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The New, the Fast and the Luxurious... The Motoring Guide! |
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Road to Rio
 Question: What are the three single most important features buyers look for when spending their own hard-earned cash on a car?
Answer: Value, value and value. That’s value as in how much you get for your money. Value as in quality allied to style with practicality. Value as in class-leading ownership costs.
For anyone currently looking to buy a supermini offering such value – value without prejudice to quality or engineering – the smart money is now on the all-new five-door Kia Rio.
Launched in October, this latest Rio – a big improvement in terms of refinement, safety, comfort and convenience compared with its predecessor – sets new high standards which are going to knock spots off its rivals.
Which ones? Think Ford’s Fiesta, the Vauxhall Corsa, Citroen’s C3 and the Toyota Yaris. In all four cases, Kia’s latest supermini not only offers more equipment, more space and more power for the money. It also offers impressive economy and, in addition, costs significantly less – between 11% and a whopping 38% – than its smaller, less powerful and not-so-well equipped competitors in comparable form. There is even more important news for those who cover high mileages and for whom running costs are top priority. Unlike with any other supermini (and few other cars of any size), petrol and diesel versions of the Rio cost exactly the same. Yes the same. Instead of paying the usual price premium of up to £1,500 for the extra economy, flexibility, punch and durability of diesel, you can choose a 1.5-litre diesel-powered Kia for the same money as the 1.4-litre petrol engined equivalent.
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Imagine: a Kia Rio GS for just £7,995 or the even better equipped LX version for £8,995 – in either petrol or diesel form. Now that’s what you call value. Where’s the catch? The truthful answer is there isn’t one. To prove it, just look at the detail…. Here you have an all-new design available in two trim levels that is 50mm taller and 15mm wider than the model it replaces. Add to that a 90mm longer wheelbase and 15mm wider track (which also improves roadholding) and you have best-in-class interior space for maximum comfort in this roomy five-seater.
Not only that, but 270 litres of boot space which rises to a whopping 1.145 litres when the rear seat’s folded down. Now throw in two punchy and economical new hi-tec engines, both – needless to say – Euro IV compliant. One is a 16-valve. DOHC 1399cc petrol unit developing 95.6bhp at 6,000rpm. It’s good for 45mpg on the combined cycle.
Alternatively – for the same price, remember – you can opt for a 1493cc common-rail turbodiesel that pumps out 108.6bhp at 4,000rpm. And you get no less than 60mpg on that combined cycle.
It all adds up to produce best-in-class performance. Witness acceleration times from 0-62mph of 12.3secs for the 1.4 and a responsive 11.5secs for the 1.5 turbodiesel. All covered by either group 4 insurance (for the GS trim version) or group 5 for the LX. While we are on figures, don’t overlook the cost-effective maintenance intervals either. All Kia’s Rio needs to keep going and going (apart from a sip of fuel) is an intermediate service at 10,000 miles or 12 months and a major service at 20,000 miles or 24 months.
Power steering and a slick five-speed gearbox come as standard with both those engine options. You can specify a four-speed, electronically-controlled automatic on the 1.4 litre GS model as an optional extra if you wish.
Providing reassuringly safe braking are servo-assisted discs all round (ventilated at the front for extra efficiency). As well as four-channel ABS, the system also includes electronic brake-force distribution (EBD).
Unusually for this class of car, an electronic stability programme (ESP) can be specified as an extra if required on LX models. That reduces power from the engine to brake one or more wheels if sensors detect under or over steer.
Even in less-expensive GS form, the standard specification of Kia’s Rio is several steps above that of competitors. It includes aircon, twin airbags, central door locking, electric front windows, a radio/CD/MP3 player, rear wash/wipe, seat-height adjustment and a 60/40 split/folding rear seat.
Step up to the LX and you get, in addition, twin side and curtain airbags, active head restraints, remote central locking with perimeter alarm, 15in alloys, body-coloured door handles and mirrors (electrically operated and heated), front fog lights, rear electric windows and a sporty interior.
None of the Kia Rio’s competitors can match that. Are we talking value, value, value here – or what!
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