Compare the2023 GMC TerrainVS 2022 Kia Niro

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The Terrain offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Niro doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Terrain SLT/AT4/Denali offers an optional Surround Vision to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Niro only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

The Terrain has standard OnStar®, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Niro doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Terrain and the Niro have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the GMC Terrain is safer than the Kia Niro:

	Terrain	Niro
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	17%	27%
Neck Stress	190 lbs.	291 lbs.
Neck Compression	10 lbs.	37 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	26%	80%
Neck Stress	153 lbs.	207 lbs.
Neck Compression	51 lbs.	63 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the GMC Terrain is safer than the Kia Niro:

	Terrain	Niro
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	109	138
Abdominal Force	195 lbs.	196 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	55 G’s	77 G’s
Hip Force	630 lbs.	993 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

The Terrain’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Niro’s (6/100,000 vs. 5/100,000).

There are over 2 times as many GMC dealers as there are Kia dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Terrain’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Terrain third among compact suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Niro isn’t in the top three in its category.

Engine

The Terrain’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 36 more horsepower (175 vs. 139) and 8 lbs.-ft. more torque (203 vs. 195) than the Niro’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

Both the Terrain and Niro have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The Terrain has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The Terrain FWD’s standard fuel tank has 3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Niro (14.9 vs. 11.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Terrain AWD’s standard fuel tank has 3.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Niro (15.6 vs. 11.9 gallons).

The Terrain has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Niro doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the GMC Terrain, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Niro.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Terrain’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Niro:

	Terrain	Niro
Front Rotors	11.8 inches	11 inches
Rear Rotors	11.3 inches	10.3 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Terrain has larger standard tires than the Niro (225/65R17 vs. 205/60R16). The Terrain’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Niro (235/50R19 vs. 225/45R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Terrain SLE/AT4 has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Niro LX/LXS/EX Premium. The Terrain’s optional 19-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Niro Touring SE.

The Terrain has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Niro doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Terrain has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Niro; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

The Terrain Denali AWD handles at .79 G’s, while the Niro LXS pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Terrain Denali AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the Niro LXS (27.5 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

Chassis

The front grille of the Terrain offers available electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Niro doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Terrain uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Niro doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Terrain has 2.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Niro (103.2 vs. 100.9).

The Terrain has .7 inches more front hip room, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, 2.3 inches more rear legroom, 3.5 inches more rear hip room and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Niro.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Terrain’s rear seats recline. The Niro’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Terrain has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Niro with its rear seat up (29.6 vs. 19.4 cubic feet). The Terrain has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Niro with its rear seat folded (63.3 vs. 54.5 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the Terrain’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Niro doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Terrain offers an optional power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or on the Terrain SLT/AT4/Denali, by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Niro doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Towing

The Terrain has a 1500 lbs. towing capacity. The Niro has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Terrain uses the StabiliTrak® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Niro doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Terrain SLT/AT4/Denali, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Niro doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Terrain SLT/AT4/Denali’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Niro doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Terrain’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Niro does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Terrain (except SLE) offers an available heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Niro doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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

The Terrain’s front and rear power windows all 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 Niro’s standard power windows’ rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully.

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

The Terrain’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Niro’s power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

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

The Terrain’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Kia only offers heated mirrors on the Niro Touring SE/EX Premium.

The Terrain’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Niro offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Terrain and the Niro offer available heated front seats. The Terrain Denali also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Niro.

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

The Terrain offers an optional 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 Niro doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Terrain Denali’s optional Automatic Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Niro doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

The Terrain will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Terrain will retain 48.41% to 52.67% of its original price after five years, while the Niro only retains 44.32% to 44.64%.

Recommendations

The GMC Terrain outsold the Kia Niro by almost three to one during the 2021 model year.