2022 Kia Niro gets new badge, a few price drops

It would seem that Kia looked at the 2021 Niro and decided it liked everything it saw except for one glaring thing. The small electrified crossover will arrive on dealer lots with no major changes except for the new Kia badge placed on the grille, tailgate, wheel center caps, and steering wheel. The PHEV and Electric versions of the Niro also get the new badging. 

Beyond the car itself, there are some minor updates to pricing and trim levels. Five trims will cross into next year, the same number as now, but with one name change: Touring has become LXS SE. And there are three noteworthy price decreases. The lineup and pricing after a $1,175 destination charge, with any difference from 2021 in parentheses: 

• LX: $25,865
• LXS: $27,265
• LXS SE: $28,765 (currently the Touring, an $800 price drop comes with the trim name change)
• Touring SE: $29,890 ($1,060 price drop)
• EX Premium: $31,990 ($960 price drop)

Kia gave the Niro some extra convenience features for the 2021 model year like wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, as well as a proximity entry. The carmaker also raised prices on the LX, LXS, and Touring trims by a couple hundred dollars. The price drop on the LXS SE wipes out this year's increase and then some.

The Niro plug-in hybrid pricing is found below. 

• PHEV LXS: $30,765 ($31,940)
• PHEV EX: $33,390 ($34,565)
• PHEV EX Premium: $37,665 ($60 price drop)

The Niro Electric offers fewer trim levels, both of which now come standard with a 10.25-inch touchscreen that features navigation. It is eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit. 

• EV EX: $41,165 ($900 drop)
• EV EX Premium: $45,825

It's possible Kia's guarding its powder to make a Niro-sized bang later this year. Autocar reports Kia will debut a new Niro later this year for a 2023 introduction. The new generation will supposedly adopt "a more overtly SUV shape" outside and take a lot of inspiration for its insides from the Kia HabaNiro concept the brand debuted at the 2019 New York Auto Show. We'll have to see if that makes it to our shores, or if, like the Sportage, Kia plans a spicier Euro-specific Niro.