Kia's new Niro proves popular with younger drivers

Kia's new Niro SUV [KIA]

Kia’s fully-revamped Niro hybrid SUV has proven popular with young customers in Korea, with the automaker announcing Monday that 46 percent of preorders came from people in their 20s and 30s.

The latest version of the Niro, with a new design and improved fuel efficiency, is the first full-scale update to the model in five years.

Kia said Monday that 46 percent of the 176,000 preorders for the model were from those in their 20s and 30s, which is 16 percentage points higher compared to buyers of its previous version.

The car was most popular with people in their 30s, at 26.7 percent, followed by those in their 50s at 20.9 percent and 20s at 19 percent.

“Compared to the previous Niro, for which the customers in their 20s accounted for 12 percent, the new version is gaining popularity among the young generation,” the automaker said in a release Monday.

“With a design that has become much trendier on top of high fuel efficiency, the younger generation in pursuit of rational consumption seem to be attracted to the new Niro.”

The new Niro was first disclosed to the public at the Seoul Mobility Show last year with a completely redesigned signature Tiger grille and vertical LED rear lamps.

Its fuel efficiency comes to 20.8 kilometers per liter compared to 19.5 for the previous version, making it the most efficient SUV currently sold in Korea, according to the carmaker.

Sales start from Jan. 25 with a price starting from 26.6 million won ($22,000).

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]