Kia Rio Hatch Review
23-September-2008
- Vital Stats
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$14,990 - $18,840
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Unleaded
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Big enough for a medium-sized pram
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3
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So nifty, affordable and simple!
The Kia Rio 5-door hatch is a nifty, basic, and affordable car. It's so easy to drive and compact enough to ace reverse parking – no sweat.
We love the price (from $14,990), its semi-rounded-yet-a-tinge-angular booty, and general basic-ness of it – it's got everything you need without any confusing, extra frills. Great for first-time car buyers for sure.
Some pros are that the boot is applaudingly big enough for a medium-sized pram, plus there's a nifty cargo cover that's great for hiding any steal-ables from wandering eyes; remote central locking, interior lights that go off only when you put your keys in the ignition and that stay on for a minute or so while you get to your house door, etc. after leaving the car; and a so simple but so ridiculously helpful arrow next to the petrol gauge symbol, showing you which side the fuel cap's on (I always forget!).
The Kia Rio also comes as a 4-door sedan (from $16,840 - $18,840). Check out the Kia Rio sedan here.
Not so keen on...
There are no warning chimes if you leave your car with the headlights on, which is surprising as there's the 'keys in ignition' warning.
The mirror on the back of the sun visor is really distracting as you can't cover it up – it's just a raw mirror slapped on there and reflects glare into your face!
Plus the reverse shift on manual models is tricky! I thought the car was faulty because I couldn't figure it out! (Haha!) After a peruse of the manual and some really weird parks, I realised you have to lift this black part of the gear shift below the 'knob' (which just looks like part of it) up and then put it into reverse. But it's kind of the same position to go forward in first gear except that this little black thing was pushed up (you can't tell which position it is in just looking at it) – so you have to MAKE SURE you really are in first gear before you drive off!
How it drives...
Nicely! The steering is responsive, brakes are good – there are no problems, except that the back feels a bit like it's not handling the best around corners. Aka: you get a bit of back-sway – which isn't unusual for a car of this size and calibre.
Colour options
* Clear White
* Sunset Orange
* Soft Green.
$300 extra:
* Metallic Cashmere Beige
* Metallic Polar Silver
* Mica Midnight Black
* Mica Sapphire
* Soft Green
* Sunset Orange
* Mica Tropical Red.
Kia Rio fuel economy
We give it a 4.5/5 – it uses about 6.9 litres of fuel per 100km.
Kia Rio warranty
All Kias now come with a 5-year, unlimited kilometre factory warranty. Read all the details here.
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