Kia Rio hatchback

Drive

Looking to steal buyers away from the Vauxhall Corsa and Volkswagen Polo, the Kia Rio drives well but cannot compete with the Ford Fiesta's high level of driver enjoyment. Nevertheless, the gearbox feels solid and through most corners body-roll is well controlled. The steering feels vague on twisty roads however and is less confidence inspiring than Ford's popular supermini. None of the Kia Rio models are fast- the focus is entirely on economy, the 1.4-litre petrol can go from 0-62mph in 11.1 seconds.

Comfort

The Rio's interior is very spacious for a supermini, the rear seats have good leg and head room and the low transmission tunnel means that carrying five people is easy. The front cabin is a great place to travel too- the maker claims that up-front, the Rio has class-leading amounts of room and in reality even very tall people will find it accommodating. Noise levels inside the cabin are impressive and over bumpy, rutted roads the Rio does a fine job of abosrbing the shocks. Overall, it's very acceptable.

Reliability

All Kia's come with a seven-year warranty which provides total piece of mind should anything go wrong. As the Kia Rio is brand-new, it is hard to say if it will be totally trouble free, but the rest of the current Kia range have proved very reliable- in 2009 the Kia C'eed came 6th out of 100 in the Driver Power reliability survey, ahead of the MKV Volkswagen Golf. Build quality is much improved over previous models, easily matching the standard of European models such as the Renault Clio or Peugeot 207.

Practicality

Despite it's compact proportions there is generous space in the Rio for four adults, only on longer journeys will rear passengers over six foot have any complaints. Up front, the heating control panel sits above a useful storage area for mobile phones, keys or wallets and although shallow the door bins will hold a large water bottle. The boot is a useful 288 litres- almost identical to the Ford Fiesta's, although a high lip makes lifting heavy items in and out more difficult. Parking the Rio is easy thanks to it's tight turning circle, although the rear window pillars do create a sizeable blind spot.

Value for money

Kia's are renowned for providing value for money and even entry-level models feel well equipped. List prices are great value too. The Kia Rio 2 model that we drove is priced under the Hyundai i20 and over £2,000 less than the equivalent Ford Fiesta. The spec list includes front and rear electric windows, air conditioining, Bluetooth, front fog-lights, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), plus USB and aux-in ports.

Running costs

The 1.1-litre diesel engined model fitted with stop/start is the cleanest non-electric car in the world emitting just 85g/km of CO2- it's also capable of up 88.3mpg! Exempt from Road Tax and the London Congestion Charge this model attracts low insurance premiums making it an attractive choice for city dwellers and young drivers alike. Even the most powerful 107bhp 1.4-litre petrol model boasts a combined fuel economy figure of 51.4mpg and costs just £95 a year to tax. The Rio comes with a seven-year warranty and Kia even offer a £259 service package for the first three services. It all adds up, making the Rio one of the cheapest cars to run in the UK.