As plug-in hybrid demand continues to soar, Al Suttie tests the PHEV version of Kia’s Niro compact crossover.

Kia Niro 3 1.6 GDi PHEV

List price (BiK): £37,520 (12%) CO2: 21g/km Economy: 313.9mpg Test efficiency: 49.9mpg

Monday

Kia has pretty much all the bases covered with the Niro, offering hybrid, plug-in hybrid and EV versions of its small hatch-ish SUV. The one that arrived today is the halfway house PHEV, which should hold considerable appeal for fleet drivers either looking to move more towards electric driving or, like me, don’t have the option of home charging.

Tuesday

The notion of the Niro being an SUV is one that makes me smile. Like so many cars in this sector, it’s a Volkswagen Golf-sized hatch with a bit of plastic around the wheelarches. This doesn’t make it an SUV, but the Niro does work as a very practical, easy to get into and out of car. That was made clear by my having a shoulder injury, so not having to slump into a low-set car or clamber into a 4×4 is very welcome.

Wednesday

Some of the cabin plastics and materials are not quite on a par with what we’ve to come to expect from Kia in recent years. Next to a Sportage, Sorento or the EV3 that I tried recently, there’s no doubting the toughness of the materials, but they do look made down to a price and feel hard to the touch. However, the simple control for the ventilation and disabling any intrusive driver aids are welcome.

Thursday

I’ve not had a chance to charge up the Niro, so it spends a good chunk of its time driving on petrol power. This is fine around town, where the 1.6-litre motor is quiet, but on the motorway it can become noisy as it revs hard to get the Kia up to speed. The automatic six-speed gearbox also has an irritating habit of dropping down a gear and refusing to change up for prolonged periods, adding to the noise from under the bonnet.

Friday

A longer drive down to the north east of England today and the Niro is in its happy place on the A1. The mix of single and dual carriageway sees the fuel economy easily head north of 50mpg, while the Niro is relaxed and comfortable for this sort of trip. It also has an easy-to-use infotainment set-up, accurate sat-nav and well-shaped seats – my shoulder is still giving me gyp, so this is a real boon.

Saturday

A drawback of choosing the PHEV version of the Niro is that it comes with a smaller boot than the hybrid model. It’s not a massive issue today with the overnight bag plus some other odds and ends I have to stash in there. However, it is more shallow than many other cars in this sector. On the plus side, the floor is flat and the rear seats are quick and easy to tumble forwards.

Sunday

In 3 trim, you get pretty much everything you want or need with the Kia Niro and it’s been an easy car to live with for a week on this front. I’m not so sure I’d opt for the PHEV version, though. With no home charging available, I didn’t feel the benefit of this powertrain as much as I’d like, but for fleet users with ready access to charging the full EV Niro is a better bet.