The all-new Kia Rio will go on sale in Ireland this week . This is the fourth generation of Kia’s popular supermini which is the manufacturer’s second best selling model globally, with just under 450,000 units sold around the world in 2016, accounting for 15% of Kia’s annual sales.
Now in its fourth generation, the new Rio stands out thanks to its progressive design, class-leasing practicality and safety technologies, new connectivity features and more engaging ride and handling.
James Brooks Managing Director of Kia Motors Ireland commented: “ This segment is extremely competitive both in Europe and in Ireland but we are confident that this new model can make an impact in the Irish market .Though most of our customers are buying bigger cars Rio is a particularly iconic model that has helped introduce the Kia brand to Irish consumers since we first entered the Irish market some 13 years ago and we were extremely proud when the 3rd generation model won Irish Car of the Year on its introduction in 2011”.
“Designed and engineered to meet the needs and desires of a wider range of buyers, the new Rio will play an increasingly important role in the Kia model line-up. The B-segment is the third largest segment in the Irish market and we hope that it will make a significant contribution to the continued growth of the brand in Ireland .”
Kia Motors Ireland will offer 6 models at launch with one 1.2 ( 85hp) petrol engine and two 1.4 diesel units ( 77 and 90hp ) .The 100hp one litre turbo petrol engine will follow later in the year .The petrol variants are entry level L model ( €15,950) ,volume model EX (€18,150) , the model fitted with the safety pack ,including AEB ,the EX ADAS ( €19,450 ) and a top of the line Platinum model ( €20,450) which comes with Sat Nav and Android Auto .The two diesel models on offer are the LX ( €17,750) and the EXE ( €19,950) powered respectively by 77 and 90 hp 1.4 diesel engines.
The 1.2 petrol unit has a CO2 of 109 and annual road tax of €190 and the diesel 92 and 98 ( €180 pa ) .
Exterior design: Defined by straight lines and smooth surfaces
The Rio’s progressive new exterior and interior design was led by Kia’s design centres in Germany and California, in close collaboration with the company’s domestic design base in Namyang, Korea. The appearance of the new Rio is defined by straight lines and smooth surfacing, giving the car a distinctive new look and more mature character than its predecessor.
In profile, the fourth-generation Rio’s lengthened, more balanced stance is achieved with a long bonnet and longer front overhang, a 10 mm longer wheelbase (up to 2,580 mm), a thinner, more upright C-pillar, and a shorter rear overhang. Overall, the new car is 15 mm longer than its predecessor, at 4,065 mm in length, and 5 mm lower (now 1,450 mm tall). Straight, clearly-defined lines run down the full length of the car’s shoulder and along its doors, further stretching the appearance of the car for a more confident look.
The rear section of the Rio is now more upright, with a near-vertical rear windscreen. The straight line that runs from the grille, through the headlamps and along the top of the doors, continues around the back of the car, paired with thinner, more sculpted rear lamps, which now feature a new arrow-shaped LED light signature. Like the wider-looking ‘face’ of the car, the rear design of the new Rio gives the car a stronger overall appearance.
Interior design: Modern cabin with new floating HMI
The new Kia Rio features a modern new cabin, with sculptural forms and a more ergonomic layout than its predecessor. The interior has also been designed to accommodate the Rio’s new range of technologies.
Like the exterior, straight lines running the width of the dashboard characterise the shape of the interior, giving the cabin a wider appearance and increasing the sense of space for occupants. As well as long, lateral lines that govern the shape of the dashboard, horizontal vents further add to the visual width of the cabin, replacing the vertical vents of the third-generation model. Gloss black trim lines the central section of the dashboard.
The dashboard itself is now angled towards the driver, a layout which provides the car with a sportier, more driver-focused design and a more premium character. At the centre of the dashboard is a ‘floating’ HMI (human-machine interface), available with a high-resolution touchscreen. Below, the driver-oriented centre console features fewer buttons, with more ergonomic, concave switches and rotator dials below to control the heating and ventilation.
Careful thought has been given to improving the cabin’s isolation from wind, road and engine noise. New dashboard soundproofing materials have been adopted to reduce engine noise levels in the front of the cabin, while a stiffer front subframe minimises vibrations from poor road surfaces. Changes to the exterior further enhance interior refinement, with the fourth-generation Rio adopting new front wheel air deflectors, a full under-body cover and vertical ‘blades’ extending downwards from the boot spoiler, each serving to reduce wind noise and aerodynamics.
Practicality: Greater cabin and cargo space, with improved all-round visibility
Achieving high levels of practicality was a key focus for Kia’s development and engineering teams, and the result is a car with the most spacious cabin and one of the highest cargo capacities (325 litres) in the B-segment.
The Rio’s 10 mm-longer wheelbase and 15mm-longer body contribute to larger cabin and cargo area dimensions. Leg room grows to 1,070 mm in the front and 850 mm in the rear, while the new model offers more shoulder room than most other cars in its class – 1,375 mm in the front and 1,355 mm in the rear. Despite the new Rio being 5 mm shorter in height than the outgoing model, front and rear headroom (1,020 mm and 964 mm respectively) are among the best in the B-segment..
The Rio’s cabin offers more storage space than before. At the base of the centre console is an open double tray to store mobile devices and other small items, and the overhead console includes an area to store sunglasses. The glove compartment is also a single-box shape. The new Rio has bottle holders in every door (to accommodate 1.5-litre bottles in the front and 0.5-litre bottles in the rear of the car) and two larger cupholders in the front. The doors also feature closed-bottom storage holes in the door handles, useful for small items such as a phone or coins. An optional armrest is available, adding further storage capacity to the cabin.
Luggage capacity is increased by 37 litres to 325 litres (VDA; +13%), among the best in class. This extra space has been achieved in spite of the Rio’s rear overhang being shortened by 15 mm to 655 mm, a key element of the car’s new design. The new Rio features a split-level boot floor, enabling owners to change its height to fit items under the floor to prevent them rolling around, or to keep them out of sight. The Rio is fitted as standard with split-folding rear seats and a tyre mobility kit under the boot floor. Buyers can specify an optional spare wheel.
Safety: ADAS assistive technologies and a five-star Euro NCAP target
The new Rio is one of the safest cars in its class, available with a package of Kia’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). The new Rio is built on high-strength steel body and features a wide array of passive safety equipment – the car is engineered to meet the most demanding crash safety test criteria around the world.
Targeting a five-star Euro NCAP crash safety rating when fitted with optional ADAS technology, the Rio is the first car in the B-segment to feature Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) with pedestrian recognition. The Rio’s AEB system uses a long-range radar detection system to detect potential collisions with other vehicles or pedestrians and helps bring the car to a halt*. AEB is paired with a Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), which alerts the driver if they stray out of their lane on the road without the use of indicators.
The bodyshell of the new Rio is made up of a significant proportion of Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS). The extensive use of AHSS in the body of the Rio is part of a wider effort by Kia to achieve a 5% reduction in the average weight of new car bodies by 2020 when compared to 2014, while achieving greater safety and security. 51% of the new Rio’s body is made out of strong, light AHSS, compared to 33% in the third-generation model.
The increased application of AHSS has strengthened the passenger cabin ‘cell’ for greater occupant safety and more effective distribution of impact forces. The stronger steel has been used to reinforce the A- and B-pillars, as well as side sills, roof structure, engine bay and floor pan.
The new Rio is fitted with six airbags throughout the cabin, as well as ISOFIX child-seat tether and anchor points for front and rear passenger seats.
Driving: More engaging and stable handling with a comfortable ride
As well as being incredibly safe to drive, the new Rio builds on the level of driver engagement offered by the third-generation model. Kia’s chassis development teams have sought to introduce greater driving appeal, with more agile handling and enhanced steering response. The Rio sits on fully-independent MacPherson strut front suspension and a torsion beam rear axle.
The development of a stiffer bodyshell also gave R&D teams the freedom to develop a more compliant suspension system. The new Rio benefits from a revised spring and damper set-up than the outgoing model, improving the car’s compliance and comfort at all speeds, while facilitating the car’s more enjoyable, engaging handling characteristics.
Compared to the third-generation model, Kia’s development teams have made wide-ranging modifications to the Rio’s chassis, endowing the car with more immediate handling responses and improving the level of confidence that the driver has behind the wheel.
A new front suspension system features more rigid struts and cross member, resulting in more direct, assured steering for more immediate handling responses. The rear shock absorbers are now mounted more vertically, with the new mounting position enhancing the ability of the rear axle to absorb shocks to improve ride comfort and stability under cornering and at speed. By repositioning the power steering gearbox, engineers have been able to reduces friction through the gears, enabling a 5% quicker steering ratio from ‘on-centre’ and more immediate steering responses.
On top of the new package of ADAS technologies, the new Rio is fitted as standard with Kia’s Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) with Electronic Stability Control (ESC). VSM ensures stability under braking and cornering, detecting a loss in traction and using ESC to help the driver keep the car on course.
Accompanying VSM and ESC are two new technologies, fitted as standard. The first of these, Cornering Brake Control, applies asymmetrical braking force to individual wheels when braking under cornering, counteracting a potential loss of traction for greater safety. In addition, Straight Line Stability eliminates yaw under hard straight-line braking – again, applying brake pressure adjustments to individual wheels to maintain stability during heavy braking or an emergency stop.
ALL NEW KIA RIO – TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Body and chassis
Five-door, five-seater hatchback, with all-steel unitary construction bodyshell. Choice of diesel and gasoline three- and four-cylinder engines, driving the front wheels via five- or six-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission – depending on model
Engines
1.0-litre / 120 ps T-GDI gasoline (high)
Type Three-cylinder in-line, turbocharged
Capacity 1.0-litres, 998 cc
Compression ratio 10.0:1
Bore and stroke 71.0 x 84.0 mm
Max power 120 ps (88 kW) @ 6,000 rpm
Max torque 172 Nm (127 lb ft) @ 1,500-4,000 rpm
Valves 12 (four per cylinder)
Fuel system Direct injection
Emissions class Euro Stage 6b
1.25-litre / 84 ps MPI gasoline
Type Four-cylinder in-line, naturally-aspirated
Capacity 1.25-litres, 1,248 cc
Compression ratio 10.5:1
Bore and stroke 71.0 x 78.8 mm
Max power 84 ps (62 kW) @ 6,000 rpm
Max torque 122 Nm (90 lb ft) @ 4,000 rpm
Valves 16 (four per cylinder)
Fuel system Multi-point injection
Emissions class Euro Stage 6b
Diesel
1.4-litre / 77 ps CRDi diesel (low)
Type Four-cylinder in-line, turbocharged
Capacity 1.4-litres, 1,396 cc
Compression ratio 16.0:1
Bore and stroke 75.0 x 79.0 mm
Max power 77 ps (57 kW) @ 4,000rpm
Max torque 240 Nm (177 lb ft) @ 1,500-2,000 rpm
Valves 16 (four per cylinder)
Fuel system Common-rail direct injection
Emissions class Euro Stage 6b
1.4-litre / 90 ps CRDi diesel (high)
Type Four-cylinder in-line, turbocharged
Capacity 1.4-litres, 1,396 cc
Compression ratio 16.0:1
Bore and stroke 75.0 x 79.0 mm
Max power 90 ps (66 kW) @ 4,000 rpm
Max torque 240 Nm (177 lb ft) @ 1,500-2,500 rpm
Valves 16 (four per cylinder)
Fuel system Common-rail direct injection
Emissions class Euro Stage 6b
Transmissions
Five-speed manual transmission
Gasoline
1.0 T-GDI (hi) 1.25 MPI
Manual 6sp 5sp
Automatic --- ---
Diesel
1.4 CRDi (lo) 1.4 CRDi (hi)
Manual 6sp 6sp
Gear ratios
Gasoline
1.0 T-GDI (hi) 1.25 MPI
MT MT
1 3.615 3.545
2 1.955 1.895
3 1.286 1.192
4 0.971 0.906
5 0.794 0.719
6 0.667 ---
Reverse 3.700 3.636
Final drive 4.059 4.600
Diesel
1.4 CRDi (lo) 1.4 CRDi (hi)
MT MT
1 3.769* 3.636
2 2.040* 1.962
3 1.257 1.257
4 0.905 0.905
5 0.702 0.702
6 0.596 0.596
Reverse 3.583 3.583
Final drive 3.250* 3.706
*with Eco pack
Drivetrains
Front-wheel drive (all models)
Suspension and damping
Front Fully-independent by subframe-mounted MacPherson struts, coil springs and gas-filled shock absorbers, with anti-roll stabiliser bar
Rear Semi-independent by CTBA (coupled torsion beam axle), coil springs and gas-filled shock absorbers, with anti-roll stabiliser bar
Steering
Type Electric motor-driven rack-and-pinion power steering
Steering ratio 14.1:1
Turns (lock-to-lock) 2.63
Turning circle (m) 10.2
Brakes
1.0 T-GDI 1.25 MPI 1.4 CRDi
Size, front / rear (mm) 280 / 203 256 / 203 280 / 203
Type, front Ventilated disc
Type, rear – standard Drum
Type, rear – optional Solid disc (262 mm)
Wheels and tyres
Standard Steel 15-inch, 185/65 R15 tyres
Optional Alloy 15-inch, 185/65 R15 tyres
Alloy 16-inch, 195/55 R16 tyres
Alloy 17-inch, 205/45 R17 tyres
Spare Tyre mobility kit or optional temporary spare wheel
Dimensions (mm)
Exterior
Overall length 4,065 Overall width* 1,725
Overall height 1,450 Wheelbase 2,580
Front overhang 830 Rear overhang 655
Front track 1,518** Rear track 1,524
Ground clearance 135 / 140***
*excluding door mirrors
**on 15-inch wheels
***with / without Low Fuel Consumption Pack (see ‘Fuel efficiency and emissions’ below)
Interior
1st row 2nd row
Head room 1,020 964
Leg room 1,070 850
Shoulder room 1,375 1,355
Hip room 1,344 1,330
Capacities
Fuel tank 45 litres
Luggage (VDA) 325 litres
980 litres (with rear seats folded down)
Weights (kg)
Gasoline
1.0 T-GDI (hi) 1.25 MPI
Curb weight 1,160 1,110
Gross weight 1,620 1,560
Diesel
1.4 CRDi (lo) 1.4 CRDi (hi)
Curb weight 1,230 1,235
Gross weight 1,680 1,680
Performance
Gasoline
1.0 T-GDI (hi) 1.25 MPI
Top speed 190 170
Acceleration, 0-100 kph 10.2 12.9
Diesel
1.4 CRDi (lo) 1.4 CRDi (hi)
Top speed 165 175
Acceleration, 0-100 kph 14.0 12.0
Fuel efficiency and emissions
Gasoline
1.0 T-GDI (hi) 1.25 MPI
Fuel economy (combined, L/100km)
- 15-inch, LFC Pack --- ---
- 15-inch, Eco Pack --- ---
- 15-inch, LRR tyres* 4.7 4.7
- 15-inch 4.7 4.8
- 16-inch 4.7 4.8
- 17-inch 4.7 4.8
CO2 (g/km)
- 15-inch, LFC Pack --- --- --- / ---
- 15-inch, Eco Pack --- --- --- / ---
- 15-inch, LRR tyres* 107 106 --- / 135
- 15-inch 107 109 114 / 140
- 16-inch 107 109 114 / 140
- 17-inch 102 107 109 114 / 140
Diesel
1.4 CRDi (lo) 1.4 CRDi (hi)
Fuel economy (combined, L/100km)
- 15-inch, LFC Pack 3.4 ---
- 15-inch, Eco Pack 3.5 ---
- 15-inch, LRR tyres* --- 3.7
- 15-inch --- 3.8
- 16-inch --- 3.8
- 17-inch --- 3.8
CO2 (g/km)
- 15-inch, LFC Pack 88 ---
- 15-inch, Eco Pack 92 ---
- 15-inch, LRR tyres* --- 96
- 15-inch 98
- 16-inch --- 98
- 17-inch --- 98
*Michelin low rolling resistance tyres only; no LFC or Eco Packs
