Handsome "Kia Rio": Responses of owners, advantages and disadvantages of the updated model

Kia's cars are becoming more mature and prestigious every year, because if very few people have taken seriously to the Koreans, now they can compete in quality and options with Japanese and German cars. In March 2011, at the Geneva auto show, the world first saw a new creation from Kia, which became the third generation in the Rio model line. And in May of the same year, the development of a special model for the Russian and Ukrainian market was announced, the production of which was launched on August 15, 2011 at the Hyundai plant in St. Petersburg. The attractive brightness of the exterior design, remarkable equipment and excellent ergonomics - all this characterizes the new "Kia Rio". Reviews of owners of this car will not allow you to doubt these speeches, because the car is really made reliably and in European beautiful.

Design

The model radically changed its appearance due to the designer genius of Peter Schreier. In the guise of the new "Rio" is clearly traced the fact of borrowing ideas from the developers and designers of European cars, because of the soft and lenient representative of the past generation, "Rio" has turned into a strict and convincing car that also radiates sports aggression. The design of the updated Kia really turned out to be presentable: a predatory smile of the front lights, an impressive grille, spectacular rims, a pronounced lateral profile ... Add to all the catchy air intakes on the front fenders, daring fog lights and concave shapes of elegant doors - all these are undoubted advantages From the impetuous auto-flow "Kia Rio". The owners' feedback will confirm to you the perfection of the exterior appearance of the car, because most of them are proud of being behind the wheel of a real Korean handsome man. In general, the company was not stingy at spectacle frames, but what about interior decoration?

Interior

For a budget segment car, our hero looks very, very good. This can indicate a smart salon, allowing its design to compete with representatives of the Golf-class. The devices are equipped with optronic illumination, some parts are flavored with chrome inserts, seats are covered with a dirt-repellent cloth, and the engine is started with a single button press. In general, the salon is awarded the highest praise for materials, because they not only look nice and expensive, but also are really reliable. The driver's seat will be comfortable for any owner: the seats and steering wheel are adjustable in a sufficient range, the steering wheel is equipped with various commands for controlling the audio system, and in cold weather, you can turn on the heating of the front seats. In general, the Koreans once again pleased us with a proven ergonomics and quality quality that will not leave indifferent the domestic car enthusiast. As for the optional set, it differs significantly from the 3 sets. The basic version of the developers equipped with air conditioning, a central lock, a decent audio system, electric front mirrors and an on-board computer. In general, it is quite decent for a car of this class, but we'll talk about older complete sets a little later. You can not ignore the capacious trunk of 500 liters, which is quite enough for a long family trip or everyday needs.

Engine line

In terms of dynamics, our Korean has no equal among "classmates". The trick with which the Kia Rio is gaining speed does not really fit in with the image of a budget car. For our market, it comes only with gasoline engines, bypassing the popular in Europe and America "diesel". The engine range is represented by only two variants: a 107-horsepower 1.4-liter engine, and a more powerful assistant that accommodates 123 "horses" with a volume of 1.6 liters. For each of them designed 5-speed "mechanics" or a classic 4-speed "automatic". In the "Kia Rio" engine confidently disperses the car from the very bottom and it turns perfectly to cut-off. To achieve the coveted "hundreds" the car requires 11-13 seconds, and fuel consumption varies between 6-6.5 liters with mixed driving. In general, the "Kia Rio" characteristics of the dynamics are quite impressive, which must be taken into account when choosing a future purchase.

Control

What really impresses the Korean sedan, so it's handling, driving stability and smooth running, with which the "Rio" is all right. The car is confident and stable on the track, and behaves quite predictably at the corners. Plus, more expensive versions can always hedge the driver with a stabilization system. Suspension confidently copes with the bumps of Russian roads, although sometimes it behaves a bit harshly. Do not penetrate foreign sounds and into the car salon, pleasing the passengers with calmness and comfort.

Packages

"Kia Rio" is available in 4 different configurations: Comfort, Luxe, Prestige and Premium. About the basic version of Comfort, we have already mentioned above, and therefore now we will only specify its price - 499,900 rubles. Intermediate versions are equipped with additional accessories, auto-off function, rear windows, front fog lights and some other trifles. Top model "Kia Rio", feedback from owners about which is exceptionally positive, will please the lucky owner of the Supervision dashboard, climate control, luggage compartment organizer, Bluetooth function and a more powerful audio system. The price for the maximum equipment will be 680 thousand rubles. In principle, for a class B car, the cost is quite high, but everyone has their own preferences.

Security

In this regard, Korean cars have never failed the public, and therefore, the new "Rio" was obliged to continue the established tradition. According to crash tests EuroNCAP the car got 4 stars, which is quite enough for a car of this class. All Kia Rio complete sets are equipped with an immobilizer, an ABS system and two airbags. The top version is additionally equipped with side airbags and curtain airbags, ESC system, as well as the function of automatic door locking when driving.

Dimensions

The new Kia Rio has a fairly compact dimensions: for a sedan the length is 4370 mm, width - 1700 mm, height - 1470 mm. The wheelbase reaches 2570 mm, and the curb weight ranges from 1115 to 1218 kg. The drive of the car is only front, and the chassis design is quite simple, does not stand out against the background of its European and Japanese competitors. A separate mention deserves a 16-centimeter clearance of the novelty, which is so necessary for cars in our road conditions. From the above, it can be noted that the dimensions of the "Rio" is not very differentiated from other "classmates": it is no worse than them, but does not show any benchmark qualities.

Rivalry with Hyundai Solaris

Hyundai Motor Group, which owns the brands Hyundai and Kia, has made a real revolution in the long-gone 2012. It was she who proved that B-class cars can be not only cheap, but also perfectly equipped handsome. At once two models of the Korean concern were launched on the mass market: Hyundai Solaris and Kia Rio. The feedback from owners of both cars is only positive, they indicate practicality, verified ergonomics and comfort. Built on the same platform with similar technical characteristics, both models began to show impressive sales. However, according to the developers themselves, Kia Rio, unlike Solaris, is aimed at a younger audience. Yes, and the price of the base car was slightly higher (467,900 rubles against 499,900). However, here there is one nuance: "Rio" already in the minimum complete set is equipped much better, rather than Solaris. Well, with the same set of options, the price difference is not actually felt.