Kia Rio review

At first glance the Rio seems good value when compared with the likes of the Skoda Fabia, Ford Fiesta and Renault Clio, but only the least recommendable engine and trim combination actually undercuts them on price.

In fact, we’d opt for at least ‘2’ trim in order to get the 1.0-litre turbocharged engine, although this does push the price up.

All engines offer good fuel economy, and the smaller, turbocharged units return the best results of the range. None can match the official figures returned by the equivalent Ford Fiesta, though. The equivalent engines of the Fiesta and Fabia both have lower official CO2 emissions, too, which means those rivals will cost less in company-car tax if you’re looking for a small car as a business user.

Opt for entry-level ‘1’ grade and you get air-conditioning, front electric windows, heated electric door mirrors, Bluetooth phone connectivity , automatic lights and a multi-function steering wheel. In light of that model not giving you AEB, though, we suggest moving up to ‘2’ trim, which is our favourite Rio trim level. Doing so also gives you alloy wheels, a leather steering wheel and gear knob, rear electric windows, electric folding mirrors, cruise control and the 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system we mentioned earlier. At the top of the ‘normal’ trims is ‘3’. This adds bigger alloys, climate control, faux leather seats that are heated up front, plus a heated steering wheel, automatic wipers and the connected features described in the infotainment section. 

There’s also the choice of two sportier-looking models, the GT-Line and GT-Line S. GT-line broadly corresponds with ‘2’ trim, and adds cosmetic interior tweaks such as carbon-fibre styled fascias and aluminium pedals. GT-Line S offers the equipment upgrades you get with ‘3’ trim, as well as a sporty D-shaped steering wheel.

The Rio didn’t feature specifically in the 2019 What Car? Reliability Survey, but Kia finished a strong 6th out of 31 manufacturers as a brand, above Skoda, Ford and Volkswagen. 

If things go wrong with your Rio, you have the peace of mind that its warranty is valid for an industry-leading seven years or 100,000 miles. If you sell the car within this period, you can transfer the warranty to the next owner, too.

The entry-level ‘1’ trim is the only Rio trim level that doesn’t include automatic emergency braking (AEB) and lane departure warning. As a result, safety experts Euro NCAP gave it only a three-star rating. That rating is increased to the full five stars on ‘2’ trim and above, which has these vital systems as standard. You can also add them to ‘1’ trim by opting for the reasonably priced safety pack. All models get six airbags and hill-start assist. 

Experts Thatcham awarded the Rio four stars (out of five) for resisting theft, and only three stars for resisting a break-in – both results are lower than most rivals’ scores.

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