Kia Niro SUV - Reliability & safety

​Despite being on sale since 2016, the outgoing Kia Niro was still riding high in our 2022 Driver Power survey, which bodes well for the new car. Considering its small size, the Niro is also loaded with safety features and driver aids, which not only make it more relaxing to drive, but has also bagged it a strong Euro NCAP safety rating.

Kia Niro reliability

While we don’t have any reliability data for the second-generation Niro yet, buyers will be hoping it replicates the success of the Mk1. That car has been a regular at the sharp end of the Driver Power results since its launch, and the hybrids came an impressive 12th out of the top 75 models in 2022, with the electric e-Niro not far behind in 20th. 

All performed very well for reliability and build quality, but the e-Niro was marked down in the value category owing to its higher price. Kia has also performed well as a manufacturer, coming second in 2021 and third in 2022, behind only Porsche and Tesla.

Even if something should go wrong – which is unlikely – there’s the support of Kia’s seven-year/100,000-mile warranty to fall back on. 

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Safety

Even the entry-level ‘2’ trim comes well stocked with safety kit, including autonomous emergency braking that can detect vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and crossing traffic at junctions. These versions also get Kia’s Smart Cruise Control. 

Kia’s ‘3’ grade adds blind-spot collision avoidance and Highway Driving Assist to help make long trips safer and more relaxing. Even more features are added to ‘4’, such as parking collision avoidance to help avoid often costly car park dings. It also includes parking assistance that can be remotely started and controlled from the key, which is a neat trick allowing the car to be moved forwards and back remotely, in a tight space or garage.

Euro NCAP awarded the standard car four stars out of five, but cars fitted with an optional safety pack get the full five stars. However, it's not clear what additional safety equipment was needed for the five-star score, or whether UK cars come with the necessary features.