2016 KIA Niro 1.6L GDi 6AT FWD (139 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Is it an SUV, is it a car, it was hard to say at that time. The truth be told, the 2016 Kia Niro was a true crossover vehicle unveiled in February 2016 at the Chicago Auto Show.

The Kia Niro received the official Guinness World Records for the lowest fuel consumption in the world for a hybrid vehicle. The official figure was 76.551 mpg (3.07 l/100 km) and it was obtained in real traffic, from Los Angeles to New York on December 11, 2016, by Bob Winger – Wayne Gerdes after a 7 days trip.

The car’s styling was made in Kia’s design center in California by a team led by Peter Schreyer. They created a vehicle with a low roof-line and short overhangs, to maximize the wheelbase and thus offered more inside room. The drag-coefficient of the subcompact crossover SUV was just 0.29, an unusual figure for a car in that class.

Inside, the car featured an uncluttered instrument panel and clean, informative gauges. The big, 2700 mm (106.3”) wheelbase allowed a good interior space. Due to the elevated seating position, typical for a crossover, it allowed a bigger headroom and legroom.

The engine was a 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline unit that ran in Atkinson Cycle technology it was aided by a 43 hp electric motor. The entire system was mated to a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.