Kia announced styling and functional upgrades for the 2020 model year yesterday. Press release here; articles here, here, and here. Features mentioned include: Functional: New 8.0-inch touchscreen display (10.25 inch optional) Redesigned 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster Optional paddle shifters (regen) Optional active lane control and high-beam assist Styling: New projector-type headlamps and fog lamps Chevron-shaped LED running lamps New LED combination lamps Wheel designs revamped Diamond pattern grille Ambient lightning that glows in six colors The two functional features that caught my attention are the optional 10.25 inch display and high beam assist. "The 2020 Kia Niro will arrive in showrooms in early 2020. Pricing will be released in the weeks leading up to its on-sale date. The company confirmed the Plug-In Hybrid model will receive the same updates as its plug-less sibling, and it will go on sale at about the same time. It's reasonable to assume the Niro EV will go under the knife, too, but Kia excluded it from its announcement." I've been wondering what I might miss out on by buying an end-of-year 2019 EV. Although the EV was not included in the announcement, the picture is becoming clearer.
I can't imagine why Kia would want the challenge of managing dual inventories for building a new and old Niro simultaneously. I've got to believe that a refreshed eNiro will follow shortly. My more pressing question, based on my frustrating search, is will LED or HID headlamps become more readily available, and same question for the heat pump.
My guess is that they want to sell down the 2019 EV inventory before making the announcement. I've been tracking two Bay Area dealers. 11 days ago they had 10 and 21 Premiums respectively. Today it's 7 and 17. They may already be producing updated 2020's but keeping quiet about it. I'm thinking more about a Hyundai Kona now. It has better gadgets, including LED headlamps and high beam assist. And the 2020's are at the dealers.
Hey Toolworker, I live in Mountain View and was also watching the inventories before I purchased. Let me know if you have any questions. I strongly recommend you check out the different cargo spaces in person before you commit to Kona . If it is not a big deal for you then do not bother. I also was slightly disappointed the the Premium trim does not come with LED headlamps, but the electrical interface is LED compatible and they look easy to swap out from a video I found online. It might have been this one: The manual implies this can't be done, but the proof is in the pudding.
Hi, David T - I'm a detail person, so tilting toward the Kona is the sum of a lot of factors. In favor of the Niro Premium: A more comfortable size, better rear seat, styling and a really nice white color. Negatives include a stiff steering wheel. I'll need a car in a few weeks, so can't wait for the 2020's to get high beam assist and the 10 inch display. For the Kona Ultimate: Much better handling, and a long list of gadgets including rain-sensing wipers, heads-up display, cornering lights and standard Homelink. The 2020's are available now, with the 10 inch screen. Negatives include small size, a stiff ride, and probably a higher selling price. The cargo space is not a deal-breaker; my wife has a bigger SUV I can borrow. I would be happier with a larger car, but the non-EV Kona does well on safety tests and there are advantages to a small car too. I rented a gas Kona over our Thanksgiving trip and was completely comfortable with it.
Sounds like you did your homework. Interesting comment about the steering. The video review below influenced my decision and confirming some of its content is what made me feel the Niro was better than the Kona from a steering and braking perspective, which ended up being a key point for me. Now, I was trusting this person's judgement and it is just one opinion. They do say both cars are very good in the final summary, and they simply prefer the Niro for reasons that for you might not outweigh your gadget wish list. The handling section starts at 11:30, and the whole video is good and I recommend watching it; it gave me things to pay attention to as I looked over and test drove each one.
Interesting video. I wish I'd seen it before driving both cars. I live on a twisty road, and tested both cars on similarly twisty roads. The Kona put a smile on my face; the Niro didn't. The reviewer did say the Niro's handling is tight (my comment above) rather than fun. I didn't pay a lot of attention to braking, but if it's an issue it'll probably bother me eventually.
