Roy Lewis puts the new Kia Rio through its paces (From Hereford Times)

Roy Lewis puts the new Kia Rio through its paces

8:00am Saturday 20th August 2011 in Road Tests

YOU may have turned your nose up at a new Kia Rio some time ago, not because of its bargain price but because of badge snobbery or the non-European look of the interior. But it would probably be a different story now.

For not only has Kia made significant inroads into the UK market with an excellent range of cars but its latest Rio supermini is a far cry from the early models, boasting better build quality, more refinement and equipment, much- improved looks inside and out and a more spacious interior thanks to its wider and longer body.

But its trump card is undoubtedly the punchy 1.5-litre turbo diesel motor which is a little cracker. It’s just the job during the present belttightening times returning almost 63mpg in mixed running and more than 52mpg in town while its low emissions put the car in band C for road tax of £30 a year.

And there is a peace-of-mind war ranty of seven years or 100,000 miles with service intervals at 10,000 miles or every 12 months.

And the cost-cutting Rio line-up couldn’t be simpler – a 1.4-litre petrol with manual or automatic transmission or a manual-only 1.5-litre oil burner, both offering two trim levels. Prices go from £8,545 for the petrol to £11,810 for the special edition Rio Graphite diesel.

Despite its comparatively small size the diesel engine offers an impressive turn of speed up through the gears and shows that it can cruise smoothly and quietly on the motorway.

The 16-valve four-cylinder delivers 109bhp at just 4,000rpm and of fers excellent driveability thanks to 173lb ft of torque, or pulling power, all the way from 1,900 to 2,750rpm, making it a very flexible unit.

It’s reasonably quick off the mark, too, with a 0-60mph time of 11.1 seconds and a top speed of 109mph.

The quiet motor is best in and around town where it is very lively.

On the motorway it loses some zip keeping up with the Joneses.

However, you cannot fail to be impressed with the motor and at the way the Rio rides so well over poor road surfaces with the suspension – MacPherson struts at the front and a twist-beam rear axle – also offering good composure around the bends.

The power-assisted rack and pinion steering is on the light side which may not suit everyone’s tastes but the supermini also benefits from anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution as standard and electronic stability control for 2011 which gives an extra safety dimension, particularly in adverse weather conditions.

Playing no small part in the way the car drives and handles in a manner expected by European customers is the 2.5-metre wheelbase and wider track dimensions at each end.

Being one of the largest cars in its class the Rio will be roomy enough for the smaller family though the boot is not very big.

However, there is a 60:40 split rear-seat arrangement as standard which can provide considerable extra carrying space.

A comfortable driving position is easily obtained with the help of the tilt-adjustable steering wheel and seat-height adjustment which is standard on the Rio 2.

Nowadays the Rio is a strong contender in its class, especially as it continues to offer a high standard of specification. The Rio 1 includes power steering, a radio/CD player with MP3 compatibility and AUX/USB ports, while the Rio 2 adds air conditioning, front electric windows, remote central locking and alloy wheels.

AT-A-GLANCE

Kia Rio 1.5 CRDi2 five-speed manual.

Price: £10,995 (on the road).

Top speed: 109mph.

0-60mph: 11.1 seconds.

Fuel: 62.8mpg (combined figure).

C02 emissions (g/km): 119.

Verdict: Great value, excellent diesel, cheap to run, good to drive, sharper styling, improved quality and equipment. Well worth putting on your shortlist.