2012 Kia Rio: Working-class luxury

Not very long ago, automakers didn’t pay too much attention to the subcompact car category. Considered poor cousins without much potential for profit, these little cars rarely had the same research and development budgets as other car types. Needless to say, that was reflected in the overall product quality.

If the recent economic crisis and the spike in the price of petrol have had one positive effect, it’s that from now on small cars are no longer seen as a necessary evil. Manufacturers are now allowing more investment to offer a good product and, most of all, to be better than the competition. Thanks to this chain of events, today’s sub-compacts are now better equipped than a lot of the intermediates were in the 90s!

Setting the bar high

Take the brand new Kia Rio, for example. For a base price of $14,095, the LX version offers a 138 horsepower engine, six-speed transmissions, six air bags, four disc brakes, power doors and locks, power heated rearview mirrors, satellite radio, auxiliary and USB jacks, and so on. For $1,500 more, most people will opt for an LX+ that comes with air conditioning, heated seats, cruise control and Bluetooth connectivity. And the list of variations and equipment can raise the price up to $20,795. On the downside, you can forget about sub-compacts under $10,000.

Designed by the renowned Peter Schreyer, the 2012 Kia Rio is in my humble opinion, nicer in person than it is in photos. Nonetheless, its main rival, the Hyundai Accent with which it shares a chassis and drivetrain, has a more balanced line.

In the passenger compartment, the dashboard is excellent, both in terms of design and ergonomics. The backlit gauges are easy to read, the materials are good quality (especially with the most expensive version, the EX), and the assembly is top-notch. The glove compartment is so deep that it’s almost big enough for a pair of skis, the radio on the swankier models has a wonderful sound (but the radio on the base models is rather ordinary) and the auxiliary and USB jacks are well located.

According to my back, the Koreans have not yet perfected the art of making comfortable seats, and the Rio is no exception. They aren’t bad really, but after a one-day test drive, I can’t say I was impressed either. However, some colleagues have said the complete opposite, so you’ll have to decide for yourselves

Gamma ray

From a mechanical standpoint, the Rio and the Accent share the 1.6-litre four-cylinder GDI (Gasoline Direct Injection). This engine, called Gamma, turns out to be very modern with its direct fuel injection (hence GDI), variable dual overhead cams and other similarly modern features. It delivers 138 horses at 6,300 rpm and 123 lbs-ft of torque at 4,850 rpm. A six-speed manual or automatic transmission sends the power to the front wheels.

ISG, ECO = reduced fuel consumption

The Rio sets itself apart from the Accent by offering ISG (Idle Stop & Go) technology on certain models. This system cuts the engine completely when the car is stopped, for example. Of course, the engineers had to rethink several components that are used more often as a result, such as the starter, the battery and the alternator. To allow the engine to cut, the onboard computer must confirm a series of diagnostics. Although this system seems promising, it didn’t work during our test drive. The air conditioner being on, among other things, is no friend of the ISG. Also, this system doesn’t work if the car isn’t going at least 5 km/hr before the stop. So, if I understand correctly, in heavy traffic, where it should be more useful, the ISG isn’t likely to be of any use at all. Nonetheless, kudos to Kia for this innovation that could possibly find itself on other models in the future.

While it still has the same chassis as the Accent, Kia’s engineers refined it somewhat in order to make it sportier (which is, of course, a relative term). For example, the suspension settings have been revised to ensure a slightly firmer ride. The high-end EX version features larger tires, bigger brakes and a more rigid suspension.

Hit the road!

On the road, the new Rio won’t break any records, but compared to what it’s replacing, it’s the eighth wonder of the world! Sure the 1.6-litre isn’t overpowering, but somehow it seems to be peppier than it is in the Accent. An impromptu 0-100 km/hr gave us a reading of 11.8 seconds. During our test drive, we were able to try out both a manual and automatic version. They had an identical fuel consumption of 6.9 L/100 km. According to Kia, a Rio should use 6.6 litres in town and 4.9 on the highway. The 6.9 that we recorded was sometimes punctuated by bursts of energy, since we were caught behind tractors, trucks, a 1982 Reliant K, police cars, in school zones, in construction, and so on. So, the 6.9 is decent, nothing more. The actual fuel consumption must be confirmed in a more elaborate test drive. It also must be said that were hardly ever drove in Active Eco mode, offered with the automatic, which seems to remove 75% of the horsepower. Note, that this figure is my own personal estimate.

Twelve speeds!

The manual transmission, like all manual transmissions at Kia (and Hyundai), is not very user-friendly. And in mountainous areas, you’ll have to use it often. As for the automatic, also a six-speed, it does a very good job and using it in manual mode is unnecessary.

The independent front suspension and the torsion bar rear suspension fulfill their roles admirably, meaning they offer the best compromise between handling and comfort. The LX versions feature a slightly firmer but not uncomfortable ride. The lower profile tires (205/45R17 versus 185/65R15) definitely have a lot to do with it. The steering isn’t exactly generous with feedback, but at least it’s somewhat precise. As for the brakes, we weren’t able to test them in panic mode, but in normal conditions, we have no complaints.

The new Rio, light-years ahead of the old generation, is becoming very influential in the sub-compact (and even compact) category, at least in terms of luxury. I imagine that in the future, automobile manufacturers will introduce poorly equipped and inexpensive sub-compacts and we’ll hail them as genius.