Kia

Rio

Hear the name Rio and immediately it conjures up a party atmosphere and that’s absolutely perfect for this car. Responsive handling, great performance and an endless supply of equipment make it a great value option.

Test Drive

Kia Rio – first drive (2017)

The supermini class is fiercely contested but Kia is hoping to make its presence felt with the launch of the all-new fourth generation Rio.

And with competitive pricing, an upmarket design, a choice of frugal engines, plenty of innovative on-board technology, improved passenger comfort and that excellent seven-year warranty the Rio has every chance of achieving that goal.

Admittedly the Rio is up against some pretty tough opposition with the likes of the Ford Fiesta, VW Polo and Vauxhall Corsa all vying for sales, but Kia is confident the Rio, the company’s global best-seller, will turn plenty of heads.

Prices start from £11,995 and this time round Kia has ditched the three-door variant, so now the Rio is only on sale with five doors. There are 10 versions available in three trim grades called 1, 2 and 3. In addition there will be a limited run First Edition model priced at £17,445.

There is a seven-strong powertrain line-up and a choice of three transmissions with fuel economy up to 80.7mpg and carbon emissions from as low as 92g/km. New Rio also boasts improved suspension and steering, additional driver safety aids, state-of-the-art connectivity systems plus more space for occupants.

Styling the latest Rio was the responsibility of Kia’s design teams in the US and Germany along with lots of input from experts in South Korea. It is the biggest model yet and features a longer wheel-base and that translates into extra room inside the car. There is a longer bonnet and overhang, a lower roofline and more compact rear end. The ‘tiger-nose’ front grille is narrower and wider and there are new sculpted headlights with U-shaped LED running lights.

Move inside and the Rio’s leg, head and shoulder space is among the best in class and even the boot capacity has increased by 13 per cent to an impressive 325 litres.

The on-board technology is plentiful and all the connectivity options you could wish for are accessed via the touchscreen. There is a reduction in buttons and switches to give the car a less cluttered appearance and the latest Rio also features USB ports front and rear to keep all occupants fully charged – another first in class according to Kia.

All models are generously-equipped and another plus-factor is that everything is included in the asking price, so there are no nasty hidden costs. For example, grade 1 comes with air conditioning, remote locking, a 3.8-inch display screen, Bluetooth, automatic lights, electric front windows, LED daytime running lights and lots more besides.

Move up to grade 2 and you will see the addition of 15-inch alloys, all-round electric windows, a digital DAB radio, 5-inch colour display screen, a six-speaker sound system, reversing camera, a leather trimmed steering wheel and gear knob, rear parking sensors and plenty more.

Grade 3 introduces 16-inch alloys, a 7-inch display screen, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, automatic air conditioning with a defogging system, black faux leather upholstery, rain-sensing wipers, rear privacy glass, sat nav, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity and Bluetooth with voice recognition.

Finally, the First Edition models, which are available for the first 12 months of sales, feature 17-inch alloys, a smart key entry and engine start system, stainless steel pedals, black and red faux leather upholstery and LED rear lights.

And when it comes to safety the latest Rio has a comprehensive list of specifications. Once again it is the first in its class to offer autonomous emergency braking as part of Kia’s driver assistance systems. It also has lane departure warning – both of which are available on Rio 2 models upwards and as an option on Rio 1.

We tested a couple of cars on road routes comprising busy, congested town centres, twisting country roads, dual carriageways and motorways.

First up was the 1.4 CRDi 89bhp 3 Eco model. This car, costing £17,245, can complete the 0-60mph dash in 11.6 seconds, tops out at 108mph, has combined fuel efficiency of 74.3mpg with carbon emissions of 98g/km.

The first thing to mention is how beautifully spacious the car is for all occupants and the build quality is good too with lots of soft-touch materials within the modern-looking cabin. Dials, readouts and controls are ideally placed for ease of use and the touchscreen is simple to operate too.

The diesel model had plenty of gusto and coped well with any steep inclines. The road-holding was assured which meant long sweeping bends posed little problems and the lack of any body roll was impressive too.

I did find the suspension a little firm and at times the steering seemed a tad heavy, but that aside the car coped admirably with anything put in its path.

The six-speed manual gearbox was smooth and, although you have to work the gears on longer hills, the acceleration and power output was generally good.

Next up was the 1.0 T-GDi 118bhp First edition Eco model priced at £17,445. This car can reach 60mph from a standing start in 9.8 seconds, maxes out at 118mph, has combined fuel efficiency of 60.1mpg with carbon emissions of 107g/km.

With its beautifully styled interior featuring black and red seats, the First Edition certainly looks the business and the 998cc petrol engine has plenty of fizz about it making light work of hills and faster roads. Noise levels within the cabin are elevated considerably when the car is travelling at motorway speeds, but that aside it was a great drive. Admittedly the economy is not so impressive on the petrol model, but it’s still worth considering especially if lots of stop/start city driving is the norm.

Both cars had their own charm and character and with so many other models on offer it would be easy to find the perfect Rio to suit any requirement, be it distance driving, a city runaround or practical family car.

Kia describes its Rio model as ‘the small car grown up’ and in all honesty to compete with the big guns in its segment it needed to have quite a growth spurt. But to take the analogy a step further, the latest Rio is rather like the kid in school who passes all his exams and goes on to do really well in life but was overlooked as Oxbridge material.

Test Drive

Kia Rio 1.25 ‘2’

It may have been around for some time now, but the latest Kia Rio looks as sharp as ever thanks to a package of design, trim and specification upgrades.

It instantly appears more sporty thanks to stylish new front and rear bumpers, 16-inch alloys, black bezel headlights, tinted windows, electrically-folding door mirrors with integrated indicators and daytime running lights.

Move inside and the improved upholstery has certainly raised the quality stakes too. And when you add in a list of techno treats such as touchscreen sat nav, a DAB digital radio, Bluetooth with music streaming and air conditioning, the Rio has plenty of plus factors going in its favour.

In fact, it would be fair to say that Kia has ensured its supermini has been brought bang up to date in order to compete in such a fierce segment.

And buyers are certainly spoilt for choice when it comes to selecting a Rio model with a total of 22 versions based on three or five-door body styles, five trim grades and four engines.

The test car, in mid-range ‘2’ spec, was powered by a 1.25-litre 83bhp petrol engine which can help the car sprint to 62mph from a standing start in 12.9 seconds and onto a top speed of 104mph. According to official figures, it can deliver combined fuel economy of 56.5mpg with carbon emissions of 115g/km.

The interior of this five-door model is spacious, bright and nice designed with all controls perfectly positioned for ease of use. Although adults of the six-foot-plus variety may struggle for rear legroom, there is ample space for two or three children to stretch out in comfort and the added bonus of rear doors makes attaching and removing child seats a practical option.

The boot can hold 288 litres worth of luggage – a capacity that can easily and quickly be increased to 923-litres with the seats dropped flat and there are numerous handy storage compartments scattered throughout the cabin too.

When it comes to performance, the Rio is deceptively spritely and whizzes around town centres with ease with the compact dimensions helping to make light work of any parking issues.

Then out on the faster lanes and dual carriageways, it moves smoothly and efficiently through the five-speed manual gearbox with a constant stream of power on tap at all times. Features such as the gear-shift indicator help to maximise fuel economy along the way.

The car also boasts a comprehensive range of safety features, including anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist, electronic stability control, hill-start assist, emergency stop signalling, a tyre pressure monitoring system and numerous airbags.

Whilst the Kia Rio may not be the fastest or even the most richly-equipped supermini in its class, it’s always worth remembering the value factor. After all, this car is priced at just £12,845 and there are no hidden extras as all the spec and trim is included in that price-tag. Plus it comes with Kia’s outstanding seven year warranty.

Test Drive

Kia Rio 1.5 CRDi LX 5dr

Crammed to bursting with a host of creature comforts the Kia Rio has to be one of the best buys out there today.

Boasting five doors, central locking, air conditioning and a great sound system, the Rio is a fun-packed car that fits neatly into so many driving categories.

It has the ease and flexibility of a family car, the looks for the fashion-conscious driver and the excellent economy figures to attract anyone on a slightly tighter budget.

From the outside, first impressions are very good with the Rio’s distinctive colour-coordinated bumpers, door handles and mirrors immediately grabbing your attention.

And the LX model supplied for my test drive also featured alloy wheels and front fog lights amongst other specifications.

Admittedly, there is a little too much plastic in the cabin for my liking and the tiny controls on the audio system are far too fiddly, but at the end of the day, the Rio does perform well.

All the controls, dials and levers are ideally situated for ease of use and the driver benefits from excellent all-round visibility which makes city centre driving a pleasure.

Then, out on the more open road, the 1.5-litre turbo-diesel engine delivers plenty of power and road-holding was generally very good.

There is ample space inside the Rio for four adults to travel in comfort although the rather limited luggage capacity does somewhat restrict what you take with you.

Kia has kitted out the Rio with a plethora of safety features including anti-lock brakes, electronic brake force distribution, numerous airbags and lots more.

All in all, the Rio is a great all-rounder that delivers on so many fronts and the price will even leave your bank manager dancing on the sand!