The Toyota RAV4 is a popular and well-liked compact SUV, but it has some competition, especially in terms of hybrid and PHEV SUVs. One of the RAV4’s more underrated competitors is the Kia Niro, and unlike the Toyota, the Niro is offered as a traditional hybrid, a PHEV, and an EV. Here’s a comparison between the hybrid and PHEV versions of the 2023 Kia Niro and the 2023 Toyota RAV4 models.

How much horsepower and torque do the Kia Niro and Toyota RAV4 have?

According to Toyota, the RAV4 Hybrid has a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that works with electric motors to get a combined 219 hp and 163 lb-ft of torque. The RAV4 Prime, the PHEV version of the RAV4, also uses a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and some electric motors, and it gets a combined 302 hp and 179 lb-ft of torque rating.

The Kiro Niro, a standard hybrid model, starts with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder powertrain and produces 139 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque. The Niro PHEV has a similar powertrain, as it’s also powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine. However, the Niro PHEV is ultimately more powerful, as its powertrain gets a combined 180 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque, according to Kia. Overall, the RAV4 Hybrid will get more horsepower, but the Niro will get more torque.

The fuel economy and range of the Kia Niro and Toyota RAV4 

The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid gets about 37 mpg combined, while the RAV4 Prime gets a combined 94 MPGe. Both RAV4s also come with a 14.5-gallon gas tank. The RAV4 Prime has an 18.1-kWh battery that allows it to travel 42 miles in battery-only mode. 

Meanwhile, the Kia Niro is much more fuel efficient, with 53 mpg combined. It’s a similar story for the Niro PHEV, as it gets a combined 108 MPGe. That being said, the Kia SUVs have a smaller gas tank capacity. The Niro has an 11.1-gallon gas tank, while the Niro PHEV has a 9.8-gallon gas tank. The Niro PHEV also has a smaller battery, as it’s only 11.1-kWh. This allows the Niro PHEV to go 33 miles in battery-only mode.

Comparing the seating and cargo capacities of the Niro and RAV4

All four SUVs seat five people, but they have different cargo capacities. The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid has 37.6 cu. ft. of cargo capacity behind the second-row seats, and when its seats are folded down, it tops out at 69.8 cu. ft. of cargo capacity. This makes it one of the more spacious options in the compact SUV segment. Because of its battery, the RAV4 Prime loses some cargo capacity, but not much. It has 33.5 cu. ft. of space behind the second-row seats, but it still maxes out at 69.8 cu. ft. 

The Kia Niro is less spacious. It gets 22.8 cu. ft. behind the second-row seats, and it maxes out at 63.7 cu. ft. when the seats are folded. The Niro PHEV is even worse. It gets 19.4 cu. ft. of cargo capacity behind the second-row seats, which only maxes out at 54.6 cu. ft. 

Kia offers a more generous standard warranty than Toyota

Kia is well-known for offering an excellent warranty for its cars, and that’s still true for the Niro. Both the Niro and the Niro PHEV have a five-year or 100,000-mile basic warranty, while the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and the RAV4 Prime both have a three-year or 36,0000-mile basic warranty. The Kia models also have a 10-year or 100,000-mile powertrain warranty, while the Toyota models have a five-year or 60,000-mile powertrain warranty.