Skip advert
Advertisement
In-depth reviews

Kia Rio hatchback (2011-2017)

"The Kia Rio is a stylish supermini that’s affordable, practical and comes with a long seven-year warranty"

Carbuyer Rating

3.7 out of 5

Owners Rating

3.5 out of 5

Read owner reviews

Pros

  • Generous seven-year warranty
  • Impressively spacious
  • Rides comfortably

Cons

  • Rivals are better to drive
  • Unconvincing performance
  • Petrol engines are a bit old fashioned

Since its launch, the Kia Rio has been a very sensible supermini choice, thanks to its practical interior, economical engines and long seven-year warranty. Buyers don’t have an easy decision, though, with many impressive rivals in the shape of the Skoda Fabia, Vauxhall Corsa, Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Some of them shine more brightly in certain areas – the Fiesta is more fun to drive and the Polo has a better interior – but the Rio is a competent all-rounder. It’s worth noting, however, that an all-new Rio was announced at the 2016 Paris Motor Show with a new design, some new engines and updated technology, so you might want to wait until spring 2017 if you want the latest Rio. The current model is still a good bet, though – especially if you find a good deal – as it’s available with three or five doors and comes with Kia’s seven-year/100,000-mile warranty.

Four engines are available; two petrol and two diesel. The entry-level model is a 1.25-litre petrol with 83bhp, which needs flogging to extract much performance and lags behind engines in rivals, such as the more advanced three-cylinder turbo EcoBoost in the Ford Fiesta.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

The 1.4-litre petrol is the most powerful Rio, with 107bhp, but it still takes just over 11 seconds to get from 0-62mph, so it’s fine in traffic, if hardly a quick car. Efficiency is reasonable, though, with up to 56.5mpg economy and CO2 emissions of 114g/km meaning this version will cost £30 in road tax if registered before April 2017.

Advertisement - Article continues below

If you need to squeeze every mile from each tank, the 1.1-litre diesel has claimed economy of up to 85.6mpg and CO2 emissions of 94g/km, making it free to tax under current rates. On the flipside, this engine is unrefined and almost unacceptably slow, taking 16.1 seconds to reach 62mph, making it hard to suggest. The 1.4-litre diesel is a better all-rounder that can still achieve 74mpg, and while it still isn’t exactly fast, it has a more palatable 13.4-second 0-62mph time.

Take to the road and the Rio has little body lean in corners, but this is partly because it has quite firm suspension, so can thump into potholes and shimmy over rough surfaces more than you’d expect. Despite this, the Rio has oddly inert steering, with less communication than you get in a Fiesta, so it’s ultimately less rewarding to drive. The Rio is quite adept at longer motorway drives, though, with less intrusive wind and tyre noise than some rivals.

The entry-level 1 trim is reasonably equipped, getting DAB radio, Bluetooth and air-conditioning, as long as you choose the 1 Air version. We recommend the 2 trim for most buyers, with alloy wheels, leather touches around the cabin and all-round electric windows.

In our 2016 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, the Kia Rio came 71st out of 150 models, which is a reasonable performance. Most reassuring is its impressive 22nd position for reliability, which helped pull up its overall score, while owners were less pleased with performance (129th) and ride comfort (125th).

Safety is deserving of praise too, with the full five stars from independent crash-test body Euro NCAP, while the Rio’s seven-year/100,000-mile warranty is over double what manufacturers including Ford and Volkswagen offer.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Richard is a former editor of Carbuyer, as well as sister site DrivingElectric.com, and he's now Deputy Editor at Auto Express. Having spent a decade working in the automotive industry, he understands exactly what makes new car buyers tick.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Top 10 best used small cars 2024
The best used small cars hero 2023
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

Top 10 best used small cars 2024

Top 10 most reliable cars 2024
The most reliable cars header
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

Top 10 most reliable cars 2024

Top 10 best new cars under £20,000
Best new cars under £20k
Best cars
20 Sep 2023

Top 10 best new cars under £20,000

Most Popular

Best new car deals 2024: this week’s top car offers
Carbuyer best new car deals hero
Deals
28 Mar 2024

Best new car deals 2024: this week’s top car offers

Car dashboard warning lights: the complete guide
Car dashboard symbols and meanings
Tips and advice
26 Mar 2024

Car dashboard warning lights: the complete guide

Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Tips and advice
21 Mar 2024

Average speed cameras: how do they work?

Tips & advice

View All
Car dashboard warning lights: the complete guide
Car dashboard symbols and meanings
Tips and advice
26 Mar 2024

Car dashboard warning lights: the complete guide

Electric car charging stations: a complete guide
Public EV charge point
Tips and advice
11 Jan 2023

Electric car charging stations: a complete guide

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?
PCP vs HP
Tips and advice
17 May 2022

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?

Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Tips and advice
21 Mar 2024

Average speed cameras: how do they work?

Best cars

View All
Top 10 best car interiors
Peugeot 208 hatchback
Best cars
25 Jun 2021

Top 10 best car interiors

Top 10 best electric cars 2024
best electric cars
Best cars
28 Mar 2024

Top 10 best electric cars 2024

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2024
The best cheap-to-run cars 2023
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2024

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024
Fastest hot hatchbacks hero
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024