2022 Kia Niro spy photos
The next-generation of Kia's electrified Niro model has been caught, but no word yet on an Australian release.
The 2022 Kia Niro has been spotted testing in Europe wearing heavy camouflage.
Though the current Niro has never been sold in Australia – despite Kia having plans to offer it locally, despite multiple delays– the second-generation Niro seen in these photos might have a better chance of making it Down Under.
Based on the 'J-Eco' architecture shared with the Hyundai Ioniq, the current Niro was first introduced in 2016, with the all-electric version arriving in 2018. Despite being introduced so recently, Kia is already preparing its replacement.
MORE: 2020 Kia E-Niro review
The outgoing Niro is a small SUV available with three powertrains: hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and fully electric – the lattermost available in the e-Niro variant. It's expected the new Niro will follow the same playbook, but it's possible Australia may not get all three options if the vehicle does arrive Down Under.
Despite the heavy camouflage revealing little of the 2022 Niro, we can see the rear LED tail-lights resemble the Kia Habaniro concept car, first shown in 2019 (pictured at the bottom of this story).
While the butterfly doors, long sweeping windscreen, and bright red interior of the Habaniro concept won't be seen on the production car, we can expect the styling to influence the design direction of the new Niro.
In late October 2020, Kia's boss revealed the Korean car company would be relaunching the brand with a focus on electrified vehicles, with an event expected in January.
CarAdvice has contacted Kia Australia regarding the possibility of the new Niro arriving in local showrooms, and this story will be updated with its response.
The new Kia Niro is expected to be unveiled in the middle of 2021 for a 2022 launch.
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