Compare the2024 Volvo S60VS 2024 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid

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
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volvo S60 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The S60’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Niro Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the S60 and Niro Plug-In Hybrid have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The S60 Plus/Ultimate has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The S60 has a standard Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WHIPS allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The Niro Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The S60 has standard Post-impact braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Niro Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The S60 offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Niro Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The S60 offers an optional 360° Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Niro Plug-In Hybrid only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the S60 and the Niro Plug-In Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The Volvo S60 weighs 441 to 1127 pounds more than the Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the S60 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 131 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Niro Plug-In Hybrid has not been tested, yet.

Warranty

The S60’s corrosion warranty is 7 years and unlimited miles longer than the Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s (12/unlimited vs. 5/100,000).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the S60 for 4 years and 40,000 miles. Volvo will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Niro Plug-In Hybrid.

Reliability

The battery on the S60 is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the S60’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

Engine

The S60 B5’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 67 more horsepower (247 vs. 180) and 63 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 195) than the Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The S60 T8’s standard 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 275 more horsepower (455 vs. 180) and 328 lbs.-ft. more torque (523 vs. 195) than the Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

The S60 T8 can travel with zero emissions on electricity, only, on a full charge for 41 miles. The Niro Plug-In Hybrid has to start its internal combustion engine after only 33 miles.

Both the S60 and Niro Plug-In Hybrid have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The S60 (except S60 T8) has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The S60 has 6.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Niro Plug-In Hybrid (15.9 vs. 9.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The S60 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 Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Volvo S60, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Niro Plug-In Hybrid.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the S60’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Niro Plug-In Hybrid:

	S60	Niro Plug-In Hybrid
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	11 inches
Rear Rotors	12.6 inches	10.3 inches

The S60’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Niro Plug-In Hybrid are solid, not vented.

The S60 stops much shorter than the Niro Plug-In Hybrid:

	S60	Niro Plug-In Hybrid
60 to 0 MPH	114 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the S60 has larger tires than the Niro Plug-In Hybrid (235/45R18 vs. 205/60R16). The S60’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Niro Plug-In Hybrid (235/45R18 vs. 225/45R18).

The S60’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Niro Plug-In Hybrid EX’s standard 60 series tires. The S60’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Niro Plug-In Hybrid SX’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the S60 has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Niro Plug-In Hybrid EX. The S60’s optional 19-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Niro Plug-In Hybrid SX.

The S60 has a standard space-saver spare (not available on T8) 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 Plug-In Hybrid; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

The S60 has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Niro Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the S60’s wheelbase is 6 inches longer than on the Niro Plug-In Hybrid (113.1 inches vs. 107.1 inches).

The S60 Plus AWD handles at .91 G’s, while the Niro Plug-In Hybrid EX pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

Chassis

The design of the Volvo S60 amounts to more than styling. The S60 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .27 Cd. That is lower than the Niro Plug-In Hybrid (.29) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the S60 get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

The S60 has .8 inches more front legroom, 2 inches more front hip room and .4 inches more rear hip room than the Niro Plug-In Hybrid.

Cargo Capacity

Pressing a button automatically lowers the S60’s optional rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Niro Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

With its sedan body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the S60 offers cargo security. The Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s sport utility bodystyle defeats cargo security.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the S60. The Niro Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The S60 has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The Niro Plug-In Hybrid has no towing capacity.

Optional Trailer Stability Assist on the S60 uses the Dynamic Stability and Traction Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Niro Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Niro Plug-In Hybrid SX, the S60 Ultimate/Polestar has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The S60’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. With the Niro Plug-In Hybrid SX’s power windows, only the front windows open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the S60 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Niro Plug-In Hybrid can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the S60 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Niro Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The S60’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Niro Plug-In Hybrid EX’s standard projector halogen headlights and light instantly. LED lights also last over twenty times longer than halogen.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The S60 offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Niro Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the S60 has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Niro Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer cornering lights. The S60 also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The S60’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 Plug-In Hybrid offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Volvo S60, based on reliability, safety and performance.