Kia Rio 1.5 SE

By Dan Strong

January 2003

• Rating:
• Latest deal price: from £7,811 to £13,121

Rio, Brazil: a sun-drenched metropolis, home to some of the greatest footballers in the world. Rio, Kia: a small Korean hatchback that costs from ΂£5,995.

Only one of the above is going to fire your imagination and, in all fairness to the Asian manufacturer, it's unlikely to be the car. That could soon change, however, as the company unleashes a new and improved edition for the British market.

But can a proper car really cost less than a first-class return air fare to its Brazilian namesake? Auto Express was first behind the wheel of the newcomer, which is being pitched as a budget alternative to the Volkswagen Golf and Ford's Focus. Expectations were not high, but from the moment you fire the 1.5-litre petrol powerplant, it becomes obvious that Kia's engineers have been hard at work to add a series of improvements to the latest-generation Rio.

Priced at ΂£8,995, our test car is obviously the top-of-the-range model. However, that doesn't undermine the fact that cabin quality has taken a step forward, while the engine feels better insulated and sounds more refined,too. Throttle response is sharper and the steering, although light, is far more accurate than that of its predecessor. A glance at the figures reveals gains in fuel economy of around 4mpg to 40mpg for the 1.5-litre machine - and that's good news at the pumps.

Sadly, the improvement has been made by altering the gear ratios and, as a result, outright performance has inevitably suffered. Now, the Rio takes 12.3 seconds to cover the 0-60mph sprint, which is two seconds longer than the outgoing model. To be fair, though, Kia owners are inevitably more likely to be watching their wallet than the speedo, so the move will be welcomed by most potential buyers.

However, the biggest revelation is the ride quality, which we think sets a standard to make class rivals such as Hyundai jealous. The Rio shrugs off big road bumps with ease, and offers a respectable degree of body control. It doesn't corner with the same verve as the established competition, and sudden changes of direction unsettle the suspension, but the average driver will seldom notice.

Sadly, the new car's design and image will still put some buyers off. That's a shame as there can be no doubt that the Kia brand is on the move.

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