Kia used its Detroit Motor Show press conference to give us another taste of their upcoming Niro dedicated hybrid model, following a sketch late the previous year.
Dubbed an HUV for ‘Hybrid Utility Vehicle’, the compact crossover model will make its world premiere next month at the 2016 Chicago Auto Show.
Penned at Kia’s design centers in California, USA and Namyang, Korea, the Niro is said to “incorporate the practicality and aesthetic allure of a compact SUV, with a sleek, aerodynamic body and subtly sculptured surfaces”.
Kia said that the crossover will come with a downsized gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain helping it achieve a sub-90 g/km CO2 emissions rating on the European driving cycle.
It’s believed that the Niro shares its underpinnings with Korean group’s other dedicated hybrid, the Hyundai Ioniq, which itself, will be officially revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in March, with the North American specification model making its debut the following month in New York.