Here is the 2027 Kia Niro.

Kia has just released the first official photos of the 2027 Kia Niro. Which is not a new generation, but a pretty heavy refresh of the current model.

As you can see, the whole front end has been redesigned. As well as the rear of the car. Not just bumpers and headlights. The whole thing now looks more like a member of Kia‘s EV family. Like an alternate version of the EV3. Which will probably work, especially since the Niro is also available as a full EV.

The interior is mostly the same except for the dashboard and some trim changes. It seems the piano black trim has been banished for good. The top of the dashboard, screen, and steering wheel are also new. But also not as original as before. Still, this is a pretty stylish interior. Especially for the price. It also looks more modern and more in line with Kia’s newer models, which should help the Niro feel less outdated next to cars like the Sportage and EV6.

The Niro faces an uncertain future in the US. It was probably supposed to be replaced by the EV3 by now. But Kia’s small EV is late (IF it ever shows up). The Niro EV price is also a problem since it hasn’t changed so far. Starting at around $40,000. That’s just about $3000 cheaper than the larger, more powerfull EV6. And a crazy $5000 more than the 2026 Hyundai Ionic 5. For some reason, Kia has not announced pricing for the 2026 EV6. Which will probably be very close to the Ioniq 5 and much cheaper than the Niro EV.

A $35,000 Ioniq 5 means the EV3 would have to be even cheaper. Where does that leave the Niro EV? It’s hard to see how Kia can justify keeping it around without a major price cut, incentives, or a repositioning of the model entirely.

I personally think that if the EV3 finally makes it over here, the Niro EV will disappear from the US. Leaving only the Hybrid and PHEV trims, which would actually make sense.