2022 Kia Niro launching in Malaysia in Q4 next year – CBU hybrid first, CKD later with PHEV, EV versions?

Another car included in Bermaz’s plans for Kia is the new Niro, which was revealed just last month. According to analyst reports in RHB Investment Bank and Kenanga Research, the electrified crossover will be launched in Malaysia in the fourth quarter of next year, bookending what will be a busy 12 months for the brand.

This has been moved up from Bermaz’s own timeline it showed to the media only a couple of weeks ago, although the latter could be referring to CKD local assembly plans, with the car possibly making an earlier debut in fully-imported (CBU) form. Unlike the other electric vehicles on this list, the Niro did not have the EV tag next to its name, suggesting that it will be introduced in hybrid form first.

Bermaz has already confirmed that it will introduce plug-in hybrid and fully-electric versions of the Niro, which will likely have to wait for local production to begin. Kia has not released technical details of the new second-generation model, but it has released images of the design, which borrows plenty of design cues from the HabaNiro concept (including distinctive vertical taillights) and an asymmetrical dashboard.

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