New Rio takes to the road - On the road

The Rio will initially be available with two engine choices: a 96bhp 1.4-litre petrol and a 108bhp 1.5-litre diesel. Some countries will also get a 110bhp 1.6-litre petrol unit, but there are no plans to bring this to the UK because Kia fears it will harm sales of its Cerato small family car.

The 1.4 petrol engine provides adequate performance but it has to be worked hard on hills or when you need a burst of pace. The engine becomes raucous at higher speeds, mainly because of short gearing.

The diesel model offers useful extra pulling strength and is a more refined motorway cruiser.

We drove cars built for continental Europe but Kia claims the mechanical set-up may well be changed for cars sold in the UK. This would be welcome on our pockmarked roads because, while the Rio handles securely, its suspension struggles to control body movements and, at low speeds, coarse surfaces can be felt in the cabin.

At higher speeds, bumps can create a bouncy ride, which won’t endear you to motion-sick passengers.

A five-speed manual gearbox is standard with both engines, but the gearchange is rather vague and notchy. The petrol car will also be offered with a four-speed automatic ’box.