Compare the2023 Kia NiroVS 2022 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid

Safety
Reliability
Tires and Wheels
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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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 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Ioniq Hybrid doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Niro EX/SX/Touring has standard Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Ioniq Hybrid doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Niro 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. Only the Ioniq Hybrid SEL/Limited has a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the Niro and the Ioniq 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, 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 front and rear parking sensors.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 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 fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 29 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 17th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked third.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Niro has larger standard tires than the Ioniq Hybrid (205/60R16 vs. 195/65R15).

The Niro’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Ioniq Hybrid’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Niro has standard 16-inch wheels. Smaller 15-inch wheels are standard on the Ioniq Hybrid. The Niro Touring’s 18-inch wheels are larger than the 17-inch wheels optional on the Ioniq Hybrid Limited.

Passenger Space

The Niro has 1.4 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front shoulder room, 2.1 inches more rear headroom, 4.1 inches more rear legroom, .1 inches more rear hip room and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Ioniq Hybrid.

Cargo Capacity

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Niro SX’s power liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Niro’s power liftgate can also be opened or closed by pressing a button. The Ioniq Hybrid doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Servicing Ease

The Niro uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Ioniq Hybrid uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The Niro offers a 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 Hybrid doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Niro’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Ioniq Hybrid’s parking brake has to be released manually.

On a hot day the Niro’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Ioniq Hybrid can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Niro EX/SX/Touring’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Ioniq Hybrid’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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

The Niro’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Ioniq Hybrid’s standard projector halogen headlights and light instantly. LED lights also last over twenty times longer than halogen.

The Niro’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Hyundai only offers heated mirrors on the Ioniq Hybrid SEL/Limited.

When the Niro SX 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 Hybrid’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

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

Both the Niro and the Ioniq Hybrid offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Niro EX/SX/Touring has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Ioniq Hybrid doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

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

Recommendations

The Kia Niro outsold the Hyundai Ioniq by 17% during the 2021 model year.