Sandwiched, as it was, between two Jaguars in my test schedule, it would have been easy to criticize the Kia Rio for its numerous deficits compared to the British luxury coupes. That would hardly be fair, of course, and doesn’t take into account that the entire Rio probably costs less than the leather that swaddles a Jag XKR’s interior.
Nor does it do justice to the solid effort that the Rio makes as a first-time player in the very competitive Canadian subcompact market. It took fellow Korean auto maker, Hyundai, at least 10 years to crack the Japanese stranglehold on performance and quality, but Kia looks to have at least a contender at first crack.
Kia’s formula, of course, is a familiar one for the Koreans. Load a cheap and cheerful little four-door sedan with as many features and as much performance as possible and then shave margins tightly to keep the MSRP firmly in the ‘just got out of college’ price range. For the record, the Rio starts out at $11,995 for the four-door stripper with a five-speed manual transmission and climbs to a hardly-heady $15,895 for the Rio RS, equipped with air conditioning and a four-speed automatic trannie.
That same sub-$16 large pricetag includes an amazing array of features, including power windows, door locks and mirrors, a remote trunk release, and the best CD player this side of a Ford Focus. Unfortunately, this last item is only available as part of the top-end RS package that requires buying the power items as well as various trim pieces, body moldings and a plethora of other less important items in the lesser LS option group. This flies in the face of the packaging system that has helped make Ford’s Focus the best-selling car in the world, especially among young drivers. Ford equips even the cheapest version with an ear-blasting CD player but roll-up windows, the theory being that youth appreciates mind-altering decibels but possesses the muscle tone to wind up their own windows.
In fact, one of my major complaints is that you have to buy the LS, which has quite a few items I wouldn’t find desirable, to get to the RS options which I find all useful. That being said, the fully-equipped Rio is still an enormous bargain compared with most other subcompacts. And the Rio isn’t saddled with the controversial styling that’s preventing Toyota’s Echo from becoming a runaway best seller. The Rio, by contrast, is a sprightly little beast that may not set anyone’s lust-o-meter alight, but then again, doesn’t offend anyone either.
The Rio is similarly cheerful inside. There’s lots of brightly coloured cloth on the doors and seats to give it that light, airy feeling that manufacturers deem appropriate to the young and cash-strapped. Although it’s also fairly roomy, especially in the rear seat, it’s still no challenge for the Echo in this regard. I also didn’t expect the seats to be nearly as comfortable as they are, considering the price.
I almost did expect the rubbery feel to the five-speed manual’s gearshift action. The last Kia I tested, the Sportage, had a similarly vague shift action and it was often difficult to determine whether third or fifth gears had been selected. The Rio’s was noticeably better than the Sportage’s but nowhere near as precise as a Honda’s.
The little 1.5 litre, four-cylinder engine proves a little more willing than that other Korean king of thrift, Hyundai’s Accent. The double overhead camshaft unit boasts only three more ponies than the Accent’s but feels more powerful. It’s also relatively smooth, not buzzing noticeably until well past 4,500 rpm. As expected, it’s frugal as well. Kia claims a 5.8 litre/100 km. (49 mpg) Transport Canada rating on the highway.
The Rio’s handling is also pretty fair as well, despite being saddled with a solid rear axle in the rear. There’s independent MacPherson struts up front and though the tires are skinny (175/70R13 Hankooks), there’s enough grip to satisfy commuting, no matter how brisk. The ride is also similarly competent, though the body does shake over very large bumps, indicating that the Rio’s body isn’t as rigid as such subcompact stalwarts as the Honda Civic and Toyota Echo.
In other regards the Rio is very well constructed. It’s impossible to gauge reliability in the thousand kilometres I typically drive during a week-long test drive, but the Kia certainly seems screwed together tightly. There were no rattles or creaks in the cabin and the gaps between body panels were both tight and even. It’s an impressive effort.
Nonetheless, Kia is going to find things very competitive. Hyundai’s Accent starts at the same MSRP – admittedly as a three-door – and has an established reputation. With the economy booming, such large and more powerful subcompacts as the Echo will almost certainly become more popular. And the giant-killer of the segment, the Honda Civic, is getting a long-overdue redesign this year.
One can’t help but be impressed with this Kia as well as the other models the Korean company has brought to Canada, though. There’s no doubt that there is an audience for a car packed with so many features for such a low price.
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