KIA is about to hit the big time with a little car which is good enough to rival the Ford Fiesta.
The new Rio will be on sale in a couple of weeks setting a new standard for the fast growing Korean car maker.
With a range of highly economical engines – which will make one version the world’s greenest non-electric vehicle – the latest Rio brings no quibble value for money motoring to the masses.
Priced from £10,595 for a 1.25-litre petrol five door model, the Rio is taking the top selling Fiesta head on – and is backed up with Kia’s industry leading seven year warranty.
It also escapes road tax in its first year and will average 56.5mpg which beats the entry level Fiesta.
The Rio line up will include a 1.1-litre three cylinder diesel which Kia claims can average an incredible 88.3 to the gallon and with CO2 emissions down to 85g/km it sets new standards for conventionally powered cars.
Not only is the Rio smartly styled it is also refreshingly different and with bright coloured paint jobs is something of a head turner.
In the past few years little hatchbacks have become increasingly trendy but the treatment meted out by Kia’s design chief Peter Schreyer makes the Rio a stand out model.
Like Kia’s larger Sportage SUV, the Rio has a distinctive nose with wrap-around headlamps and in anyone’s book is a good looking car.
The 11 model range tops out at £14,895 for a 1.4-litre diesel and the mid-grade models – predicted to be the most popular – will cost from £12,495 for a 1.25-litre petrol, £13,095 for a more powerful 1.4-litre petrol model and £13,795 for a diesel.
We have just put the 1.4-litre petrol version through its paces and compared to the previous generation Rio it is an eye-opener.
The engine delivers 107bhp producing more than enough performance for a car of this class and the ride is above average.
Top speed is a claimed 114mph with 0 to 60 taking 11.1 seconds and thanks to a six-speed manual gearbox with nicely usable ratios Kia claims it will average 51.4mpg with emissions of 128g/km.
Like for like the Rio is cheaper than a 1.4-litre Fiesta as well as being quicker and more economical.
As a five-door the Rio is roomy inside – there is a high roof line which creates plenty of space – and boot capacity ranges from 288 litres to 923, not quite as generous as a Fiesta but big enough for this kind of vehicle.
A three door version is already slated for early next year.
Noise levels inside are well suppressed – surprisingly so for a car of this class – and there is a well balanced feel through the steering.
The suspension is nicely tuned for European tastes – some earlier Kia’s had a characteristic of being on the taut side – while standard equipment includes features such as Bluetooth phone connectivity, music player ports and a trip computer.
Air conditioning is not standard on the entry level model but is available at an £800 premium while on the mid-range Rio 2 we drove it’s included in the price along with a cooled glovebox, higher grade upholstery and electric windows all round.
Inside, the dash is not as fancy as that of the Fiesta but it is simply laid out, functional and there are some nice touches such as toggle switches below the heater controls. There are also steering wheel mounted buttons for the entertainment systems, phone and trip computer.
The Rio is comfortable, well put together and has the potential to put Kia well and truly on the map.
It is certainly in the same league as the likes of the Fiesta, Peugeot 207, Renault Clio and the Toyota Yaris but with its good looks, frugal engines and peace of mind guarantee it has sufficient features to make it a compelling choice.