Kia Rio review

The driver’s seat has plenty of adjustment both forwards and backwards and up and down. Factor in the extensive rake and reach steering wheel adjustment, and you shouldn’t find it hard to get comfy, no matter what size you are. Adjustable lumbar support isn’t available, but this isn’t uncommon in superminis. The gearstick falls easily to hand and has a positive shift action, and the primary controls – lights, ventilation system and infotainment – are all easy to operate on the go.

Thanks to relatively slim front pillars, forward visibility is good even when pulling out of awkward junctions. You also get a good view out of the side windows due to a window line that stays quite flat instead of sweeping upward like some rivals. The rear view is less impressive – the rear window is rounded at the sides, which, coupled to thick rear pillars, makes reversing tricky. Thankfully, all bar base ‘1’ models get reversing sensors and a rear view camera.

Base models get Bluetooth connectivity and a small 3.8in monochrome infotainment display that we suspect will be hard to read on the move.  On ‘2’ and '3' trim this is upgraded to a 7.0in colour touchscreen system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It's clear and easy to use with logical menus. '3' and GT-Line S trim add Kia Connected Services, which provides sat nav and local information on demand. 

Every Rio has USB and Aux connections in the front, with '2' and up adding rear seat USB charging.

Like many rivals, a low price means you aren’t going to find acres of soft-touch plastic or premium trim pieces. With the exception of a soft dash pad, all of the plastics are hard to the touch. Although there’s nothing wrong with that, we did find the door trims looked slightly cheap with their scratchy, shiny finish. A Skoda Fabia proves that even the hard stuff can still look appealing. That said, it certainly feels built to last and the switches feel nicely damped when you operate them.