Never mind the fact that it's valid for only 10 years, what's more frustrating about it is that it can fluctuate wildly. As little a year ago, the price of a Cat A COE was hovering around the $58,000 mark. Today, it's comfortably over $80,000. You have to be a) loaded, or b) desperate to want to purchase a brand-new car now. But if you were desperate, Kia's new Niro Hybrid might not be a bad choice after all.
Let's begin with the obvious, with prices starting at $161,999 (correct at the time of publishing), the Niro Hybrid is one of the more affordable cars you can buy right now - particularly if you are in the market for a compact hybrid SUV. Yes, $160,000 is considered affordable, it feels strange typing that but that's the world we live in right now.
And because it's a hybrid, running costs should be fairly reasonable. Propelling the car is a 1.6-litre naturally-aspirated in-line four that's paired with a 32kW electric motor.
Kia claims it'll do 4L/100km, and with over 24 hours and more than 200km of testing, I managed a rather impressive 4.6L/100km or 21.74km/l which isn't far off from Kia's claims. This was over a mix of around 60% highway driving and 40% city driving, and with a fairly heavy right foot.
But you don't buy the Niro Hybrid for performance, you buy it for its features and practicality, and it delivers these in spades.
The motor has a surprising amount of low-end grunt. Together, the internal combustion engine and electric motor put out 130hp and 144nm of torque. It may not sound like much but the Niro Hybrid is surprisingly brisk off the line to around 80km/h or so. It's zippy around town and feels more powerful than the numbers on its spec sheet suggest.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Should I Buy Cyberinsurance?
Personal cyberinsurance covers a range of cybercrimes such as cyber extortion, cyberbullying, online fraud, and data loss.
Quick Tips: Five Things To Do If You Get Hacked
It might seem like an obvious choice at first, but many people often resort to panic-clicking device options, rebooting, Googling for solutions, calling tech support (or that tech-savvy friend) for help, all while leaving the compromised device connected.
CLASH OF THE EXECUTIVE SALOONS: BMW 5201 VS MERCEDES-BENZ E200
The BMW 5 series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class are motoring institutions.
SENNHEISER TULLAMORE FACTORY TOUR: HOW THE WORLD'S BEST HEADPHONES ARE MADE IN IRELAND
It’s a relatively common practice for brands to have separate facilities for parts manufacturing and product assembly, whether it’s for cost or other reasons.
Tech Awards 2024 Readers' Choice
BEST OF PERSONAL COMPUTING
Good For Nothing
After a rocky start with the Nothing Phone (1), the company turned things around by releasing the incredible Nothing Phone (2).
A For Affordable AI
The Google Pixel 8a has arrived, offering many features from its flagship siblings at a more affordable price. It maintains a sleek, compact design, making it easy to handle with one hand.
Mercedes Benz EQS SUV
Mercedes-Benz's adoption of electricity has been impressively rapid.
5 Steps To Secure Your Home With A Mesh Network
Firewalls filter data in network traffic to protect the network from a wide variety of malicious attacks and malware.
The Best Hair Straightener
When I first saw the Dyson Airstrait straightener, my immediate feelings were one of cautious optimism.