First Glance: A moment of silence, please
Ladies and gentlemen, please bow your heads and join me in a moment of silence. We are here to mourn the passing of cheap, crappy Kias.
Eighteen years ago to the day -- actually it wasn't anywhere near this day, but it always sounds cooler when you say that -- Kia first came to the US market with a cheap, crappy 4x4 called the Sportage, first in a long line of vehicles designed for the “bad-credit-no-credit-no-problem” set.
Then, just a couple of years ago, some Kia executive suddently decided that perhaps making lousy cars wasn't such a good idea after all. Kia, like their parent company Hyuundai, embarked on a massive self-improvement program, and the results have been truly amazing -- a showroom full of class-leading products. Except the Rio.
The subcompact Rio was the Kia that resolutely held on to it's crappiness longer than any other. My last experience with the old Rio was a week-long rental in Puerto Rico, where the car's rudimentary ride and deep-discount interior brought me back to my college days, when the best car I could afford was an an '87 Dodge Omni. Like my Omni, what the Rio lacked in panache -- as in, the complete absence thereof -- it made up for in spirit. In fact, if only the old Rio would have refused to start every third time, it would have been just like my Omni.
So when my fellow journalists and I arrived at the 2012 Kia Rio press preview, I was the only one who was not happy to see the beautiful new Rio. Others marveled at the slick, smooth new styling, raved about the massively-improved interior, and speculated about what kind of fuel economy we'd get from the high-tech, direct-injected four cylinder engine.
But not me. I just stood there, slack-jawed, staring at this beautifully-styled, thoroughly modern vehicle, and wondering where the crap had gone off to -- and whether I was the only one who would miss it.
Quality of new Rio's dashboard belies its price
Photo © KiaIn the Driver's Seat: Dressed to impress
Even if you aren't familiar with the old Rio's interior, it's difficult not to be impressed by the new one. Like other recent Kias, the Rio's interior is a mix of slick design and high-quality materials. Even the LX base model, which gets hard plastic dash panels instead of the soft-touch stuff on the EX and SX, looks and feels better than the $14,000 price tag might lead you to believe. Nifty details abound, like the small storage bin just below the USB ports which is perfectly sized for an iPhone or similarly-sized device.
The back seat doesn't perform any miracles, but it's fine for kids or adults who aren't prone to complaining. It's more comfortable than the back seat of the old Rio, but then again, so is a bed of nails. The hatchback has a 15 cubic foot cargo bay, not as commodious as the Honda Fit, but not as miserly as the Toyota Yaris. The sedan's 13.7 cubic foot trunk measures up better, larger than the Ford Fiesta but not quite as generous as the Chevy Sonic.
Like the old Rio, the new one is inexpensive -- but unlike the old car, it gives you a lot for your money. The cheapest Rio, the $14,150 LX sedan, includes air conditioning and a USB-compatible stereo with steering wheel controls, although it lacks an adjustable steering column. (Why, Kia? Why?) Unlike many of its competitors, Kia also offers a cheap hatchback version -- the 5-door Rio is priced just $200 higher than the 4-door.
A mid-level Rio EX sedan with power windows and locks, Bluetooth, cruise control and an automatic transmission will set you back $17,500, and if you splurge on an SX hatchback with all the trimmings -- including heated leather seats, navigation, sunroof, and push-button keyless start -- and you're looking at $20,650. That's only $300 more than a top-of-the-line Honda Fit, which doesn't offer leather, and a thousand bucks less than a similarly-equipped Ford Fiesta, which can't be had with navigation.
On the Road: More moments of silence
Sedan is the least-expensive model; trunk is a spacious 13.7 cubic feet
Photo © KiaWhile the old Rio had all the refinement of a Sears lawn tractor, the new Rio makes me think that perhaps the NVH (Noise, Vibration, and Harshness) engineers weren't told just how inexpensive the new car was going to be. I allow for a fair bit of wind noise, road noise and engine noise in a car this cheap, but in the Rio, all three were notable by their absence. Color me impressed.
Under the Rio's hood lives a 1.6 liter engine rated at 138 horsepower, a figure that sounds more impressive than it feels. The base model can be had with a manual transmission, but everything else gets a 6-speed automatic. The Rio isn't exactly slow, but it isn't exactly fast, either. But the engine does get a fuel-sipping direct fuel injection system, a pricey extravagance for an entry-level car. EPA ratings are 30 MPG city and 40 MPG highway, and with numbers like that, I don't mind if someone else is quicker away from the lights. And speaking of traffic lights, the Rio offers an optional system called Idle Stop and Go, which shuts off the engine when the car is idling and restarts it when the driver's foot comes off the brake. I didn't get a chance to try it out, but Kia says the system adds 1 MPG to the EPA city figure.
Once on the move, the Rio's electric power steering has the same just-okay feel as other EPS-equipped Kias, and the handling feels nimble and tight, if not particularly enjoyable. It's not quite as ho-hum as the Hyundai Accent, but nor did it have me grinning like I did in the Chevy Sonic Turbo.
