From Prius to Niro
Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2018 12:04 pm
I came to the Niro after five completely trouble-free years in a Gen3 Prius – (longer than I ever kept a car before): So I’m well placed to make comparisions; though obviously these are subjective. Like its predecessor; the new Prius is a bit low for the ageing gent so I was looking for something a bit taller. . . and anyway I don’t like the design of the new Prius!
On the plus side; the Niro is very comfortable for a modestly-priced car and while the boot is a few inches shorter than the Prius, its more regular shape makes it quite useful.
While the Prius would revert to the petrol engine when faced with the mildest demand, i.e. a slight incline or pulling away in traffic; the Niro can sustain battery power for longer.
However the Niro’s less-aerodynamic shape probably contributes to slightly higher petrol consumption: When balanced out I find the overall petrol cost to be pretty much the same between both cars. I really like being able to flip the gear-shift into Sport if needed urgently; pulling out into busy fast-moving traffic for example. The Prius has a Power button on the dash which provides roughly the same boost; but it’s not as intuitive or convenient as the Niro’s option.
In terms of hybrid operation, I think the Prius is the smarter car: Its large hybrid battery charges the small aux battery so there’s no alternator – in fact there are no belts whatsoever under a Prius bonnet. Prius air-con is powered by the hybrid battery. On a longer journey, coasting and occasional braking provides more regenerated power than the hybrid system can use, and so is wasted. But in the Prius this surplus power provides virtually free air-con. It’s a clever trick that Kia missed.
In the Niro, the LED’s that highlight all buttons are red and not at all obvious in the dark.
Yes I know there’s a dimmer control, but it also controls the main cluster dial brightness.
So turning this up enough to make the red LEDS clearer means that the dial illumination is excessive…at least to me. White LEDs rather than red would have prevented this.
Finally, while the Niro is quiet while running on battery; mine has an annoying raspy engine note at some revs, almost like diesel! This is more obvious at lower speeds. The dealer had a listen and thought it was normal – has anyone else noticed this?
On the plus side; the Niro is very comfortable for a modestly-priced car and while the boot is a few inches shorter than the Prius, its more regular shape makes it quite useful.
While the Prius would revert to the petrol engine when faced with the mildest demand, i.e. a slight incline or pulling away in traffic; the Niro can sustain battery power for longer.
However the Niro’s less-aerodynamic shape probably contributes to slightly higher petrol consumption: When balanced out I find the overall petrol cost to be pretty much the same between both cars. I really like being able to flip the gear-shift into Sport if needed urgently; pulling out into busy fast-moving traffic for example. The Prius has a Power button on the dash which provides roughly the same boost; but it’s not as intuitive or convenient as the Niro’s option.
In terms of hybrid operation, I think the Prius is the smarter car: Its large hybrid battery charges the small aux battery so there’s no alternator – in fact there are no belts whatsoever under a Prius bonnet. Prius air-con is powered by the hybrid battery. On a longer journey, coasting and occasional braking provides more regenerated power than the hybrid system can use, and so is wasted. But in the Prius this surplus power provides virtually free air-con. It’s a clever trick that Kia missed.
In the Niro, the LED’s that highlight all buttons are red and not at all obvious in the dark.
Yes I know there’s a dimmer control, but it also controls the main cluster dial brightness.
So turning this up enough to make the red LEDS clearer means that the dial illumination is excessive…at least to me. White LEDs rather than red would have prevented this.
Finally, while the Niro is quiet while running on battery; mine has an annoying raspy engine note at some revs, almost like diesel! This is more obvious at lower speeds. The dealer had a listen and thought it was normal – has anyone else noticed this?