The Star: March 22, 2018

6 motoring
Price – Kia Rio Limited, $26,990
Dimensions – Length, 4065mm; width, 1725mm; height, 1450mm
Configuration – Four-cylinder, front-wheel-drive, 1368cc, 74kW,
133Nm, six-speed manual.
Performance –
0-100km/h, 11.5sec
Fuel usage – 6.2l/100km
By RoSS KiddiE
You know the new car market is
undergoing substantial change when it’s
likely New Zealand Police officers will be
seen driving South Korean-built cars.
I’m not saying that is a good or a
bad thing, but the reality is that Kia
has supplied some of its very desirable
Stinger model to law enforcement. The
reason being that the Stinger is a large,
powerful, rear-wheel-drive sedan, which
will complement Holden’s Commodore, so
long a part of our police operation.
As we all know, production of the
Australian-built Commodore has ended
– the new car to wear that nameplate is
sourced from Europe. It’s fair to say the
new Commodore will also be contracted
by the police, but it’s good to see other
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brands also fitting into the equation.
From what I’ve heard, the Stinger is
a pretty smart piece of kit in both fourcylinder
and V6 form; I’ll have to reserve
judgment on it until I get to drive it, but
in the interim, a car from the bottom
end of the Kia stable is the subject of this
evaluation – the Rio.
I first drove the entry-level manual
and I related to its easy-to-drive nature,
value and quality build. This evaluation
focuses on the range-topping Limited
and, as opposed to the manual variant, the
Limited is available only as an automatic, a
four-speeder.
The engine is the same – the 1.4-litre
unit is rated at 74kW and 133Nm, both
realistic outputs for its displacement. It’s
a free-revving engine, which is quiet and
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responsive, but it does work
hard against the limitation of
just four gears – there’s a couple of
points in the engine’s delivery where
it takes time to find its breath, working
against the tall gearing.
That’s no surprise – the reason why we
have gearboxes with far more ratios is to
alleviate those gaps, but in fairness, the
Rio’s driveline does a fairly good job in
most circumstances. It also has the benefit
of healthy fuel-usage statistics. Kia also
claims a 6.2-litre per 100km/h (45mpg)
combined cycle average for the automatic
Rio, which sits well with the 7.6l/100km
(37mpg) figure constantly showing on the
dash panel readout, along with a 5l/100km
(56mpg) instantaneous figure cruising,
the 100km/h legal limit (engine speed
2500rpm).
Together, all of these figures combine
to produce reasonable performance and
great economy. In terms of acceleration,
the Rio automatic will cut out a standstill
to 100km/h time of 11.2sec and will
complete an overtaking manoeuvre
(80km/h-100km/h) in 7sec.
The Rio cruises the highway quietly
and has a smooth, comfortable ride. The
spring and damper rates are set quite soft
and that can be felt in a corner – there is
noticeable body movement. More so in
the rear where the limitations of a tube
beam axle are apparent; there is little rear
wheel freedom.
Up front it’s a different story, the steering
is pin-sharp and has perfect feel, and there
is a lot of feedback through high-quality
Continental tyres (205/45 x 17in). Their
profile leans towards a sporty feel and that
is something I particularly like.
The Rio in this form also gets a
sequential shifting device at the main
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gearshift
lever; it’s useful for
downshifting when
entering a corner and for
the odd time when a shift away from the
normal shifting pattern is required.
At $26,990 the Rio range-topper is
reasonable value - it gets a fair hunk of
the kit as you would expect from a car
that wears a Limited badge. Sadly, the
leather-trimmed seats don’t get heaters,
which is most uninviting on a cold
Christchurch morning. But there are other
inclusions that add to the value aspect
such as satellite navigation, which appears
through a large central screen, and it
is also home to the infotainment and
communication systems.
Personally, I’d be opting for the entrylevel
Rio – it’s available in both manual
and automatic forms. It doesn’t miss
out on much, and in manual form the
six gears allow the engine to work more
akin to its power outputs. At $22,490 and
$23,490 the LX also represents an easy
passage into the brand. Take into account
there’s also an EX model at $25,490.
What Kia has served to prove in recent
years is that it is a progressive company,
not short on introducing interesting and
popular models throughout its global
markets, all landing with a relatively
realistic pricing structure.
While I’m looking forward to a drive in
the Stinger soon, it must be remembered
that it’s bread-and-butter cars such as
the Rio that steady the brand here; it’s a
desirable, down-to-earth hatchback that
does little wrong and pleases with its
styling and ability to put the driver at ease.