-
Home
- TV Shows
- TV Schedule
- NASCAR
-
Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Games
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
- Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
- Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
New Models
DRIVEN: Kia Adds Style To Economy
The South Korean brand improves its smallest member, the Rio 5-Door, with an attractive update and hatchback practicality.
Kia Rio 5-Door received aggressive new styling for 2012 designed to appeal to younger drivers. (Photo: Kia)
(Editor’s note: Joe Golfen is the latest member of the Autos team on SPEED.com, sharing his insight and knowledge of today’s vehicles, mainly those that target youthful drivers. Joe is a professional journalist, serving as reporter and editor at a major daily newspaper in Phoenix, Arizona.)
It’s a tiny subcompact that gets 30 mpg in the city and 40 on the highway, and it costs about $18,000 with all the options.
But don’t call it an econobox.
The all-new 2012 Kia Rio 5-Door EX lifts the formerly rental car status of the Rio to a whole different level, offering slick European looks and a peppy engine that makes saving on gas a lot of fun.
Updating the Rio for the first time since 2006, Kia has taken its new "design-led transformation" concept to heart, crafting a stylish hatchback that can standup to hip recent competition from the Chevrolet Sonic or Ford Fiesta.
With angry headlights and a sneering, stylized front grill, the Rio cuts an aggressive figure from the front, while playing things a bit more straightforward with the simple European hatchback look in back.
That aggressive style isn’t all posturing. The new Rio comes with a direct-injection 1.6-liter inline-4 engine that cranks out 138 horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque. That might not sound too impressive, but when you’re dealing with a 2,500-pound hatchback, that little engine packs a punch.
My EX tester came equipped with the new six-speed automatic transmission, which also helped milk all the fun out of that tiny engine. It’s certainly not the fastest car around, but its smooth acceleration, smart shifting and nimble handling offered an enjoyable drive.
The improvements to the Rio extend to the interior, which features a surprisingly roomy cabin and decent storage space. The backseat is still tight, but the kids or your shorter friends should be OK.
The soft-touch dashboard offers a solid and stylish look, accented by climate controls that echo the toggle switches in the Mini Cooper.
It’s a tiny subcompact that gets 30 mpg in the city and 40 on the highway, and it costs about $18,000 with all the options.
But don’t call it an econobox.
The all-new 2012 Kia Rio 5-Door EX lifts the formerly rental car status of the Rio to a whole different level, offering slick European looks and a peppy engine that makes saving on gas a lot of fun.
Updating the Rio for the first time since 2006, Kia has taken its new "design-led transformation" concept to heart, crafting a stylish hatchback that can standup to hip recent competition from the Chevrolet Sonic or Ford Fiesta.
With angry headlights and a sneering, stylized front grill, the Rio cuts an aggressive figure from the front, while playing things a bit more straightforward with the simple European hatchback look in back.
That aggressive style isn’t all posturing. The new Rio comes with a direct-injection 1.6-liter inline-4 engine that cranks out 138 horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque. That might not sound too impressive, but when you’re dealing with a 2,500-pound hatchback, that little engine packs a punch.
My EX tester came equipped with the new six-speed automatic transmission, which also helped milk all the fun out of that tiny engine. It’s certainly not the fastest car around, but its smooth acceleration, smart shifting and nimble handling offered an enjoyable drive.
The improvements to the Rio extend to the interior, which features a surprisingly roomy cabin and decent storage space. The backseat is still tight, but the kids or your shorter friends should be OK.
The soft-touch dashboard offers a solid and stylish look, accented by climate controls that echo the toggle switches in the Mini Cooper.
The Lyonheart K
LATEST HEADLINES: AUTOMOTIVE
-
GREEN: Porsche Adding All-Model Hybrids
Gas/electric plug-versions of its entire lineup – including… -
AUTOS: Porsche Boosts 918 Spyder Power
The upcoming supercar will produce 887 horsepower from its gas/electric… -
AUTOS: Acura NSX Details Revealed
The rebirth of the mid-engine sports car – now an all-wheel-drive… -
DRIVEN: Jaguar’s Many-Splendored XJ
The British luxury sedan comes in 10 different flavors, with plenty… -
AUTOS: Lamborghini Egoista Launched
The wild single-seat concept car is unveiled at the end of the epic… -
AUTOS: Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Hot Pontiac G8
NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick helped his driver modify the 2009… -
VINTAGE: A Fast Historic Tour Of France
Vintage race and touring cars compete in the 22nd annual Tour de… - More News
