Compare the2022 Kia Niro Plug-In HybridVS 2022 Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Niro Plug-In Hybrid are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Niro Plug-In Hybrid has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid.

Both the Niro Plug-In Hybrid and the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available rear parking sensors.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia 6th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 8th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 7th.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid’s suspension doesn’t offer rear gas-charged shocks.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid is 4.5 inches shorter than the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid, making the Niro Plug-In Hybrid easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid has 4.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid (100.9 vs. 96.2).

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid has 1 inch more front headroom, 1.7 inches more rear headroom, 1.7 inches more rear legroom and .2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s standard front power windows lower with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid’s standard power windows’ passenger windows don’t open automatically.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Niro Plug-In Hybrid has a standard rear wiper. The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

When the Niro Plug-In Hybrid EX Premium is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Niro Plug-In Hybrid EX Premium keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the Niro Plug-In Hybrid EX Premium’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid EX/EX Premium has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid EX Premium has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Kia Niro outsold the Hyundai Ioniq by 28% during 2020.