Kia is on a roll. Apart from last year vanquishing the likes of Porsche, Lexus and every other automotive brand in the JD Power Initial Quality Survey conducted annually in the United States, the South Korean brand has recently given us the highly capable new Sportage and Cadenza.
Still to come this year are the funky Niro hybrid and Stinger saloon. The latter’s svelte styling is backed up by a rear-drive chassis honed under the stewardship of Albert Biermann, former head of BMW’s high-performance M Division.
However, our focus today is on the new Rio hatchback, which lines up in the bargain-basement end of the market against the ubiquitous Toyota Yaris, Mazda2, Ford Figo et al. The Rio is Kia’s second-biggest seller globally – 450,000 examples found new homes last year.
The fourth-generation car is slightly longer and wider than its predecessor, and this means cabin space is surprisingly generous for a vehicle in this segment. A 1.8-metre-plus passenger can sit in the back behind a similar-sized occupant in the front seat without having their kneecaps compressed or their bouffant tousled. Luggage space is boosted to 325 litres (37 litres more than the oldie), so it ticks all the requisite boxes from a practicality viewpoint.
The cabin layout is generic; there are no standout features, and it’s let down somewhat by the acres of hard plastic that form the dash and door trim.
There are two available engines: a 1.4L unit that ekes out 100hp and 133Nm, and a 1.6L motor with outputs of 123hp and 151Nm. Our advice? Avoid the former at all costs (provided your budget allows) because it lacks the grunt to deliver anything resembling respectable performance. You need to cane the living daylights out of it just to get up to highway speeds, and this is despite the fact it’s hooked up to a pretty decent six-speed auto (a cut above the rest in this category).
The 1.6L motor is much better, transforming the character of the car with its lively response and quieter-running nature. That said, the Rio’s refinement levels are compromised by a surprising amount of tyre roar across all surfaces. Other than this, the 1.6L Rio is a pleasant long-distance or inner-city companion, and ride quality is as good as you will find in anything in the B-segment.
I didn’t get many opportunities to fling it around corners, but preliminary impressions are that the Rio feels safe and sure-footed without serving up the agility and dynamism you get in a Mazda2.
Pricing is yet to be confirmed, but expect an entry point just below Dh50,000 when the new Rio hits showrooms, rising to about Dh60,000 for the range-topper with all the bells and whistles (well, as many as you get in this segment anyway). It’s initially offered only in hatchback format, but a saloon version will follow in the second half of the year.
Verdict? The Rio fulfils all the key criteria from a packaging/ease-of-use point of view, which is largely what fleet customers and retail shoppers value in this segment. It’s not exceptionally stimulating to drive, but that’s unlikely to deter too many buyers.
motoring@thenational.ae
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