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Swapping the hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai for the Kia Niro has made life easier.

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ARRIVAL 2017 Kia Niro Kelly Pleskot

“Kia has thought up an interesting alternative to the Toyota Prius. We’re ready to see how it holds up as an eco-wagon.”

EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 46/40/43 MPG BASE PRICE $30,545 PRICE AS TESTED $32,575

Life after chaperoning our long-term Toyota Mirai has been easier but a little less interesting. Sure, I don’t miss the somewhat disappointing range or driving across city lines to fill the hydrogen tank, but I enjoyed the car’s instant response, its otherworldly styling, and the new discoveries that come with testing technology not normally found in passenger cars. Now I find myself in one of the most pragmatic, down-to-earth vehicles on the market: the Kia Niro.

In past reviews, we’ve called Kia’s new hybrid wagon “vanilla,” “practical,” “nondescript,” and “utilitarian.” But we’ve also praised its excellent fuel economy, long driving range, spacious interior, and value pricing. Over the next 12 months, we’ll get a chance to better explore these areas and one of the biggest concerns with any new car: quality.

The Niro has few direct competitors. Perhaps its closest rival is the Ford C-Max, though it’s also bound to be cross-shopped against the Hyundai Ioniq and the Toyota Prius. The Niro is the first Kia to sit on the new green car platform shared with the Ioniq.

You can buy a 2017 Kia Niro for $23,785. That price is on par with the starting price of the ubiquitous Prius. But we splurged for the top-level Niro: the Touring. Unlike lesser Niros, the Touring features leather-trimmed upholstery, ventilated seats, a power tilt and slide sunroof, a heated steering wheel, front and rear park assist, a 10-way power driver’s seat with memory, and an eight-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. On top of these standard features, we also tacked on the Advanced Technology package for $1,900. It’s not a bad investment considering you get automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and a wireless phone charger. After adding on $130 carpeted floormats, our Niro rang out to $32,575.

Kia sweetened the pot for the 2018 model year. The new Niro Touring no longer offers the Advanced Technology package, instead incorporating its features as standard equipment. These top models start at $32,840, a little bit more expensive than the top-trim Prius. At the time of this writing, both 2017 and 2018 model Niros are listed as available on Kia’s consumer site.

All Niros come with a 1.6-liter I-4, an electric motor, and a 1.56-kW-hr lithium-ion battery pack. This system produces 139 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque, which, as we’ve noted in the past, isn’t quite enough juice to feel confident getting up to speed quickly on the highway. The question is: Will fuel economy and range make up for this shortcoming?

Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door hatchback 1.6L/104-hp/109-lb-ft I-4 plus 43-hp/125-lb-ft front electric 6-speed twin-clutch auto 0.86 g (avg) 3,237 lb (60/40%) 73/84 kW-hrs/100 miles