Kia has taken a stronghold on the hybrid SUV market by successfully marrying size with efficiency, highlighted by the Niro, Sorento, and Sportage.

Kia is working toward its plan of becoming a leader in the

electric vehicle

market, promising to launch seven dedicated EVs by 2027. In the meantime, Kia continues to bridge the gas/electric gap with its innovative hybrid models.

This marks an interesting time to buy a new vehicle—do you buy the established hybrid model or wait for the more experimental electric models? To help you make that decision, we've created this need-to-know guide for Kia Hybrids.

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2022 Kia hybrid models guide

Kia entered the hybrid space in 2011 with the

Kia Optima Hybrid

. The Optima was discontinued in 2021, but after a decade of innovation, Kia is ready to introduce a whole new age of hybrid technology.

Kia is doubling down on market demand with their latest lineup by applying hybrid technology to the

rapidly growing crossover/SUV market

Let’s take a look at how each hybrid model breaks down, along with pricing information and the fuel economy numbers for the base trim:

Model	Vehicle type	Starting price	Fuel economy (base trim)
2022 Kia Niro Hybrid	Crossover	$24,690	51/46/49 mpg (city/highway/combined)
2022 Kia Sorento Hybrid	SUV	$34,090	39/35/37 mpg (city/highway/combined)
2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid	Compact SUV	$27,290	42/44/43 mpg (city/highway/combined)

There are also plug-in hybrid (PHEV) versions of the Niro and Sorento. Before we discuss them, let’s cover some terminology:

AER: All-electric range - maximum driving range before switching to gas engine

MPGe: Miles per gallon equivalent - average distance traveled per unit of energy consumed

TDR: Total driving range - total distance traveled on a full tank of gas and a fully charged electric battery

Here are some specs for Kia’s plug-in hybrids:

Model	Vehicle type	Starting price	After federal tax credit	Fuel economy (base trim)
2022 Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid	Crossover	$29,590	$25,047	26/105/560 (AER/MPGe/TDR)
2022 Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid	SUV	$45,190	$38,603	32/79/460 (AER/MPGe/TDR)

Kia also makes two fully electric vehicles: The EV6 and the Niro EV. Here are their specs:

Model	Vehicle type	Starting price	After federal tax credit	Fuel economy (base trim)
2022 Kia EV6	Crossover	$40,900	$33,400	310-mile AER
2022 Niro EV	Crossover	$39,990	$32,490	239-mile AER

Hybrid, plug-in hybrid, electric car: what’s the difference?

The Kia

Niro

is offered in all three fuel-efficient configurations as well as a traditional gasoline-powered version. Here are the differences between them:

Hybrid vehicles still require gas, but their electric motors work in tandem with combustion engines to aid acceleration and provide power.

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) can function solely on a rechargeable battery for an AER (all-electric range) of up to 50 miles. Once the battery dies, the gas engine kicks in.

Electric vehicles rely solely on the power generated from your rechargeable battery. Kia has a detailed seven-year roadmap for its EV technology.

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The best Kia hybrid cars

Are you looking to get a Kia Hybrid of your own? These are our recommendations:

Best Kia hybrid overall: Kia Sorento Hybrid

One of the nation's favorite SUVs has officially gone hybrid. Since beginning production in 2021, the Kia Sorento Hybrid has quickly become a popular choice among consumers for its three rows of seating and combined fuel economy of 37 mpg.

Here’s some of what the Sorento Hybrid has to offer:

Thrilling acceleration: 227 hp turbocharged engine

Real driving feel: shift by wire transmission system

Extended road trip range: estimated range of 655 miles

No external charging: the battery recharges while you drive

Standard safety: standard blind-spot detection and auto emergency braking technology

Best used Kia hybrid: Kia Optima Hybrid

The Kia Optima served as the automaker’s experimental model for hybrid technology from 2011 to 2021. But by 2017, Kia had become a respected leader in the hybrid marketplace, which led to some overextended MSRPs.

However, now that five years have passed, the 2017

Kia Optima Hybrid

presents a unique buying opportunity on the used market. For about $16,000 you can get a 193-hp engine, a combined fuel economy of 42 mpg, and a luxurious interior. Considering how competitive these features remain today, this is quite the bargain!

Best Kia PHEV: Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid

A new 2022

Kia Niro PHEV

can cost as little as $25,000 after federal tax credits. With an EPA-estimated AER of 26 miles and 105 MPGe, the Niro PHEV saves the average driver $4,750 in fuel costs over five years. These savings are tough to overlook.

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Are Kia hybrids worth it?

Let’s break down what makes Kia hybrids so good.

Performance

Kia’s innovative Full Parallel Hybrid System can switch intelligently between electricity and gas to match your driving environment. This technology optimizes fuel efficiency so that you're getting the most out of your investment.

This comes with a tradeoff—the 2022 Sorento Hybrid has an underwhelming 0-to-60 speed of 8.4 seconds, compared to the traditional internal combustion Sorento’s sub-seven-second time. This varies across models, but it’s something to consider if you’re looking for a fast ride. If that’s your main concern, though, you likely aren’t looking for a hybrid.

Reliability

As Kia’s hybrid technology has progressed, one thing has remained constant: the Niro Hybrid regularly tops expert reliability rankings. In 2018, the Niro got a 5 out of 5 in all but three of Consumer Reports' reliability categories.

Cost of ownership

A vehicle’s true cost is much more than the sticker price at the dealership. When you look closely at the true cost of ownership, a hybrid’s value becomes more clear.

Let’s look at the Sorento, which consistently places in the upper half of Kia's sales figures. The starting MSRP for a 2021 Sorento EX is $40,735, but Edmunds calculates the five-year cost of ownership as $49,670. That includes:

Insurance: $6,772

Maintenance

: $6,178

Repairs: $747

Financing: $3,592

Taxes and fees: $4,454

Fuel: $10,289

Depreciation: $17,638

By contrast, the five-year cost to own a 2021 Sorento EX Hybrid sedan is just $45,459—even though the starting MSRP is around $1,000 more at $41,615!

Most of these cost savings come from fuel and maintenance, but you could also be eligible for insurance discounts or

federal tax credits of up to $7,500

How to get sustainable rates on car insurance

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