2017 Kia Niro

2017 is the Niro's US launch year and the first year of the first generation (DE). Every trim uses a 104 hp 1.6L Atkinson-cycle four plus a 43 hp motor for 139 hp combined, which is below the 150 hp floor of the SUV band.

Kia rates the combined system at 195 lb-ft. The motor's low-speed torque helps around town, but the figure is still lower-mid pack against the SUV band.

Instrumented tests of the 2017 car span 8.6 to 10.1 seconds depending on trim and tester, so ≈9.0 s is a fair figure for the 16-inch-wheel volume trims. That sits near the slow end of the SUV band.

It is quiet and smooth at a gentle pace, and the hand-off between electric and gas power is mostly unobtrusive while cruising. Pushed hard, the small 1.6 gets buzzy and strained, and engine engagement is more noticeable than in Toyota's planetary-split hybrids.

The 6-speed dual-clutch gives real gear steps with no CVT drone, which reviewers liked at launch. It loses points for typical dual-clutch hesitation and occasional jerky engagement when creeping in stop-and-go traffic.

Kia's US owner's manual for the 2017 Niro does not recommend trailer towing, so there is no US tow rating. The 1,323 lb figure is a European rating, and the 1,500 lb figure on aggregator sites is not a Kia US rating.

Every 2017 Niro is front-wheel drive only. No AWD was offered on any trim.

This is a pavement crossover. It has about 6.3 in of ground clearance, front-wheel drive and low-rolling-resistance tires, with no skid plates, terrain modes or off-road trim; the EPA even classes it as a small station wagon.

In 2017 the Niro was sold in the US only as a conventional hybrid; the plug-in hybrid arrived for 2018 and the EV after that. Trims differ only in wheels and tuning (FE 50 MPG vs Touring 43), so this was a single take-it-or-leave-it powertrain.

The volume LX/EX hybrid is EPA-rated at 49 MPG combined. The base FE gets 50 and the 18-inch-wheel Touring drops to 43.

The volume trim is EPA-rated at 51 MPG city.

The volume trim is EPA-rated at 46 MPG highway.

EPA total range for the volume trim is 583 miles on one tank (49 MPG combined × 11.9 gal).

EPA estimates $1,350 a year for regular fuel at 15,000 miles, which is among the lowest of any gas-burning SUV.

It runs on regular unleaded and needs no plugging in. No 2017 trim has a premium-fuel or charging requirement.

NHTSA never crash-tested the launch-year 2017 Niro Hybrid, so every NCAP category reads Not Rated.

All six IIHS crashworthiness tests are rated Good, including both small-overlap tests. The 2017 Niro earned no Top Safety Pick, because the halogen headlights fitted to most trims rated Poor.

The volume FE/LX trims come standard with a rearview camera and stability control only. AEB, forward collision warning, lane departure warning and Smart Cruise all require the Advanced Technology Package (EX) or the Touring trim, and blind-spot detection starts at EX.

When fitted, the AEB system rates Superior and avoided collisions at both 12 and 25 mph. It is optional on most trims, and 2017 had no pedestrian or nighttime rating.

Blind-spot detection with lane change assist and rear cross-traffic alert is standard from EX up. It is alert-only and missing on the FE and LX.

Only a lane departure warning was offered, as an option bundled into the Advanced Technology Package. No 2017 trim had active lane keeping or lane centering; Lane Keeping Assist and Lane Following Assist did not arrive until later model years.

Smart Cruise Control is available, but only as part of the Advanced Technology Package on upper trims. It has no lane-centering partner, and the volume trims use conventional cruise.

No 2017 Niro offers hands-free driving. The most it has is optional adaptive cruise.

The halogen projectors on FE, LX, EX and standard Touring rate Poor. The only Good headlights are the HID projectors on Touring with the Advanced Technology Package.

The low, wagon-like body and tall glass give good forward and side sightlines. Rear three-quarter vision is ordinary. A rear camera is standard, but there is no surround view, and parking sensors are limited to upper trims.

IIHS rates the LATCH hardware Acceptable for this generation. Two outboard positions have full LATCH and the center seat has a tether only. The compact rear seat makes rear-facing seats tight.

Every 2017 Niro is a two-row five-seater, normal for a subcompact crossover but low in a band that runs to 8.

40.1 in of front headroom is comfortably above average for a small crossover.

41.7 in of front legroom is adequate but below the SUV band midpoint.

The wagon-like flat roofline leaves 39.1 in of rear headroom, excellent for the class.

37.4 in of rear legroom is competitive for a subcompact and fits adults on moderate trips.

The Niro has no third row on any trim, so it scores at the bottom of the band.

19.4 cu ft behind the rear seats is modest even for a subcompact crossover and falls below the floor of the SUV band.

54.5 cu ft with the rear seats folded sits just under the SUV band floor, closer to a compact hatchback than a true crossover.

Storage is ordinary but sensible: an open bin with USB and 12V ports ahead of the shifter, a center console, door pockets and an underfloor cargo tray. No standout trick and no household outlet.

Reviewers find the seats comfortable for daily use and the rear bench roomy for the class; volume LX/EX trims have manual seats, with a power driver seat and memory only on Touring.

It rides comfortably over uneven pavement on the 16-in wheels of FE/LX/EX; the 18-in Touring setup is firmer. Composed rather than plush.

Kia used extra front-structure insulation and acoustic windshield glass, and the cabin is fairly quiet at a cruise, but the 1.6L engine gets loud and buzzy under hard acceleration.

Heated front seats arrive at the mid EX trim; ventilated seats and a heated steering wheel are Touring-only. No remote preconditioning on any 2017 trim.

The launch-year 2017 Niro opened with the 50-MPG FE trim at $22,890, plus $895 destination.

The LX, which adds Smart Key, roof rails and LED taillights over the FE, is treated as the volume trim. A typically optioned EX at about $26,600 would still sit at the cheap end of the SUV band.

Industry projections disagree widely. CarEdge puts nameplate maintenance and repair at about $2,640 over 5 years, while Edmunds' new-car projection for the closely related 2020 Niro was about $6,500. RepairPal puts the 2017 at about $426 a year, so this score uses a figure toward the upper-middle of that range.

CarEdge projects about 50% retention for the nameplate. The 2017's fifth year (2022) fell in the used-car price spike, when hybrid demand lifted values, so actual retention was likely higher. The score uses a figure slightly above the midpoint.

Kia's 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty beats the 3-year/36,000-mile segment norm.

Kia's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain coverage (original owner) and its matching hybrid-battery coverage lead the industry.

There is no complimentary scheduled maintenance. Kia includes 5-year/60,000-mile roadside assistance and UVO3 connectivity, which puts it in the basic-roadside band.

$24,095 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (56% retained, or about $13,493) leaves about $10,602 in depreciation. Add the projected $5,500 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $16,102 in total.

2017 was the Niro's US launch year, the first year of the first generation (2017–2022). At launch the signals were very strong: Consumer Reports' 2017 survey gave the Niro the highest predicted reliability of any model, and J.D. Power rates the 2017 at 83/100 for Quality & Reliability and gave it a quality award for few early problems. With hindsight it looks worse: CR's owner data now rates the 2017 below other 2017 models, with problems in brakes and exhaust, and the launch-year car carries the most recalls of any Niro year. Strong predictors offset by first-year teething problems, so this sits just above the segment median and below the refreshed 2020.

When the 2017 model was current, Kia ranked first among all brands in J.D. Power's 2016 and 2017 Initial Quality Studies, and it later became the top mass-market brand in the Vehicle Dependability Study. It is mid-to-upper pack in Consumer Reports' brand rankings. The Theta II and Nu engine campaigns from this era keep it short of the consistent top-5 band. None of those engines are in the Niro, but this item grades the brand.

As the launch year, the 2017 Niro Hybrid has the heaviest recall record of the generation: four NHTSA campaigns, all of them fire risks in the hybrid propulsion system or the DCT. Two were for the DCT's hydraulic clutch actuator: 18V-257 (an inner oil seal leak that can short) and 23V-534 (fluid into the actuator's circuit board). The other two were for the power relay assembly main relay under the rear seat: 18V-666, then superseded by 22V-836 because the first fix was not enough. Repeated fire-risk recalls, including a failed remedy, put this in the low band.

The Niro Hybrid uses a 1.6L Kappa GDI engine and a 32 kW motor with a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission (139 hp combined), a family shared with the Ioniq Hybrid that has since built a high-mileage record. In 2017 that powertrain was new, and the launch-year units carry both hydraulic clutch actuator recalls as well as the high-voltage relay fix. Owners also report low-speed DCT judder and GDI carbon build-up. A sound design with real launch-year flags, so lower middle band.

This is the pre-refresh cabin, with a 7-inch touchscreen on most trims (8-inch with navigation). It has soft-touch upper dash and door surfaces, but there is plenty of hard plastic lower down. Reviewers found it sensible and well assembled for the price but plain rather than premium, so it is competitive rather than class-leading.

J.D. Power recognised the 2017 Niro for few owner-reported problems in the first 90 days, and Kia led the 2017 Initial Quality Study. NHTSA has no complaints filed under the 2017 Niro. Later CR owner data shows scattered issues, so generally solid but a touch below the matured 2020 build.

Kia's roughly 800 US dealers put service within reach almost anywhere, and the Niro's hybrid hardware is shared with Hyundai's Ioniq. Service satisfaction is the weak half: Kia sits below the mass-market average in J.D. Power's Customer Service Index. A dense network with an ordinary service experience.

Upkeep is cheap: RepairPal puts the Niro at about $377 a year, below Kia's brand average, and parts supply is plentiful from a six-year first-generation run. The high-voltage system and DCT are dealer-only work. Most 2017 cars are now past the 10-year/100,000-mile hybrid warranty, and second owners only ever had 5-year/60,000-mile coverage.

The volume trims use a 7-in UVO touchscreen; the 8-in navigation screen is limited to the Touring.

Kia's UVO system is simple and responsive with physical climate and audio knobs, praised as user-friendly, though the 7-in screen is small.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on every trim, even FE, but only wired; no wireless projection was offered.

Native navigation comes only with the Touring's 8-in screen and voice control is basic; most owners rely on phone projection.

The base six-speaker system is adequate; an eight-speaker Harman Kardon system with subwoofer is Touring-only.

2017 Niros pair analog dials with a small LCD information display; no full-digital cluster was offered.

The 2017 Niro has no over-the-air vehicle or map updates; map updates are via dealer or owner download.

UVO eServices is a phone-tethered app suite (diagnostics, service info) without embedded-modem remote start or lock; no digital key.

Front USB and 12V ports sit in the bin ahead of the shifter; wireless charging is Touring-only, and there is no USB-C or AC outlet.

Smart Key with push-button start is standard from the LX up (not on FE). No remote start, hands-free liftgate or phone-as-key.

A rear camera is standard, but front and rear parking sensors are Touring-only and no surround view was offered.

No head-up display was offered on any 2017 Niro trim.

Generous rear head- and legroom and wide rear doors make loading kids easy, but the 19.4 cu ft cargo area is tight for a stroller plus groceries.

IIHS crash tests are Good across the board, but AEB is Touring/package-only and most trims carry Poor-rated halogen headlights; blind-spot detection starts at EX.

Four adults ride comfortably with good rear headroom, but rear amenities are thin and 19.4 cu ft of cargo limits luggage for four.

Compact, easy to see out of and smooth on electric assist at low speed; the DCT feels more natural than a CVT. Adaptive cruise is limited to Touring/packages.

At 49-50 MPG combined (FE 50, LX/EX 49) it is among the cheapest crossovers to commute in, with inexpensive consumables.

A short, hatchback-sized footprint and a ~35-ft turning circle make it easy in the city; rear camera standard, sensors Touring-only.

No US tow rating, modest cargo and a 139-hp powertrain: not meaningfully work-capable.

The hybrid powertrain has proven reasonably durable and carries a 10-yr/100k-mile powertrain warranty, but it has no fleet-work reputation.

Beyond roof rails (LX and up), there are no outlets, no hitch and no work-oriented provisions.

Excellent economy gives long range per tank and a fairly quiet cruise, but the engine drones on grades and adaptive cruise is limited to upper configurations.

Front-drive only with about 6.3 in of ground clearance and no tow rating; roof rails help with gear, but it is pavement-oriented.

The 60/40 split rear seat and roof rails help, but 54.5 cu ft maximum is small and there is no hitch option.

Reviewers call it surprisingly nimble and planted for a hybrid crossover, but low-rolling-resistance tires limit grip and it is not engaging.

Steering is direct with appropriate weight but offers little road feel.

Regen blending is smooth for everyday stops, though the pedal is slightly soft and emergency-stop performance is middling.

The six-speed DCT gives conventional, CVT-free shifts and smooth electric pull-away, though low-speed DCT hesitation and slow hard acceleration are noted.

Quiet when cruising or on electric power, but the 1.6L four sounds buzzy at full throttle.

A 17.4-ft turning radius gives about a 34.8-ft circle, among the tightest for an SUV.

Tilt/telescoping wheel, logical physical controls and good outward visibility suit most drivers; volume trims have manual seats, with a power driver seat only on Touring.

The DCT makes it feel livelier than CVT hybrid rivals, but 9-second-plus 0-60 times keep it in pleasant-appliance territory.

Even the base FE comes with a 7-inch touchscreen, rearview camera, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and cruise control. Blind-spot detection waits for the EX, and AEB and adaptive cruise were extra-cost packages, so the equipment is competitive rather than loaded.

In 2017, a 50-MPG-rated hybrid crossover from under $24,000 with the industry's longest warranty had few direct rivals; it undercut the Prius and the RAV4 Hybrid. Modest acceleration and no AWD keep it out of the top band.

There are five hybrid trims from $22,890 to $29,650, plus three option packages. In 2017 it was hybrid-only (the PHEV arrived for 2018 and the EV later), with one engine and FWD only.

A strong launch year at 27,237 US units made it one of the best-selling hybrids outside Toyota, though it was well behind the subcompact-SUV volume leaders.

In 2017, Kia was a value brand with improving quality rankings but no aspirational halo yet; the Stinger and Telluride came later.

As a new launch, it had modest incentives at first. Kia's usual cash and financing offers were common later in the model year as 2018 inventory arrived.

2017 was the launch year of an all-new dedicated hybrid platform (shared with the Hyundai Ioniq), with a dual-clutch transmission and current infotainment.

Reviewers praised its fuel economy, practicality, conventional crossover styling and value, and it set a Guinness hybrid fuel-economy record. Leisurely performance kept it from top comparison-test honors.