Kia Rio Interior Review
The interior of the 2007 Kia Rio represents a big improvement over the old Rio. It has a nicely contoured dashboard with a generous binnacle over the instrument panel, which includes a tachometer, even on the base model. The radio is well positioned in the center stack with large buttons and knobs for changing stations or volume. Three big knobs for the climate control are mounted on a bulge in the center that brings them closer to the driver's hands.
The seats are on the soft side and don't offer the lateral support we'd expect on a sports sedan. Those of us with larger frames, however, will not fault the seats for that.
Rear seat legroom is better than the numbers suggest because passengers can place their feet under the front seats thanks to the generous open space below them.
Big storage pockets in all four doors along with a reasonable size glovebox provide places to stash stuff. The rear seatback folds down in a 60/40 split for added versatility in all but the base model. According to Kia, the total interior volume of the Rio is greater than that of the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla even though they are officially in the next size up segment. In practical terms, they are all pretty close. The Rio5 has a cargo carrying a capacity of almost 50 cubic feet with the seats folded down which is substantially more than in other hatchbacks of this size.
Minor touches such as the metal pedals, leather wrapped steering wheel and gearshift knob on the Rio5 SX will appeal to sporty drivers. Most drivers will probably not consciously notice these things but they will certainly help instill a better feeling about the car for them.
Kia Rio Road Test
After driving three varieties of the Kia Rio on highways and freeways around Seattle, we came away impressed with the new models.
We spent time in an LX automatic and a Rio5 SX manual. We enjoyed shifting the manual as it definitely makes for a more sporty experience. However, the LX with the automatic transmission was no slouch. Cars in this class traditionally suffer a big performance and fuel economy hit with an automatic, but the new Rio confirms that modern transmissions have largely addressed these deficiencies.
Kia claims it is making its cars more sporty and athletic than the Hyundai Accent, the Rio's sibling. The Rio is far from being a sporty car, but the SX handled nimbly without too much body lean or sloppy handling. The LX with its skinner 14-inch tires was not quite as secure, although most drivers would not complain.
The power steering, which stiffens up as the engine speed increases, felt taught with just the right amount of feel dialed in. We did not try a base model, which comes without the power steering.
Kia Rio Lineup
The Kia Rio sedan and five-door hatchback are powered by the same 110-hp, 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine. It's a sophisticated modern engine, complete with dual overhead camshafts and variable valve timing. Safety features that come on all models include front seatbelt pre-tensioners along with six airbags: dual frontal, front seat side-impact and full-coverage side-impact curtain.
The Rio sedan is available as a base model or in LX trim. The Rio5 five-door hatchback is available exclusively in SX trim.
The base Rio sedan ($10,570) comes strictly with a manual transmission, wind-up windows, manual door locks. There's no radio or air conditioning, no power steering. But it comes with the same six airbags and safety features found on all Rio models.
The Rio LX sedan ($12,445) is likely to be the most popular model as it adds air conditioning, power steering, an AM/FM/CD audio system with four speakers, tilt steering column, 60/40-split rear seat and larger tires. It comes standard with the manual gearbox, but a four-speed automatic transmission is available ($13,295). Factory installed options are limited to a Power Package ($600) that includes power windows, power door locks with keyless remote, power heated outside mirrors and tweeter speakers; four-wheel antilock brakes ($400); rear spoiler ($250) and carpeted floor mats ($70).
The Rio5 SX hatchback comes with a manual transmission ($13,500) or five-speed automatic ($14,350). The SX hatchback has the same major features as the LX sedan but with some sporty additions that include a leather wrapped steering wheel and gear knob, metal grain trim, metal pedals, rear roof-mounted spoiler and lower profile tires on 15-inch alloy wheels. Factory installed options are the same as for the LX sedan.