LIVE: 2020 Kia Niro PHEV - Things to keep in mind in winter weather.

Plug-In Hybrid Electric vehicles are becoming MUCH more popular than ever before. In this video, we take you through a few things to keep in mind in the winter when it comes to vehicles in this class. We also show you some of the tech features in the Kia Niro PHEV.
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Thanks for watching!

[@markknudsen1755]

Well, me again! Just noticed this video and thought it was insightful! I know if I was able to even afford a PHEV the Niro would definitely be on my list. But, least do enjoy my '17 Niro (in the same Ocean Blue)! Feel PHEVs and BEVs dont get enough love and its nice seeing them being talked about. Especially with the movement away from gas egines. Keep the great videos coming!

[@BrantfordKia]

Thanks for your kind words! Yes, we plan to continue to talk a lot about PHEV's EVs and any other green cars that are made available to us here.

[@greggardner8038]

Just bought one. It was discounted to MSRP out the door and I had to pay 7.2% sales tax. Very nice

[@BrantfordKia]

Nice! You'll love it!

[@JohnRoss1]

Thanks, good information on issues with ice on the driver assist features. Going into a 2nd winter with the Niro EV SX. Got my first Collison warning in heavy traffic on 401 the other day. Better than an accident but felt like a goof. 🤔

[@BrantfordKia]

Yeah, we need to do a better job of preparing people to see that message. It seems like a big scary message if you aren't expecting it.

[@robbilton9006]

Biggest issue I had last winter on the wet coast was fogging glass when using seat and steering wheel alone. I did have the the air-conditioning shut off though. Maybe keeping it on with the temp down works better. With it off the vent to outside closes after a while so there's no air coming in. Opening the sunroof will keep it open, but again I live on the wet coast. Exhaust has a heat exchanger to maximise the heat transfer from running the gas engine. If you look at the temp gauge it rarely goes above 1 bar in EV mode. Uvo App is great to set starting with defrost from the office. Engine will top up the battery, even if it's just heating. We're going to try all weather tires when is time to change.

[@BrantfordKia]

Nice!! Yes, the climate will need to be on a little bit to keep the fans running and clearing the windows. Thanks for sharing your experiences!

[@vyacheslav3377]

I have Niro hybryd) PHEV-very cool!)

[@BrantfordKia]

Nice! Great car!

[@kenrobison9722]

Peter I am about to purchase a 2020 Niro EV. I live in California, so I can't get the exact Canadian version which has some thing the US version doesn't have. I am wondering whether you recommend the Lojack system or some other way to protect the EV from theft. I'm not sure that that is an issue for EVs but wanted to ask your opinion. Thanks, I'll continue to watch your videos they are very helpful, and you are a great, patient and clear presenter. Great asset to Brantford Kia.

[@BrantfordKia]

I don't know enough about the Lojack system to advocate for or against it. In Canada EV thefts aren't a huge issue, but perhaps things are different in California.

[@hancovali]

Thanks for this video. Helped me a lot in my decision to buy this car. Regards from the Netherlands.

[@BrantfordKia]

Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@freddiewhiting9565]

I just bought a 2021 Niro PHEV SX Touring.

[@BrantfordKia]

Nice! You're going to love it!

[@adrianciobotaru9595]

Regular Niro can go 1000 km if you drive at 60 km/h :) getting a medium consumption of 4.x, where x is lower than 5 :)

[@BrantfordKia]

The regular Niro can go a theoretical range of 1000 kms if you can average 4.2 litres per 100 kilometers. I've averaged that mileage for short drives through the country, bit I can tell you with certainty that it's much easier to get mind blowing fuel efficiency numbers in a Niro PHEV where we regularly see people in the 2 litre per 100 kms, which doesn't sound like a massive jump in efficiency until you go to the gas pump and realize that you've spent half as much on fuel compared to the Niro and where you would have spent 100 dollars on fuel in an SUV but it's only 20 bucks in that car. That's where PHEV buyers see real savings! 😉

[@USATFJUMPER]

Thank you for your detailed walk though

[@BrantfordKia]

Thanks for watching!!

[@petermitchell8081]

Hi, you say that it normally has an electric range of 40km. I bought a Niro this year and the range is 58km. I live in the Netherlands with no hills so that might help. I managed to drive 3800km on one tank of petrol but now it’s winter I can see that I will struggle to repeat that.

[@BrantfordKia]

Yeah, I'm always cautious to claim too much range on this car. In our weather, it can really vary. To be honest, I've never seen one as high as 58 kms, so that's great for me to know! Thanks for sharing your experiences!

[@BrantfordKia]

@@nf4887 It's entirely possible if you do a lot of short trips, all of which can be done on purely electric power.

[@siffredy1]

How will the Niro act up a stiff hill,in winter time?while the battery pack is in the back of the car?

[@dandanny5815]

Great review there Peter. But does a PHEV car also use ordinary gasoline like a hybrid car?

[@BrantfordKia]

Yes it does!

[@rodneystagg1865]

The km/h gauge is on the far right. Do many people complain about that position of the gauge being hard to see or read when the steering wheel spokes block the view to the gauge?

[@BrantfordKia]

I haven't heard that complaint yet.

[@rodneystagg1865]

@@BrantfordKia Ok thanks, no PHEV's to Test Drive down here and I even checked on mainland Australia and there are no PHEV's there to Test Drive either. So to Test Drive I have to actually order a Phev to be made in Korea and then shipped out to my location but once it gets here I actually have to buy it regardless whether I like it or not.

[@runforit4203]

Can the cabin be pre-cooled while plugged in? I know that the Niro can’t pre-heat the cabin because I’m pretty sure there isn’t an electric resistance heater. By the way, you should train other Kia Canada salespeople - most are woefully unskilled at selling EVs and PHEVs, unfortunately, and use the initial price point against the PHEV to claim why the PHEV is a poor value versus the hybrid Niro.

[@BrantfordKia]

I don't believe you can pre-heat or pre-cool the vehicle in the way that a full EV would be capable, but that's a great question. I feel like the next generation of PHEV's might be capable of that. Secondly, I appreciate your kind words. I do spend time talking to our own salespeople, and when I attend Kia events, I often hear from other salespeople saying that they use my videos to learn more. I think there's room for improvement when it comes to proper training on EV and PHEV vehicles, no matter what the brand.

[@cmac-xw3gn]

Would a PHEV be equipped with an engine block heater? I’m in a jurisdiction where ICE-equipped vehicles must have a block heater. On a related note, how well do EV/PHEV do when starting in extremely cold weather (below -20C) if they don’t happen to be plugged in?

[@BrantfordKia]

My experience is that these vehicles don't really have any issues starting, but of course, we don't get many days in a row at temperatures that low. I can't provide a scientific answer, but if an EV was plugged in, you wouldn't have anything to worry about, other than the typical reduced range in the cold weather. As far as a PHEV, I don't think it would be a problem, but I haven't done the tests myself.

[@RigiLiquid945]

Hypothetical question: If a rear tire is low, and the tires are rotated, will the display still show that the rear tire is low even though it's now on the front of the car?

[@BrantfordKia]

The car will know which tire is low. So if you rotate your tires, and drive the car, the car will sort out which tire is where, and give you accurate data. Great question!

[@akmanserhat]

I just bought 2022 niro hybrid. Couldn't find changing driving mode. It is always at eco. And please if you can help me about "break in" brand new kia cars. Especially hybrid models. Thank-you

[@BrantfordKia]

To change the drive mode on the Niro Hybrid, just pull the shift lever towards the driver (the same way that you would move it to manually shift gears) if you just tap it to the left, and don't switch gears, you'll have it in Sport mode. Tap the lever back to Drive to put it back in Eco mode. As far as break-in procedure. Check your owner's manual. I don't remember the precise break-in conditions for hybrids, but that's usually in the owner's manual.

[@akmanserhat]

@@BrantfordKia thank you

[@adrianciobotaru9595]

i think that the color of that car is the deep cerulean blue...

[@therealcdnuser]

Is the Niro hybrid available with remote start from the fob or phone app?

[@BrantfordKia]

If it has UVO Intelligence, it should have remote start capability from the app.

[@Christian-jf5ys]

Can you preheat the PHEV Niro using the app?

[@BrantfordKia]

Yes, but it will run the engine.