2006 KIA Rio "A pretty bitchin' subcompact ride"

[gmsickofan]

First Drive: 2006 Kia Rio
Kia surprises everyone with a pretty bitchin' subcompact ride.
by Justin Kaehler
www.cars.ign.com



August 24, 2005 - With the automotive media focusing on "glitzy" vehicles such as blinged-out SUVs and high-dollar sports cars, it's easy for most people to overlook one of the fastest-growing segments in the automotive market. The segment we are talking about, of course, is the subcompact car segment. You heard us right. With the success of super-cheap and fuel-efficient cars like the Scion xA and xB -- and to a certain extent, the Chevrolet Aveo -- auto makers are rushing to get these ten-thousand dollar cars into the hands of consumers. You can expect to see giants like Honda and Nissan to throw their hats into this arena very soon.

One car maker that has always had a presence in this market is Kia. That should come to no surprise to anyone that has seen the super-dinky Rio. This sub $10K car is cheap, which is about the only good thing one can say about it. Even most people that work within Kia have a hard time saying anything good about the current Rio.

Not that it matters much, because Kia is releasing an all-new Rio sedan and Rio5 sportback in September 2005. These cars will be 2006 models, and they will be much, much better than the car it currently replaces. Kia went and pulled in some top-notch talent to build this car, and the company was able to secure some of the key people responsible for the Mazda Miata and BMW 3-series. This new design team is passionate about cars, and perhaps through some strong-arm tactics, it was able to get the bean counters at Kia to spend a little extra cash to make sure the new car would actually be pretty respectable.

We think that Kia has actually done a good job on its new subcompact. We were able to spend a few days driving the new Rio through the winding country roads just outside of Seattle, and we walked away feeling overall impressed with the car.

Let's start off by talking about the new Rio's looks. Two body styles are available: a four-door sedan and a five-door hatchback. Both cars have a very "European" look to them thanks to the chunky black plastic trim that is applied liberally to the outside of the car. We are almost reminded of certain Citroen or Pugeot cars when looking at the new Rio. As we are addicted to reading magazines like Max Power (a U.K.-based tuning magazine that features a lot of fixed-up Pugs), we think that this new Rio has the potential to look really cool. As we are wagon-fiends here at IGN Cars, it should be obvious that we prefer the look of the Rio5 -- it just looks a lot sportier.

Motivation for all new Rios comes from a 1.6-liter four-banger that puts out 110 horsepower. As all Rios also weigh less than 2,500 pounds, this power is more than adequate. Of course, the Rio is not mind-numbingly fast, but it has more than enough power to keep one out of trouble.

Power gets to the ground through either a four-speed automatic or 5-speed manual. Both transmissions offer decent acceleration, with acceleration seeming to be about the same with both types. The manual does feel a little bit cheap, though. We feel that we can snap the shift lever if we row through the gears a little too hard, and the clutch is way too light for our tastes. Don't get us wrong, the transmission is very effective, and with the 10-year/100K mile warranty, it probably won't break -- we just like our manual transmissions to feel a lot more "beefy".



The interior of the Rio is nice, but there's nothing to really get excited about -- it is a budget car after all. The interior fit and finish is on par with that of the new Spectra or Hyundai Sonata -- which is to say that it is decent, but still feels a little cheap. We do think that the Rio's interior is cooler than that of the Spectra -- it's just a more subdued design, which is a plus in our book.

The Rio does have a lot of room inside. Though it's exterior is smaller than most compacts like the Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla, the interior is actually much larger than either of those cars.

All in all, we walked away with a positive impression about the new Rio. Sure, it isn't the fastest or sexiest car out there, but with an engine that gets almost 40 mpg on the highway and a base cost of just over $12K, (or $13,500 for the much cooler Rio5), we feel that this is a lot of car for the money.

http://cars.ign.com/articles/645/645023p2.html

[paul8488]

Originally Posted by gmsickofan

With the success of super-cheap and fuel-efficient cars like the Scion xA and xB -- and to a certain extent, the Chevrolet Aveo -- auto makers are rushing to get these ten-thousand dollar cars into the hands of consumers.

To a certain extent? As in best-selling extent? Sheesh! What's with the dig?

I kinda think this is a decent looking little hatchback. The sedan pics I've seen don't show muhc promise, but as with the Aveo, the hatch is doable. 40mpg sounds good too... surely the next Aveo will be up there.

[driverblogger]

I have to admit the style of Kia's cars are getting pretty much better, but they're still Kia's.

I'll stick with my Scions.

[mbukukanyau]

I thouht the Aveo was the best seller hands down? What are the figures btw Aveo and others in this class? Anyone with sales figures?

[GM_Fanatic]

I googled for the market share of compacts and I found a link coming back to GM InsideNews. In 2004 the Aveo had 34% market share, next came the Accent, Rio, xA and Echo. Keep in mind though, 2004 was the Aveos first full year on the market (debuted in Nov. of 2003) Sales have been up every month this year.

[SonicAerio]

I actually like the look of the black plastic around the car....just like on the Saab 9-3...it gives it a definate "Euro" look.

Overall....it reminds me of an updated tercel:




But...it's not a bad thing.....way better then the previous Rio...and I like it more then the next gen Accent or Echos....

[Hudson]

US sales in July 2005

Chevrolet Aveo: 6,550 (up 57.1% over last July)
Scion xB : 4,831 (down 13.7%)
Hyundai Accent: 3,756 (down 22.5%)
Scion xA: 2,528 (down 2.1%)
Kia Rio (old model): 1,948 (down 31.5%)

Someone explain to me how this is "one of the fastest-growing segments in the automotive market?" Except for the Aveo, all other models are down compared to last year (for a total loss of 5.8%). I guess the 11% growth in year-to-date numbers might back up the claim:

US sales in Jan-July 2005

Chevrolet Aveo: 41,795 (up 63.4% over last year)
Scion xB : 31,964 (up 21.5%)
Hyundai Accent: 25,666 (down 8.5%)
Scion xA: 15,419 (up 15.0%)
Kia Rio (old model): 19,043 (down 29.0%)

[driverblogger]

Originally Posted by Hudson

US sales in July 2005

Chevrolet Aveo: 6,550 (up 57.1% over last July)
Scion xB : 4,831 (down 13.7%)
Hyundai Accent: 3,756 (down 22.5%)
Scion xA: 2,528 (down 2.1%)
Kia Rio (old model): 1,948 (down 31.5%)

Someone explain to me how this is "one of the fastest-growing segments in the automotive market?" Except for the Aveo, all other models are down compared to last year (for a total loss of 5.8%). I guess the 11% growth in year-to-date numbers might back up the claim:

US sales in Jan-July 2005

Chevrolet Aveo: 41,795 (up 63.4% over last year)
Scion xB : 31,964 (up 21.5%)
Hyundai Accent: 25,666 (down 8.5%)
Scion xA: 15,419 (up 15.0%)
Kia Rio (old model): 19,043 (down 29.0%)

The other models are down because they have been out longer than than the Aveo. The Scions have been out for a year, the Rio for like 4 years Ithink, and the Accent been out for more than that.

[GM_Fanatic]

The funny thing is the Aveo wasn't "all-new" when it hit the states and its still cleaning house!

[silverado_13]

If the current Aveo does this goodm imagine how it'll do when that new one arrives!!

[CADILLACSIXTEEN]

ahh, who cares, its as ugly as ever.

[genjy]

The Rio's price seems to be in xA's area, as opposed to the Aveo's sub-$10k mark. Then, I think I would choose the xA over the Rio.

I would even pay $1k more and get a xB instead. xB's looks aside, it's still the roomiest **************** subcompact car I've ever been in. I am 5'10" and I could barely the touch sun visor with my arm stretch out in my sister-in-law's xB. And, the seat wasn't all the way back because another 5'10 guy was sitting comfortably in the backseat behind me. The xB feels a lot roomier than my mom's Taurus. The box design does work.

[IAMCANADIAN]

Originally Posted by paul8488

To a certain extent? As in best-selling extent? Sheesh! What's with the dig?

I kinda think this is a decent looking little hatchback. The sedan pics I've seen don't show muhc promise, but as with the Aveo, the hatch is doable. 40mpg sounds good too... surely the next Aveo will be up there.

I don't think he was talking about best selling, i think it was the fuel economy part as the aveo isn't as good as its competitiors.

[jwrebholz]

That's it. TCC, AutoWeek, the LA Times and now IGN.

It MUST be moron writer month.

[saturnsteve]

The only thing that's bitchin' about this car is it's owners. KIA's are a complete piece of junk!