Software revew and tips.

The idea is simple: Plug it in when you can, and your visits to the pump will become less frequent. That’s probably the way plug-in hybrids like the Kia Niro should be pitched to car buyers. As much as regulators and policy makers revere PHEVs and see them as an important step on the way to electric mobility, the reality is that too often the format can involve glaring compromises—excess weight, sluggish performance, and higher cost, all for the sake of the occasional delivery of a few miles of electric driving. The best plug-in hybrids sell themselves on low running costs and not overcomplicating things, and that’s exactly what Kia has done with this Niro. The carmaker has managed to fit an 8.9-kWh battery under the back seat without encroaching on seating or cargo space. There’s a 3.3-kW onboard charger capable of providing a full charge in about 2.5 hours with a common Level 2 commercial charger (or about nine hours with a 120-volt wall socket). Compared with the regular, non-plug-i...