kia Niro EX 4dr SUV (1.6L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6AM)

I've had my EX for 2 months now. I'm really liking it. It gets super gas mileage in ECO mode which I use almost all the time. I've been getting about 53 mpg (using a lot of regen braking). The ride quality is pretty good considering the wheel/tire size. It could be improved if the wheel/tire size is increased but then you wouldn't have the super mileage it gets. By comparison I …

my 2nd Niro, this 2023 EX hybrid is great

Chris, 05/02/2023

2023 Kia Niro EX 4dr SUV (1.6L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6AM)

I had the 2018 Niro LX and drove that to 100K miles and decided to trade it in on a new one when it came out. I liked the old one and it never had any problems besides oil changes. I drive for those rideshare companies so I put on about 1,000 miles per week. Overall I give it 5 stars because all of my complaints are little things. Most are the same for the new one. Even if this sounds … like a lot of negatives they are all small things. I will probably buy another one when this one gets old. Here are the good parts for anyone interested in buying one: I just have mine in eco mode with the regenerative braking at normal and I am getting usually 60mpg, but sometimes it goes between 58-64 depending on where I'm driving. My old one was always getting 60 also until I changed the tires then it dropped to 54. So I assume the same will happen to this because I'm pretty sure they are running with low rolling resistance tires and I will want something quieter and softer when it comes time to change. It comes with all the safety features that the old one didn't. It has blind spot monitoring which has saved me already, adaptive cruise control which I don't use, auto steering on the freeways which I turned off because I don't like my wheel moving on its own. It has a better backup camera than the old one, especially at night. It has lane departure warning which I turned off because it beeps so much. It has an upgraded suspension so it rides a little smoother, I noticed that right away. It also has more sound deadening which I noticed right away, but it it still noisy. The back area is bigger than the old one so it can hold more suitcases and the floor can drop down a little which helps. The dash looks amazing and I get lots of compliments when people get in the car. It has charging port on the sides of the front seats too, so people in the back can charge up without me having the run a cable back there like I used to. Now for the stuff that bugs me: 1. The dealers and their ridiculous markups. This was being advertised for $35K which was $5K over MSRP. Every dealer in my area was doing this. Then trying to say it's because of inflation and costs of labor, which is total BS. I was able to eventually get this EX for $28K which is the LX MSRP. I went in wanting the LX but since the dealers were just ordering the higher trims at the time, they didn't have one. When they asked why I wanted that one I said I didn't need the fake leather seats the EX comes with, nor the metal wheels I will just scrape up. I also didn't need the navigation screen since my phones do that when I am working. So in order to get the sale they gave me the EX for the LX price, but then tried to lowball me on my trade in, so I gave it to Carmax for $4K more. Then he asks me to send some referrals but don't say what I paid because he won't do this deal for other people. So why would I send friends to go pay more than they should? I hate dealers. 2. The intermittent wipers dial is useless. The car has a sensor that detects rain and adjusts the speed of the wipers accordingly...in theory. But just like my BMW that had this feature it doesn't work properly. Sometimes it doesn't go when the glass is covered in rain and I can't see and other times it is going full speed like crazy when there is barely a drop on the window. Please just make the dial like a timer so I can control the speed. 3. The little knob that controls the volume/temperature is so small every time I try to touch it my knuckle touches the auto-climate button next to it which then goes and changes all of the heater and vent controls. Either make the knob stick out more so we can grab it, or just make a separate area for the different controls instead of trying to be cute and having 1 touch panel handle the temps and radio. 4. The radio power on the stock unit is awful. I don't know how the fancy upgraded one sounds but the stock needs a big upgrade. I added an underseat sub just to give it some lows that it didn't have before, but the unit has to be turned up so loud to hear music over the road noise that it needs it's own amp. And don't forget, I drive rideshare so I don't play it loud anyway since there are always people in the backseat. Having even a 50watt per channel boost will help a lot. 5. The sideblade thing is just a design choice that they tried to justify adding by saying it helps wind resistance. But the air just goes to the same place it would go if it wasn't there, and the mpg is the same. Most I have seen for sale have the panel the body color already, and I think it only comes in gray or black anyway. But it will really just be a place for pine needles to get stuck in and you'll have to blow it out when washing the car. Just say it is Audi R8 inspired design and leave it at that. 6. The EX comes with everything inside being gloss black which shows dust and fingerprints like crazy. The LX has a matte surface. But it also has a bigger screen which looks better than the small one in a square cut out like the LX has. It also comes with fake leather seats which I'm not sure how long they will last. We will see. I prefer cloth. 7. Finally my biggest complaint, power. This thing is slow. Our other car is a Camry hybrid which blows this thing away. I get 10+mpg more in this than we do in the Camry, but the Camry is much quieter and goes up hills easily. The engine in this car sounds like a semi truck when you are trying to go up a hill. Especially if you stopped on a hill to drop someone off and then try to go. It does not want to get out of second gear and when it gets close to 3,000 RPM it is so incredibly loud I can't believe it. I try to force it into 3rd by going into manual mode but I shouldn't have to. I think the redline must be 3200 judging by the noise it makes. It sounds like I am revving the heck out of it when I'm not. It just has no power. Getting onto the freeway you need lots of room. I know this sounds like a lot of complaining, but believe me, it is a good car and I am going to consider getting a 3rd one when the time comes. Unless the Seltos becomes hybrid by then since it has AWD or some other AWD hybrid comes down in price. The Sorento and Rav4 AWD hybrids cost too much. So we will see what is available in 2 years.

1st Kia after a Hyundai customer for 15 yrs

TJ from N.J., 12/13/2022

2023 Kia Niro EX Touring 4dr SUV (1.6L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6AM)

After being a customer with Hyundai for 15 yrs I’ve decided to switch to Kia. Kia brand appears to be much more futuristic, both exterior and interior . So far I’ve enjoyed this EX touring Niro hybrid. May not look that big but it does have plenty interior space.Nice modern looking dash Ride is pretty good just remember this vehicle only cost 33 grand but has quite a few options Wish I …

Goldilocks Perfect

S.Deemer, 02/18/2023

2023 Kia Niro SX 4dr SUV (1.6L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6AM)

Update: August 26, 2024: 21,600 miles. Calculated cumulative fuel consumption between 8,000 and 20,000 miles: 53.7 mpg. OEM (Nexen) tires wore quickly. Replaced on July 8 with Goodyear Assurance MaxLife. Much quieter. No significant issues in first 20,000 miles. Still the best car I have ever owned. Update: August 22, 2023: 8,000 mile service on August 4, 2023. No significant issues …

2023 Niro Features & Specs

Trim:

MSRP (New) Excludes Destination Fee	$26,590
Engine Type	Hybrid
Combined MPG	53 MPG
Cost to Drive	$77/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	22.8 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	5 years / 60,000 miles

See all features & specs

Safety

Our experts like the Niro models:

Smart Cruise Control: Maintains a set speed and interval behind the car ahead and will bring the car to a stop briefly before relinquishing control.
Lane Following Assist: References visible lane markers to help keep the vehicle centered within its lane when adaptive cruise control is engaged.
Blind-Spot Collision Warning: Alerts you with visual and audio warnings when a vehicle in the adjacent lane is in your blind spot.

NHTSA Overall Rating

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
Overall4 / 5
Driver4 / 5
Passenger4 / 5
Side Crash Rating
Overall5 / 5
Side Barrier Rating
Overall5 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front Seat5 / 5
Back Seat5 / 5
Rollover
Rollover4 / 5
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of Rollover11.8%

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2023 Kia Niro Review

Price & Payment

Pros

Cons

What's new

Overview

For sale near Ashburn, VA

AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary

AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary

Edmunds Expert Rating

Performance

Comfort

Interior

Technology

Storage

Fuel Economy

Value

Wildcard

2023 Kia Niro trim level differences

Which Niro trim does Edmunds recommend?

Cost to Drive

Reliability

Reliability Rating by RepairPal

Recalls

Warranty

Kia Niro Reviews

Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

2023 Niro Features & Specs

Safety

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