Kia has drawn a sharper line around what the Niro is. The refreshed 2027 Niro is a hybrid crossover, full stop, with the electric variant gone from the North American lineup after slow sales prevented it from ever gaining meaningful traction. What remains is a tidier product story: one powertrain, five trims, a redesigned face, and prices starting at $29,890 before a $1,495 destination charge.
The powertrain itself carries over unchanged. The 1.6-liter four-cylinder pairs with an electric motor and a six-speed dual-clutch transmission for a combined 139 horsepower. That combination has been the Niro’s calling card since the second-generation model launched in 2022, and Kia has left the mechanical formula alone while attending to the things buyers actually notice on a daily basis: suspension tuning, cabin noise suppression, and ride comfort have all been revised.
The bigger news is at the front and rear. Redesigned fascias bring Kia’s Star Map lighting elements to the Niro for the first time, giving the crossover a family resemblance to the larger EV6 and EV9 lineup. New exterior color options arrive alongside the updated styling. Inside, the cabin has been updated with available Connected Car Navigation Cockpit, which adds over-the-air software update capability, and a suite of driver assistance features that weren’t previously on the options sheet.
That ADAS expansion is the most substantive change for buyers who use their cars on highway commutes. Highway Driving Assist 2 is now available, offering combined adaptive cruise and lane-centering on certain federal highways. A 360-degree Surround View Monitor and Blind-Spot View Monitor round out the new features. None of these were standard on prior Niro trims, and their addition addresses a gap that competitors like the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and Hyundai Tucson Hybrid have exploited in the segment.
The trim structure gains one new entry. The Niro S slots in between the base LX and the mid-range EX, adding a rung to a ladder that previously jumped $1,500 from LX to EX. The full pricing lineup: LX at $29,890, S at $30,590, EX at $31,390, SX at $35,440, and SX Touring at $38,990, each before the $1,495 destination charge. The spread from LX to SX Touring is $9,100, which is meaningful range for a nameplate that has historically competed on value.
That value proposition has worked well enough globally. The Niro crossed 1 million cumulative sales worldwide since its 2016 debut, a milestone that speaks to the model’s durability across markets even as the U.S. numbers have been unspectacular. Dropping the EV variant removes the complexity that came with managing three distinct powertrains for a relatively modest volume model, and it lets Kia focus the product story on the hybrid’s genuine strengths: efficiency, packaging, and a price point that stays well below $40,000 fully loaded.
On-sale timing has not been disclosed beyond the 2027 model year designation. Fuel economy figures have not been released.
The Niro has always been clearest when it isn’t trying to be everything. As a focused hybrid crossover, the 2027 model makes a more persuasive case than its predecessor did with three powertrains pulling in different directions.
2027 Kia Niro Photo Gallery
Source: Kia. Images courtesy of Kia.
