2022 Kia Niro gets concept-inspired refresh, new interior

The influence of the HabaNiro concept on its production-ready descendant is evident in elements such as the clamshell bonnet, steeper C-pillar and protruding lip across the bootlid. Camouflage obscured the key details of a recently spotted prototype, but it looks as though the Niro will also adopt boomerang-shaped vertical rear light clusters, similar to those of the smaller Hyundai Bayon crossover from Kia's sibling brand. 

Equally extensive changes have been made inside, where flush buttons and switches give a cleaner look to the centre console, and the climate controls appear to have been replaced by a touch-sensitive sliding panel. As with the EV6, the central infotainment screen and digital gauge cluster occupy a free-standing panel, while the same minimalist steering wheel, with one central spoke, has been carried over. 

Kia achieves record UK sales

As Kia marked 30 years in the UK market last month, it also celebrated capturing a 5% market share for the first time, in the first half of 2021. That’s up from around 1.5% in 2007, and managing director Paul Philpott called it the achievement of a “landmark number”. 

With 45,300 sales over the first six months, Kia became the eighth-biggest brand in the UK, with a significantly above-average proportion of electrified car sales (31%, excluding mild hybrids) compared with other combustion car manufacturers. In addition, its 6500 sales of pure-electric cars put it second only to Tesla in that segment. The brand achieved record sales in April, May and June. 

Philpott said: “We’ve got a great order bank for quarter three, which puts us on track for 90,000 sales for the full year, which was our original plan for 2021. It was also our plan for 2020, so we’re pretty much back where we wanted to be pre-Covid. 

“That all depends on how much supply we can get in the second half. Demand is certainly there to achieve that level of sales, and we’re working closely with Korea and our European headquarters in Frankfurt to maximise supply for the UK market, and things are looking okay. We’d like more supply, but the shortage of semiconductors is affecting every brand.”