The Kia Niro plug-in hybrid won’t have a 2026 model in the United States, the company confirmed. Let’s pause to appreciate the phrasing: “due to changing market conditions”.
The Niro crossover has been sold in the US with three powertrain options, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and full electric, yet even with this triple threat, it struggled to find an audience, sellingjust 31,182 units last year across all variants. Kia doesn’t break down sales by powertrain, but it’s a safe bet the PHEV, currently starting at $35,935, held the smallest slice of an already modest pie.
The first-generation Niro plug-in hybrid debuted in 2018. Then, in 2023, the second generation arrived stateside with roomier interiors and improved electric range, jumping from 26 to 33 miles on a full charge. Recently, the Niro received a facelift in South Korea, its home market, but whether the redesigned model will land in the US remains unclear. Whether the Niro PHEV will ever return is even murkier.
This discontinuation comes hot on the heels of another production pause at Hyundai Motor Group, Kia’s parent company. The Hyundai Kona Electric, which shares its platform with the Kia Niro EV, is skipping the 2026 model year because dealers still have 2025 models gathering dust on their lots. The Kona EV will return as a 2027 model, with US production at the South Korean plant set to resume this summer.
The Kia Niro PHEV now joins a growing list of discontinued plug-in models from companies like Stellantis, Ford, and General Motors. Meanwhile, Jeep’s 4xe models, the Dodge Hornet PHEV, the Ford F-150 Lightning, and the Chevrolet BrightDrop van get to keep their seats at the table.
So here we are. Another plug-in hybrid bites the dust, not because it failed spectacularly, but because it succeeded just enough to not matter. The Niro PHEV didn’t crash and burn, it just faded quietly into irrelevance, which somehow feels worse.
