Kia has really been upping their game over the past few years and I still had
to reserve my judgment since I have not had a chance to drive any of them, just
look at them. On the design side of things Kia gets top marks, the looks of the
Rio Sedan are fresh modern and clean. The lines are great on the hatch and have
crossed over well onto the sedans larger shape. Kia really made a smart move
snapping up Peter Schreyer after he left Audi. His signature Tiger Nose design
is fresh and has really brought Kia to the fore in the looks department. Where
some of the Rio’s competitors have become a much of a much-ness, the Rio really
stands out.
Inside this continues, the cabin is spacious, clutter free and everything
laid out logically. I do wish they had used more soft touch materials than there
appears to be but this doesn’t detract from it being a nice place to be. There
was a good amount of space in the back even with the front seat in my driving
position. I felt comfortable enough to sit there over an extended journey. It’s
no luxury limo but, you will not be wanting for space. The seats are comfortable
and with the great array of standard equipment, make it easy to chew away the
miles in comfort. The satellite controls on the steering wheel means you never
have to take your eyes off the road.
A nice touch is the two twelve volt power points in the front and the tray
were you put your iPod has a perfect cut out for your iPhone or iPod to fit
snugly and not slide around. The controls are easy to fathom and the Bluetooth
is easy to pair, making it easy no matter if you’re 18 or 80.
I know that a lot of cars these days come with beeps and bongs mostly for the
American market I guess and the Rio is no different. There is a bong from the
seatbelts and then a bong when the key is in the ignition and you open the door,
to tell you the key is there so you don’t leave it behind. Well I think that is
just plain idiotic. Who leaves their keys in the ignition and walks away from
their car to go shopping I ask? Boot space is huge and you will manage to get
plenty of luggage in there with 389litres of space
The Rio rides well, feeling firm but not harsh and bumpy. It gives you a lot
of confidence in the car and the chassis. The steering is light and easy to
manuver in those tight parking lots, which I am sure it will spend a
considerable amount of time in. The 1.2 litre unit powering this base model
won’t set any timing sheets on fire, we tested the 0-100 time at 17seconds which
is slow by any means but this doesn’t really matter, let’s be frank you’re not
buying a car like this to race around in like Lewis Hamilton . The motor has
good torque in the lower RPM range but, the power does seem to die off after
5000RPM. Fuel savings are part and parcel of this car, if you follow the trip
computers and the prompts to change gears on the in dash display, you can see
fuel figures coming down to as low as 4.3l/100km. Most of the time those figures
will be around the 5.5l/100km which is great when you consider the ever rising
fuel costs. The Rio’s clutch is light and easy to use but I did find it stalled
far too easily pulling off in first. This can get very frustrating and you find
yourself over revving just to compensate.
In summary the new Rio Sedan really impressed with its styling, good ride and
cabin. Kia has become a real force to reckoned with that better have the other
established marques really worrying how they are going to fight back. For the
money and what you get as standard there is nothing right now that I would
rather spend my hard earned cash on in this segment.
Pros:
Great styling
Bang for your buck motoring
Build Quality
Standard Features
Cons:
Too easy to stall in first gear
Engine needs more oomph
Steering is void of all feel
Specs:
Engine: 1248cc In-line, 4 Cyl 16 valve DOHC CVVT
Power: 65KW @ 6000RPM
Torque: 120NM @ 4000RPM
Standard Features:
Bluetooth, iPod, AUX, Mp3
Electric Windows
Air Con
Power Mirrors
Trip Computer
Special Thanks to Ian Little
