The current
Kia Rio is Kia's smallest car and brags about the brand's smallest price, making it one of the most affordable new cars you can buy in Australia. It also brings a lot to the table including decent fuel economy, sleek visuals for the LX trim and is reinforced by Kia Motor’s excellent warranty. It is available in two body styles - the sedan and the four-door hatchback.
The hatchback comes in two trim levels - the EX and the LX, available in both manual and automatic transmission. Although some claim that it’s due for a well-deserved makeover, this little hatch remains a credible contender in the subcompact market and offers a modest and honest drive that represents true value for money.
The exterior isn’t the fanciest in its class and is quite familiar, but it’s functional in terms of providing ample space to both the cabin and cargo bay. Venturing inside, the design is plain and simple, yet delivers a sensible and systematic feel to all the essential controls. Given the spacious interior, it’s really quite relaxed and cozy; however it is basically a four-seater. The Rio's cabin has a lofty feel which is unexpected in this price segment. Trim and plastic quality is generally above average. Seat comfort is very good and would suit most body types, while a fold-down armrest is standard for the driver.
There is plenty of boot space, far better than those offered by its rivals. The Rio offers 60/40 split-folding rear seat, which increases the luggage space from 270 litres to 1,145 litres. Standard features for the basic unit are air-conditioning, remote central locking, front power windows and a single MP3 compatible CD tuner –all these aren’t too bad for the coin.
Every Kia Rio is powered by a 1.4-litre, four-cylinder petrol featuring a twin-overhead-camshaft, 16-valve configuration. Acceleration is sacrificed a bit when you opt for the automatic transmission. However, the engine is actually much stronger than it appears on paper. Kia’s warranty coverage is 5 years/Unlimited Km!
As for safety features, the Rio is quite commendable with six standard air bags covering all passengers front and rear. The front air bags deploy with variable force depending on the force of the collision. Kia also installed a cage around the passenger compartment along with front and rear crumple zones. All these gives the Rio a four star ANCAP rating which is quite remarkable.
Now with the ride, the Rio generally feels smooth and stable and offers relative comfort to all its occupants. Handling is very good and the more solid chassis allows for a quicker and quieter ride. The Rio truly has plenty of sound deadening measures and triple sealed windows which make for a hushed cabin while cruising at high speeds. Overall, the 2009 Kia Rio is quite impressive with the quality, the improvement over its predecessors, and the functionality of the vehicle.
