The Kia Niro Hybrid Plug-In Vehicle (PHEV) melds a traditional car with hybrid propulsion and some amount of all-electric range. For 2020, it sees light styling enhancements, a new trim, and new technology.

This year, Kia replaced the Niro PHEV’s exterior lights, gave it a new diamond-pattern grille, redesigned the bumpers, and added new wheel options. The result is a car that looks familiar, but fresh. The inside hasn't changed as much but still seats 5 people.

All Niro PHEVs come with a 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder engine, 60 horsepower motor, 8.9-kilowatt-hour battery, and six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT). All in, the combination is good for 139 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. You’ll see fuel economy numbers as good as 48 mpg city, 44 highway, and 46 combined. There are 26 miles of electric range, in which the Niro PHEV delivers 105 miles-per-gallon equivalent (MPGe) and 560 miles of total range. You can recharge the Niro PHEV in about 2.5 hours with a standard Level 2 household charger.

The previous EX and EX Premium trims return, but a new base LXS trim slots beneath them for 2020. It comes with projector-beam headlights, LED taillights, keyless access and start, 16-inch aero wheels, rear privacy glass, a new 8-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto, a 6-speaker audio system, dual-zone automatic temperature control, and a 60/40 split-folding rear seat. The other trims tack on such niceties as a wireless phone charger, heated outside mirrors, a larger instrument cluster display, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, leatherette upholstery, a Harman-Kardon 8-speaker audio system with subwoofer, navigation, a 10.25-inch infotainment system, a new power sunroof, and LED headlights.

The Niro PHEV comes standard with Kia’s Drive Wise safety suite, which bundles a rear-view camera, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic detection, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, driver attention warning, and leading vehicle departure warning. Adaptive cruise control, advanced automatic emergency braking with cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, rear occupant alert, and lane-following assist are optional. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tested other members of the Niro family and gave them excellent marks.

The Kia Niro PHEV is the best parts of a gasoline and electric vehicle.