New Kia Rio 1.4 CRDi 3 EcoDynamics 3-door road test review by Oliver Hammond

Exterior

I’ve always viewed the design of previous generations of Kia as pedestrian and slightly bland. Not so the all-new Rio, which I think looks fantastic in both 5-door and 3-door guises. It looks conservatively sporty from every angle, which is a good start. Kia’s tiger nose family grille has now been given to the Rio and slightly reworked to flow nicely with the funky LED daytime running lights. The light clusters look suitably mean and the new Rio’s face is finished off nicely by the bumper and spoiler design, along with the fog lights.

Moving round to the side, which is one of the all-new Rio 3-door’s best angles in my view, and it strongly reminds me of the second generation Audi A3 3-door. Funny, that, as the latest Kia cars have all been designed under the jurisdiction of Peter Schreyer, who used to work at Audi. The sleek creases and coupe-like roofline flow really nicely into the solid-looking rear of the car, and the VAG-esque 17” alloy wheels look fabulous too. The all-new Rio 3-door looks poised and ready for action.

The rear three-quarters and flat-on angles look equally as attractive, with gorgeous LED brake lights and a generally very robust-looking, high quality appearance. My car came in handsome and discrete Graphite Metallic paint, but if you want something extra special, consider a Kia Rio in Electric Blue, which looks fantastic.

So on the outside, the brand new Kia Rio 3-door gets a thumbs-up from me. It might not be an obvious contender when it comes to a sporty supermini, but based on its looks, maybe it should be!

Interior

The ethos when it comes to the ‘3’ specification level of the all-new Kia Rio’s interior seems to be about durability and high kit levels, somewhat at the expense of plushness. Many of the plastics used throughout the interior aren’t up to the highly tactile standards of the Volkswagen Polo, Ford Fiesta and perhaps even the Peugeot 208, but they’re on a par with those of a Suzuki Swift, for example. All the materials used in the new Kia Rio feel very robust and I love the big, chunky buttons and dials. Some surfaces just fail to impress on the gentle ‘knuckle tap test’, that’s all. The ‘Premium’ black cloth upholstery will certainly stand up to years of punishment from kids and the like and the seats themselves, in both the front and the back, proved very comfortable.

It was easy to find a decent driving position and the styling of the trio of instrument dials is very nice, everything displayed clearly. The red backlighting used for the audio screen and the air conditioning system looked very tasteful, as did the chunky chrome toggle switches. The door bins and glovebox were of a decent size and for charging your phone or connecting other gadgets, two 12V sockets, a USB port and Aux socket are positioned just above one of the other handy little cubby holes.

The ‘3’ trim level is extremely generous as standard, packing in automatic air conditioning, electric windows, electric and heated wing mirrors, leather trim here and there, the Supervision Cluster, cruise control, a dimming rear view mirror, an illuminated, cooled and damped glovebox, a front centre armrest console, an enhanced CD/MP3/radio audio system with 6 speakers, airbags, hill start assist and even parking sensors, Bluetooth phone connectivity and heated front seats. Compare all these features with other superminis and you’ll see that the new Kia Rio makes a lot of financial sense in ‘3’ trim, as many of these luxuries are costly options on rival models.

Although visibility out of the rear windows is restricted, the actual comfort of my rear passengers was reportedly very good, with ample head, leg and shoulder room. Accessing the back seats wasn’t always easy, but it seldom is when it comes to 3-door superminis. The back seats split 60:40 and the boot itself is about average size-wise, and comes with a useful netted storage compartment on one side, and another little cubby on the other. The 288 litres (923 with the rear seats folded down) is fractionally smaller than the Fiesta’s. Underneath the boot floor, you’ll find a ‘Tyre Mobility’ repair kit, as opposed to a space-saver tyre.

Inside, therefore, the new Kia Rio in ‘3’ trim isn’t quite as stroke-worthy as its Dagenham and German rivals, but it’s a very good effort and really does show that Kia means business in upping its game time after time, especially when it comes to a very high standard equipment specification.

Behind the wheel

Don’t go reaching for your phone with the intention of calling the men in white coats to take me away, but I actually found the new Kia Rio 3-door quite addictive to drive, almost to the point where I sought excuses to drive it, no matter how short the distance. Okay, the ride is on the firm side and potholes and poor surfaces can really unsettle the Rio, mainly owing to the large 17” wheels and stiff suspension setup – but once you escape urbanity and hit the open road, it translates into a car that is very enjoyable to drive. You can tell the steering is assisted quite a bit, but it’s got a lovely weighted feel to it, and the car handled corners very well.

I didn’t think a 1.4 diesel Rio would be much fun to drive spiritedly over the windy A6 to Buxton in the Peak District, but it was. The engine quietened down after a few minutes and second and third gears were especially punchy, to the point where I always felt egged on to push it harder. Compared to a rival like the Ford Fiesta which has five gears, the Rio has six, although the 6th is quite tall. Although the Rio handled surprisingly well, all things are relative and its harsh handling of potholes and bumps means that keen drivers who do a lot of B-road blasts are better looking at the Ford. Back to the Rio, though, and the short gear stick is a joy to flick up and down the gears and all the other controls are ergonomically laid out.

The engine powering this pretty impressive little fella is a 1.4-litre common-rail high-pressure injection diesel unit, which produces 89bhp. This means 20 more bhp than the 1.4 diesel Fiesta and the 1.2 diesel VW Polo. The relatively eager performance of the Rio 1.4 CRDi is down to 220Nm of torque in low rev bands under 3,000rpm. This keeps the economy on the positive side and Kia reckon this stop-start EcoDynamics model should average 70mpg combined. My week with the Rio was mainly comprised of driving in urban areas and in the countryside, so for fairness, I’ll compare my achieved average of 56mpg with Kia’s quoted extra-urban figure of 62.8mpg. No doubt if I’d driven it with a lighter right foot, I would have achieved closer to the published figures – but I just found it so rev-worthy in low gears. Oops. Carbon Dioxide emissions are impressive at 105g/km and the Rio 1.4 CRDi EcoDynamics sits in tax band B so road tax is free for the first year and will only cost you a couple of DVDs (£20) a year thereafter.

Verdict

Priced at just over £14,000 on the road and crammed full of equipment as standard, the 3-door version of the new Kia Rio in range-topping ‘3’ trim represents excellent value for money. It undercuts the majority of its rivals by the time you add on all the optional extras which the Kia brings to the table as standard. It may lack the more engaging, driver-focussed edge that the Ford Fiesta has and the Rio’s ride may prove too firm for some, but it still handles exceptionally well for such a modestly-intentioned supermini. The new Rio should prove fairly light on your wallet, too, in 1.4 diesel EcoDynamics guise – providing you don’t twirl it around like a hot hatch all the time. And the cherry on the cake as far as the Rio’s concerned is Kia’s inimitable 7-year warranty. Kia is increasingly becoming a badge to be proud of, so if you’re in the market for a relatively spacious small car which is economical, quite fun to drive and built to last, definitely put the Rio on your shortlist.

© Oliver Hammond

Specification of the Kia Rio 1.4 CRDi 3 EcoDynamics 3-door tested in this review

Engine: 1,396cc, 4-cylinder, 16V diesel
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Max Output: 89bhp
Max Torque: 166 lb ft @ 1,750-2,750rpm
Top Speed: 106mph
0-60mph: 12.6 seconds
Combined fuel economy: 70.6mpg
Fuel tank capacity: 43 litres
CO2 Emissions: 105g/km
Max Towing Weight (braked): 1,100kg
Boot capacity: 288 litres (rear seats up), 923 (seats down)
Dimensions: 4,045mm long, 1,720mm wide including mirrors, 1,455mm high
BIK: 13%
VED: Year 1 free, Year 2 £20

Standard Specification includes (but not limited to):

17″ Alloy Wheels (205/ 45 R17)
Hood Insulation
Tyre Mobility Kit
Front Fog Lights
Rear Fog Light
UV Reducing Solar Glass (Windscreen and Front Windows)
Privacy Glass (Rear Windows and Tailgate) *5-door only
Speed Variable Front Wipers
Rear Wiper/Washer
AeroBlade-Type Front Wipers
Heated Rear Window
Body Coloured Bumpers
Body Coloured Door Mirrors
Body Coloured Door Handles
Black Bezel Headlamps
LED Daytime Running Lights
LED Rear Combination Lamps
Automatic Light Control
Projection Headlamps
Cornering Lights
LED High-mounted Brake Light
Electric Folding Door Mirrors with Integrated LED Indicator Lights
Reversing Sensors
Radiator Grille – Black Mesh with Chrome Surround
Premium Black Cloth Upholstery
Automatic Air Conditioning
Auto Defog System
Headlamp Levelling Device
Front Electric Windows with Driver’s Auto Up and Down Function
All-round Electric Windows (with driver’s Auto Up/Down) *5-door only
Electrically Adjustable, Heated Door Mirrors
Driver’s Seat Height Adjuster
Front Seatback Pocket (Driver & Passenger)
All-round Height Adjustable Head Rests
60:40 Split Folding 2nd Row Seats
Heated Front Seats
Sliding and Reclining Front Seats
Tilt Steering Wheel Adjustment
Telescopic Steering Wheel
Leather Trimmed Steering Wheel
Leather Trimmed Gearshift
Luggage Area Light
Tachometer
Trip Computer
Supervision Cluster
Gear Shift Indicator (Manual Transmission Only)
Cruise Control and Speed Limiter
Digital Clock
Day & Night Rearview Mirror
Front & Rear Door Map Pockets with Bottle Holder
Glovebox with Illumination
Glovebox with Cooling & Damper
Front Centre Console Armrest
Cup Holders – Centre Console
Sunvisors with Vanity Mirrors
Sunvisors with Vanity Mirrors & Illumination
3 x Passenger Assist Grips
1 x Coat Hook (rear)
Luggage Area Parcel Shelf
12V Power Socket
RDS Radio/CD Audio with MP3 Disc Compatibility
Enhanced Sound System (Arkamys)
6 Speaker System
USB & AUX Ports
Bluetooth Hands Free Connectivity
Steering Wheel Mounted Audio Controls
Twin Front Airbags
Side & Curtain Airbags
Front Passenger Airbag Cut-off Switch
Inside Handle Over Ride (Driver & Passenger) – 2 Motion
Motor Driven Power Steering
Adaptive Brakelights (Emergency Stop Signalling)
ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with Brake-Assist System (BAS) Vehicle Stability Management (VSM)
Hill-start Assist Control (HAC)
ISOFIX Child Seat Top Tethers & Anchor Fixings
All-round 3-Point Seatbelts
Front Seatbelt Pre-tensioners & Load-limiters
Front Seatbelt Height Adjustable Anchors
Remote Central Door Locking with Tailgate & Fold-away Key
Speed Sensing Auto Door Locking
Impact Sensing Auto Door Unlocking
Anti-theft Alarm System
Engine Immobiliser
Child Safety Rear Door Locks
*5-door only
Side Impact Protection System
Visible Vehicle Identification No. (VIN)