My LEGO Kia Niro Designs
Recently I added instructions for both Kia Niro generations on my site.
First generation (DE, 2017-2022)
LEGO Kia Niro 2017 MOC
First generation uses very straightforward design and looks good. It have good proportions and clean lines. I decided to use top headlight part with exposed stud so headlights don’t look too flat. In real life they are curved upwards quite a bit. Curvature like this is not possible in City scale, but we can some similar looking effect using sloped 1×1 part with some 1×1 plates.
This version is designed after US spec version, so it uses orange light section in headlights. If you want to built EU spec version, just replace transparent orange part with standard transparent clear (just increase the quantity 2x since these parts already are used on this design). My design also uses transparent brown 2×2 slope as rear window, this part is out of production for long time, so I’m saving it and only using for select designs. And this is a good design to use it.
This version is also one of few designs that support several types of wheel arches, so it can support most of the main LEGO colors, but it will require design adjustment (depending on wheel arch type). The red render version above actually uses rare (at this moment, April 2024) red color wheel arches. So if someone will order custom red instructions I will use more common other type of wheel arches (same as 2023 model uses). But hopefully LEGO will bring back red color on these wheel arches too.
Kia Nitro Plus – if needed this version is also possible. Its not added right now in collection since its very rare and probably not many people know it exists. But it can be easily added as commission design.
Second generation (SG2, 2022-)
LEGO Kia Niro 2023 MOC
LEGO Kia Niro 2023 MOC Rear View
This new generation is known for risky and unusual design. And I did that too in LEGO form. The frond end have some holes/gaps around headlight area, but this was the best solution to replicate the unusual looking headlights. It was possible to do the simply straight front end with 1×1 plates as headlights, but that look in LEGO form looked like any other regular vehicle, so I needed some bigger changes.
Taillights are not very clean, but I’m very happy I was able to replicate them even somewhat similar way. This design is also modeled after US spec version, but conversion to EU spec can be done the same way as in my 2017 version.
Sand green color version is my attempt at using more distinctive green color but at this moment not all parts are available in this color. So if this is built in sand green color, many parts need to be changed and replaced with alternatives.
