Kia Rio S 2020 Review

When it arrived here not quite four years ago, the current generation of Kia Rio established a reputation for good value among other light hatch contenders.

Improvements have sweetened the deal since, including this year’s upgrade to a new 8.0-inch infotainment screen and the introduction of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in the test vehicle, trimmed to the budget-priced Rio S level.

While the notional retail list price of $18,590 (plus on-road costs) might suggest the Rio is a rather humble offering, it’s a car that still packs some desirable kit.

Many buyers will prefer to pay the extra grand for automatic transmission, but buyers who know how to drive manuals and also spend less time in commuter traffic may find the manual Rio a perfectly acceptable option.

Standard features include 15-inch steel wheels, four-wheel disc brakes (vented at front), a six-speaker audio system, manual air-conditioning, electric windows/mirrors and cloth trim. The audio system also incorporates controls on the multifunction steering wheel and USB ports for external music sources.

Unlike some of its more expensive competitors, the Kia Rio at its most basic level doesn’t provide the security of autonomous emergency braking (AEB).

There are plenty of other safety features fitted as standard, however. These include hill start assist, reverse parking sensors, a reversing camera and auto-on headlights.

Secondary safety features include auto unlocking if the car crashes, plus six airbags – two frontal airbags, two side-impact (thorax-protecting) units for the front seat passengers and side-impact airbags for both rows of seats.

Although the headlights in the Rio are halogens, they’re among the better examples to be found in light or small cars. As we found on test, they aren’t especially powerful, but cast a decent spread of light forward and to the sides of the road.

In a segment populated by cars mostly ranging in engine displacement from 1.0 to 1.5 litres, the Kia Rio S is neither a slug nor a real shooting star.

The Rio’s 74kW/133Nm 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine does produce exploitable torque in the mid-range, and it will reach the 6500rpm redline.

With some nice throaty induction noise under load, the engine sounds pleasingly sporty. The Rio will move along fairly quickly if you stoke the engine hard enough, too. In fact, it’s possible to provoke wheel spin and mild axle tramp from a standing start on dry bitumen.

Power delivery through the front wheels is occasionally hampered by a flat spot or mild surging, however, when the engine is not up to normal operating temperature.

At cruising speed the engine is muted and it’s also quite frugal in sedate driving scenarios. Kia claims a combined-cycle fuel economy figure of 5.6L/100km, but we saw a figure of 6.5L/100km posted during a test drive.

Over most of the week the fuel consumption didn’t exceed 8.0L/100km, but did rise to 8.5 during a photography session, when the car was left idling for extended periods.

The six-speed manual gearbox offers correctly-spaced ratios and a shift action that’s light and fairly precise. At 100km/h the Rio’s engine is running at around 2500rpm, which is slightly higher than typical for some of the Kia’s turbocharged rivals in the segment. That points to lower overall gearing for the Kia, which helps performance around town.

Drivers inexperienced using a manual gearbox will appreciate the broad take-up point in the clutch travel, reducing the potential for stalling the engine. And despite its small displacement, the Rio S is sufficiently flexible for the Rio to get off the line without difficulty.

Accommodation in the Kia Rio is impressively generous, given its compact external dimensions. The driving position is very good, with comfortable seats and controls that are user-friendly and instruments that are easy to read at a glance.

Adults of average height can endure sitting in the rear over an extended period, although perhaps not on hotter days, with no adjustable vents in the rear to channel more air.

As a second car in the family, the Rio will probably be the grocery-getter, and in that role it’s quite capable, with a 325-litre boot – which is better than some small cars – to handle a week’s worth of groceries for a growing family.

So as a first car or a family car in a supporting role, the Rio literally delivers the goods. But for a car that’s also quite fun to drive, the Kumho tyres let the side down, dynamically.

Wrapped around 15-inch steel wheels, they are a tad noisy at freeway speeds and lack grip. You feel this most when braking hard.

Such a lightweight car should be able to pull up a bit faster – particularly with discs at the rear, but I think the ABS system was extending the braking distance to allow for the tyres’ lower rolling resistance.

Presumably to keep the Rio’s price down, in the face of another challenger from Asia – the MG3 – Kia has specified tyres that are not the most convincing, even in this end of the market, although they do deliver a settled ride, and they do contribute to the Rio’s stingy fuel consumption.

The Rio’s steering is light but precise and the front-end grip remains relatively good. There was no evidence of torque steer and the traction/stability control system keeps everything in check very well without being needlessly intrusive.

Every once in a while an unlikely car engages with you in a way that you didn’t expect. The Kia Rio is one of those.

It’s relatively low-powered, but enjoyable to drive when you give it some stick. It’s also fairly refined when you just want to get somewhere in comfort.

Indeed, the Rio with the manual transmission is ridiculously easy to drive, and while it’s not perfect, it’s pretty hard to fault in any significant way.

But the question remains: Who will buy this car with the manual gearbox? And how many will Kia sell in this specification?

I’d like to think that this is a great car for discerning older drivers on a budget.

How much does the 2020 Kia Rio S cost?
Price: $18,590 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 74kW/133Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 5.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 129g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2017)