While some manufacturers have been languishing in the bed of boring design — and rightly criticized for doing so — others have been pumping out hit after hit. To my mind, Audi has one of the more stylish portfolios on the market. So, is it by chance then that Kia is another marque blossoming mightily in the styling department?
The answer is really not open for debate. Ever since Peter Schreyer took over as Kia’s design boss after leaving Audi, this once stylistically moribund company (think Sephia) has progressed to the point where it now showcases some of the best-looking cars around. The Soul changed the entry-level ute look, the Sportage has been lauded for changing the face of the typical two-box SUV and the Optima is arguably the best-looking family sedan around. Now comes the Rio5.
Prior to the Rio5’s launch, I thought the Mazda3 was the best-looking small hatch available. The Rio5 more than gives it a run for its money, especially since the 3’s smiley-face makeover. However, the visual appeal of the exterior — you are what you drive, after all — must extend to the cabin. If that happens, the likelihood of a potential punter taking the car for a run around the block rises enormously. So it is with the Rio5.
Gone are Kia’s previous cheesy plastics and inferior fit and finish in favour of something that has substance and style. Yes, there is still a lot of plastic — at least in the base model — but it is richly textured and nicely butted together. That solves the second part of the appeal equation. Look a little deeper and things get even better: The content list is long and better than many of the Rio’s peers. The height-adjustable driver’s seat is comfortable, as are the rest of the seats, and the instrumentation is as clean and clear as the sightlines around the car. It’s a combination that really marks a step forward for those shopping on a budget.
For example, the audio system is worthy of note — not so much for its sound quality but for the fact it is basically UVO-lite, UVO being Kia’s voice-activated infotainment system. Simply push the steering wheel-mounted talk button, say a command and, voila, the preferred station or satellite channel tunes in or a phone number is dialled. Remarkably, unlike so many voice-controlled systems, the Rio’s actually understood my English brogue. For an entry-level audio system and its ease of operation, it has to rank as one of the best.
The car also boasts all of the flexibility demanded. True, sitting three adults in the rear seats is a tad optimistic, but there is plenty of headroom and legroom and enough cargo capacity to satisfy the situation — there’s 15 cubic feet of space with the seats up and 49.7 cu. ft. with them folded flat.
The same applies to the engineering found beneath the Rio5’s sheetmetal. At one time, buying something for less than $20,000 brought handed-down technology — what was once “worn” by an elder sibling was passed down to the younger the instant the R&D costs had been recouped. That is now a thing of the past. The Rio5 is powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine that features everything its more expensive rivals do — direct injection, variable cam phasing and a variable intake, which all conspire to produce 138 horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque. This is enough power that the Rio5 does not feel sluggish.
Pair the engine with a six-speed automatic with a manual mode and the powertrain’s work ethic is such that there is plenty of pull off the line (enough to chirp the tires), a strong mid-range and decent response at the top end. No, I am not talking blow-your-socks-off rock ’n’ roll power, but, for most eventualities, the Rio5 satisfies driver demand. For the record, it takes 10 seconds to run to 100 kilometres an hour and it accomplishes the 80-to-120-km/h passing move in 7.3 seconds. As I say, while not outstanding it is more than competitive in its segment. For example, the more expensive Fiat 500 takes more than 12 seconds to amble its way to 100 km/h.
In the ride and handling department, the Kia also sits above many of its competitors. It’s not the suspension: In this regard, the Rio5 is a tad harsh, and this is without the sport suspension that comes with the high-end model. It’s the compression damping at the rear that leaves a little to be desired. However, the rest of it is first-rate. The steering is very nicely weighted for an electrically assisted system and the advanced stability control system that keeps the Rio5 shiny side up is more advanced than anything in its segment. It not only does the usual brake intervention to correct oversteer, it also uses the steering to countersteer out of the problem in a manner that remains invisible to the driver. Even in an understeer condition, where playing with the steering would be counter-productive, it lightens the resistance so that, when the driver grabs a handful of wheel, it turns obligingly.
So there you have it — an entry-level car that stands well above its price point. There is an old saying: Reality lags perception. Kia is still perceived as a purveyor of affordable cars. The reality is that it’s producing some segment-busting metal.
SOURCE: life.nationalpost.com
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