Model Update

One of the most impressive little cars on the market is the new Kia Rio. This hatch has a very competitive price and doesn’t cost the earth to run.

Fire the Kia Rio up, and you could zip along with a 1.4-litre or 1.6-litre petrol engine. Both engines are zippy, with plenty of get-up-and-go, and you’ll notice that the car has nice handling characteristics and great fuel economy, to boot. Both engines in manual guise can offer fuel economy figures in the mid fives for a combined driving cycle. The four-speed automatic (1.4-litre) and five-speed automatic (1.6-litre) match their respective engines well, and still provide superb economy.

Inside, the Rio has plenty of chic style that impresses. Contoured woven cloth trim seats, a tilt adjustable steering column for comfort, driver and passenger sun visors boasting vanity mirrors, an interior light with a delay out feature, electric windows and a rear window defroster that’s equipped with a timer. Do you like a bit of Jimmy Barnes? Then you’ll be pleased to know that the Kia Rio can pump out quality sound for all your favourite Australian artists with its MP3 compatible, four-speaker audio system. Blue tooth communication is available as an option.

All Kias come with an unlimited kilometre, five-year warranty.

Which is the fastest growing car manufacturer in the world? I wonder what your answer might be. Kia holds this honour. And it is little wonder – given the magnificent line-up of great looking cars. The latest offering from Kia is the small Rio hatch. Take a look at the great looking exterior! The bold new Rio face is one of assertiveness and cheerfulness. Large wrap around headlights are shaped to sit neatly over a chiselled bumper and sporty air dam. Antennae-like wing mirrors create an engaging design, while the high waistline and low profile alloys provide the Kia Rio with the perfect, decisive small sport hatch boasting flair. The little Kia Rio is a stunning little number.

Offered as a hatchback, the Kia Rio is a practical town runabout to pick up the kids from school or to use as a frugal and fun open-road traveller. Brisk engine response comes from the nippy little 1.4-litre, DOHC unit that has a decent 79 kW available at 6300 rpm, as standard. Torque is a commendable 135 Nm at 4200 rpm. A five-speed manual gear box is available, or a four-speed auto option. Both options give under 6 litres/100 km, and will, therefore, be low cost vehicles at the pump.

A 1.6-litre engine is also offered. Five gear speeds are available to both the manual and automatic gearboxes. The 1.6-litre, DOHC engine is a sophisticated and very modern unit that will deliver 103 kW, pipping a BMW 116i (100 kW) for out-and-out power. This is a huge step up from the outgoing Rio motor that mustered 82 kW. Engine torque is strong, with 167 Nm available at 4850 rpm. Torque is not quite as strong as the BMW 116i, however, underway, the Kia Rio has a nice, quiet and stable drive, and you are often aware of a pleasant low-key engine growl when demanding swift acceleration from the 1.6-litre Kia Rio engine plant. Top speed is around 190 km/h, and the 0-100 km/h dash is done and dusted in around 11 seconds.

The Kia Rio is a lot of fun to drive, particularly in 1.6-litre form. The engine has zest, while the handling backs up the motor’s fun factor with MacPherson struts in the front and a torsion beam axle with coil springs in the rear. This setup holds the Kia Rio on the road superbly and cornering can be attacked with confidence and verve. This fun factor is complemented by plain, common sense safety features that include active features such as the powerful disc brakes, ABS and EBD. The passive safety features begin with the specially engineered progressive crumple zones and continue with the driver and front passenger SRS airbags, pretensioned seatbelts with load limiters (and a driver’s seatbelt warning) in the front, side impact doors in the front and back, and an energy-absorbing steering column in all models. Side and curtain airbags are also part of the Kia Rio design. Active front head restraints are a great way of preventing neck injury in an accident, so the Rio comes with these items as well.

The inside of the Kia Rio is comfortable and nicely set up for all passengers. The driver’s seat is particularly comfortable with the eight-way adjustable seat, a tilt adjust steering column, and a foot and arm rest. Comfort features that will be appreciated by all occupants within the Kia Rio, no matter which model is chosen, include the air conditioning and the radio/CD system. The central console comes with an auxiliary power outlet, and the front seats have cup-holders to slip a cold one into. The attractive cloth trim is upgradable with a sports trim package. The leather-wrapped steering wheel is a nice one to hold.

Ergonomically sound, the Kia Rio cabin boasts practical switchgear and instrumentation that are easy to use, pleasing on the eye and well balanced. Some cars have fiddly little buttons that require a magnifying glass to work out what’s what; not so the Rio.

Thinking a Kia Rio? Then you’ll have yourself a pleasurable car that offers practicality, comfort and economy alongside pure driving pleasure. Aim for the 1.6-litre Rio if you want those few extra herbs under the bonnet along with some more performance smiles. And you just can’t argue with the 5-year/100,000 km warranty now… can you?!

The current model series includes the:

• Rio S Hatch
• Rio Si Hatch
• Rio SLi Hatch

For anymore information on the Kia Rio, or for that matter any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quotes requests out to our national network of Kia dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!

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