Kia’s compact hybrid gets a midcycle refresh with new styling, upgraded driver-assistance tech, and a new S trim—but the familiar 139-hp hybrid powertrain carries over.
The Kia Niro has always occupied an interesting spot in the hybrid world. It’s more crossover-shaped than a traditional compact hatchback, more efficient-minded than most small SUVs, and considerably less complicated than Kia’s growing lineup of EVs. For 2027, Kia isn’t messing with that formula. Instead, it’s giving the Niro a fresh face, more technology, and a slightly reshuffled trim lineup.
Pricing starts at $29,890 for the 2027 Niro LX, excluding a $1,495 destination charge. Above it sits a new S trim at $30,590, followed by the EX at $31,390, SX at $35,440, and SX Touring at $38,990.
A Fresh Face for Kia’s Small Hybrid
The biggest changes are easy to spot. Kia has redesigned both the front and rear fascias, incorporating its now-familiar Star Map lighting graphics to bring the Niro closer to newer members of the brand’s lineup.
New exterior colors join the palette, while the cabin receives its own round of updates. Kia hasn’t reinvented the Niro’s interior, but the refreshed model can now be equipped with the brand’s Connected Car Navigation Cockpit, better known as ccNC.
Besides providing a newer infotainment interface, ccNC supports over-the-air software updates, helping bring the Niro’s electronics closer to those found in Kia’s latest vehicles.
There’s more driver-assistance tech, too. Highway Driving Assist 2 is newly available for 2027, along with a 360-degree Surround View Monitor and Blind-Spot View Monitor. The latter displays a camera view of the adjacent lane when the turn signal is activated, a feature already familiar from several larger Kia and Hyundai models.
Same Hybrid Power, With Chassis Tweaks
Under the hood, things remain familiar. Every 2027 Niro uses a 1.6-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine paired with an electric motor and a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Combined output remains 139 horsepower, so anyone hoping the facelift would bring a meaningful performance bump will have to keep waiting.
Kia has instead focused on refinement. The company says suspension tuning has been revised to improve ride comfort, while additional work has been done to reduce cabin noise. Those changes could prove more meaningful in everyday driving than a modest horsepower increase, particularly given the Niro’s efficiency-focused mission.
Front-wheel drive remains standard across the lineup; Kia has not announced an all-wheel-drive version.
2027 Kia Niro Pricing
The 2027 Niro lineup starts below $30,000 before destination, but the spread between the entry-level LX and range-topping SX Touring is substantial.
| Trim | MSRP |
|---|---|
| Niro LX FWD | $29,890 |
| Niro S FWD | $30,590 |
| Niro EX FWD | $31,390 |
| Niro SX FWD | $35,440 |
| Niro SX Touring FWD | $38,990 |
All prices exclude Kia’s $1,495 destination charge.
Perhaps the more notable change is what isn’t on the list. Kia describes the refreshed 2027 Niro range as exclusively hybrid, with the five trims centered around the same 139-hp gasoline-electric setup.
That makes this refresh less about reinventing the Niro and more about keeping Kia’s smallest hybrid crossover current. The styling now better matches the brand’s latest products, the available technology takes a meaningful step forward, and the mechanical package sticks with the formula the Niro already knows.