Compare the2026 Kia Niro EVVS 2026 Toyota bZ

Both the Niro EV and the bZ have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available front parking sensors.

The Niro EV comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The bZ’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Niro EV 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Toyota covers the bZ. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the bZ ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Niro EV’s reliability 16 points higher than the bZ.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in initial quality. With 19 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is rated below average.

The Niro EV has more powerful engines than the bZ:

The Niro EV can travel longer on a full charge than the bZ XLE FWD with its standard motor (253 miles vs. 236 miles).

The Niro EV has a standard locking charge port which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The bZ doesn’t have a locking charge port. A locking charge port prevents tampering and damage.

The Niro EV stops shorter than the bZ:

The Niro EV’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the bZ XLE’s standard 60 series tires.

The Niro EV Wave handles at .87 G’s, while the bZ Limited AWD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Niro EV’s turning circle is 5.2 feet tighter than the bZ’s (34.8 feet vs. 40 feet).

The Kia Niro EV may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 650 pounds less than the Toyota bZ.

The Niro EV is 10.6 inches shorter than the bZ, making the Niro EV easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Niro EV uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The bZ doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Niro EV has 5.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the bZ (99.7 vs. 94.4).

The Niro EV has 1.9 inches more front headroom, 1 inch more rear headroom, 1.6 inches more rear legroom and 7.9 inches more rear hip room than the bZ.

The Niro EV has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the bZ with its rear seat folded (63.7 vs. 56.9 cubic feet).

The Niro EV uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The bZ uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The Niro EV offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The bZ doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Niro EV has a standard rear wiper. The bZ doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The Niro EV Wave has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The bZ doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Niro EV Wave’s Smart Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Park Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The bZ Limited’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia Niro EV, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Kia Niro outsold the Toyota bZ by almost two to one during 2025.