2018 Kia Niro PHEV Starts At $28,840, Goes On Sale Early Next year

Khodrocar - Kia now gives owners the opportunity to plug-in their Niro hybrid hatchbacks. The new PHEV option comes paired to an 8.9 kilowatt-hour lithium-polymer battery, which is a whopping 7.34-kWh larger than the unit found in the standard hybrid model. Of course, all that added EV tech comes at a price.

The new Kia Niro Plug-In starts at $28,840 according to CarsDirect. That price represents a steep $4,660 increase over the standard Niro, which starts at $24,180 (including $940 destination). But even though the Niro may be more expensive on the surface, it’s actually cheaper than some of its closest competitors when digging into lease deals. 

The base Niro LX Plug-In can be had for $259 per month for 36 months with $1,999 due at signing when factoring in the $4,543 Federal tax credit and allowance of 12,000 miles per year. The Toyota Prius, meanwhile, comes in at $269 per month with the same terms and amount due at signing. The Prius Prime Plus is even more expensive at $349 per month.

Of course, for the added cost, you do get plenty more in the way of technology. The aforementioned larger battery pack paired with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine brings the total output to 139 horsepower (104 kilowatts) and 195 pound-feet (264 Newton-meters) of torque, as well as a total estimated range of 560 miles (901 kilometers). All that efficiency is routed through a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

The Kia Niro PHEV will go on sale early in 2018, and will be available in three different trim levels LX, EX, and EX Premium. The standard 2018 Niro, meanwhile, is available now, and can be had in four different trim levels: FE, LX, EX, and Touring.