Kia Rio CRDi ON THE ROAD

Review & Photos by Rob McSorley

It’s no secret that the supermini class is not only brimming with talented offerings from a range of manufacturers but it is also one of the hardest fought sectors. Kia’s previous Rio failed to make much of an impact as it was woefully dull to look at and drive but the all-new Rio promises to be a true contender. Key to the Rios success is not only its more appealing design but its headline-grabbing economy. The smallest 1.1 CRDi engine claims to offer 88.3 mpg on a combined cycle. Read on to find out if the Kia Rio is as good as the figures suggest and whether it can now be considered a viable alternative to the current class leaders the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo.

To look at the Kia is an utterly conventional design however gone is the dull, dated and anonymous styling of the previous Rio. The new car is a well-proportioned and attractive car featuring Kia’s now signature Tiger nose grill, large swept back headlights, and a neat uncluttered rear end with attractive rear lights mounted on the cars hip-line. 

Dimensions have increased all round with similar dimensions to its competitors but what really stands out is the long wheelbase and the Rio’s relatively low roof line and slim window area. The windscreen has also been pushed forward by six inches to improve space inside and the back doors taper nicely towards the rear in a coupe-like fashion. The design is very cohesive and modern if somewhat lacking the kind of flair a Seat Ibiza offers.

The interior of the Rio is a very nice place to spend time in. In line with its key rivals interior space is much improved over its predecessor. Front leg and headroom are ample, as is rear legroom. Only the tallest rear seat passengers will find that their heads brush the headlining. Boot space is also very good at 288 litres with the seats up increasing to 923 litres with them down but is let down by a high load lip.

All of the switches and controls are simple and logically laid out and everything operates smoothly. Design highlights include toggle-like switches on the centre console, an attractive leather trimmed steering wheel and individually cowled, easy-to-read dials. 

The choice of materials used could be improved, our base-spec test car misses out on the slightly rubberised plastics that feature elsewhere in the range instead hard, grey, scratchy plastics are used. That said there is no doubt that the interior is well screwed together without a single rattle present on our test car and the doors close with a satisfying thud. 

Standard equipment is a little sparse on the “1” trim level missing out on essentials such as air conditioning, alloy wheels and bluetooth connectivity, to get those you will need to step up a trim level. However it does come with front electric windows, ABS & EBD, traction control, remote central locking and a great sounding CD player.

On the road is where the Rio really impresses. The ride is a tad on the firm side but is never tiring as it’s well damped smoothing out all but the worst of road surfaces with ease. The payoff is minimal body roll through corners and plenty of grip front and rear but there is a lack of feedback through the controls leaving the driver feeling slightly disconnected from the road. A real highlight though is the excellent short-throw 6 speed gearbox that operates with real precision, if only the same could be said for the steering which is overly light, inconsistent and completely lacking in feel.

Engine noise at idle and on the move is well suppressed and only at high revs can the unit’s characterful 3 cylinder thrum be heard but this only adds to the Rio's charm. We also found the stop-start system unobtrusive. Wind noise is very well suppressed giving the impression that you are driving a car much larger from one or two classes above. 

With 78 bhp on tap and a 0-60 mph time of 15.5 seconds you would expect the Rio to feel sluggish but in reality this is far from the truth. It feels much quicker than the figures suggest due to a healthy 170 Nm of torque available from a mere 1500 rpm and well spaced gear ratios mean that keeping up with the flow of traffic on faster roads is easier than you would expect. 

Running the Rio isn't likely to break the bank thanks to emissions of just 99 g/km paying for road tax and congestion charges are a thing of the past. The big question though is whether 88 mpg on a combined cycle really is achievable. During our time with the Rio we averaged a not shabby 65 mpg which when you consider our average speed was only 43 mph a figure nearer 70 mpg should be achievable on longer journeys.

Tech Data

Price as tested: £11,895
Engine: 1.1 litre 12v 74bhp - 0-62 mph: 14.9 secs - Maximum Speed: 99 mph -
Economy: 80.7 mpg (urban) –94.2 mpg (extra-urban), 88.3 mpg (combined) - Emissions: 99 g/km - Band A (12 months): £0
Dimensions: Length: 4045 mm - Width: 1720 mm - Height: 1455 mm - Wheelbase: 2570 mm
*data from Kia UK

DriverVIBE Verdict

Kia’s Rio a car that we would highly recommend with this superb diesel powerplant. It offers class leading economy, excellent practicality and is a thoroughly thought out design inside and out. On the road the Rio is much improved with comfort and refinement an equal match for any of its competitors, sadly the drive falls short of the driver involvement offered by Ford's Fiesta. One of the Rios biggest draws is its price which undercuts most of its key rivals although we would probably avoid the sparsely-equipped base trim you see here. Ultimately the Rio is no class leader but it really does demonstrate how far Kia has come in recent years and it would be foolish of anyone in the market for a supermini not to consider the Rio against established rivals from Ford and Volkswagen.

All photographs and text are the exclusive property of Rob McSorley (except where stated otherwise). They are made available for your personal viewing enjoyment only. No images are within the Public Domain. The photographs may not be copied, reproduced, redistributed, manipulated, projected, used or altered in any way without the prior permission of Rob McSorley (info@DriverVIBE.co.uk).