Kia Motors unveils Niro plug-in hybrid

Kia Motors will release a plug-in hybrid model of its sports utility vehicle Niro, the first plug-in hybrid model for Korean SUVs. Niro PHEV has maximized fuel efficiency with 840 kilometers of mileage when fully charged, the Korean car maker said on Monday.

Kia has also unveiled the latest 2018 Niro equipped with upgraded batteries. Its supplementary battery, which was embedded at the back of the trunk, is now made of lithium ion rather than plumbic acid and is combined into the high voltage lithium ion battery. The inconvenience of changing supplementary batteries has been lifted while there is more space in the trunk. Battery weight is reduced but fuel efficiency has been further enhanced.

The price of Niro PHEV after tax benefits is 33.05 million won (29,561 dollars) for the prestige model and 35.35 million won (31,618 dollars) for the nobless model. The prestige model can be purchased at below 30 million won (26,833 dollars) if government subsidy of 5 million won (4,472 dollars) is applied.

Woo-Shin Han hanwshin@donga.com