Rio sheds youthful look, will attract mature buyers
Kia hopes to repeat triumph of predecessor by moving upstream, writes
manual transmission, which powers the entry-level LS model, while the EX, LX and Tec derivatives are powered by the 1.4-litre powerplant with 74kW and 135Nm in either six-speed manual or archaic four-speed auto gearbox.
At the vehicle’s launch in Gauteng, we drove the top tier Tec in six-speed manual guise through mostly urban routes where the cars are most likely to spend most of their time.
Both the clutch and gearbox actions were easy to use, while the steering was light enough to twirl in traffic and while parking.
The engine, however, felt decidedly lacklustre on pull off, but was adequate once on the move.
Sadly, this means the Rio is left by the wayside in the performance stakes where many of its rivals including the Ford Fiesta, Renault Clio and Volkswagen Polo have turbo engines that punch well above their weight.
This, in my view, is where the Rio grossly loses out against its aforementioned rivals.
Then there is the damping, which feels a bit stiffer than I had expected and led me to believe that perhaps the upshot is its handling.
Well, it is not flimsy around bends, but nor will it upset its rivals.
Overall, the Rio is good, but I feel it hasn’t quite pushed the boundaries far enough to stand out in a crowded segment.
It has matured in its disposition, grown in size and extended slightly its convenience equipment. Whether this will be enough to upset the applecart remains to be seen.
The company says previous Rio buyers have moved upstream and the new model has adopted a similar take and aligned itself accordingly.
As a result, the next generation Picanto, which will launch in South Africa in July, will be the one that will pander to the Ygeneration, much like the previous generation Rio did half a decade ago.
So, then, in essence the Picanto will be the one to push the boundaries in its segment, while the Rio will now appeal to a more mature audience than was previously the case.