a serious player in the well populated hatchback market
BY MICK CHAN
K ia’ s 2012 best seller has
arrived in Malaysia. Last month, Naza Kia provided a media preview of Kia’ s latest B-segment entrant, the Rio, ahead of its official Malaysian launch. Priced within the RM70,000 to RM80,000 bracket, the 1.4-litre Rio plays in the same ball park as the Suzuki Swift, Chevrolet Sonic and the Ford Fiesta.
Like the Rio, the Swift, Fiesta and Sonic are all powered by 1.4-litre naturally aspirated engines, with suspension duties assumed by MacPherson struts and coil springs up front, and a torsion beam with coil springs at the rear.
As standard, the Rio 1.4 EX comes with LED daytime running lights, power folding mirrors with integrated turn signals, and a six-speaker audio system with MP3 and auxiliary audio inputs. The pricier SX variant adds 17-inch alloy wheels, front fog lamps, sunroof, backlit instrument cluster, automatic air conditioning and defogger, rain sensing wipers and a smart entry system which includes an engine starter button.
Swathes of grey in the interior meet the eye at first, punctuated by slivers of metal-look trim on the dashboard fascia
and steering wheel. Perceived quality is satisfactory to the touch, although the in-dash head unit leaves quite a bit of unused space and could possibly accommodate more compartments for added storage space.
The main instruments are clear to these eyes, although subjectively a different typeface may provide improved clarity. The steering column adjusts for reach and rake, while the steering wheel itself features additional controls for the infotainment system.
The front seats in the Rio use manual adjustment, while the rear, Isofix-equipped seats feature 60:40 split
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