The 4th generation Kia Rio wants to make a lasting impression. In 2014, the car ranked number 10 in New Zealand’s small car market, number nine in 2015 and climbed up to 7th last last year. This year it wants to move into the top five.
The famous business consultant Peter Drucker once said that “marketing and innovation produce results.” Although we have seen a movement towards bigger vehicles like Utes and SUVs, the huge improvements in quality which small car market boasts shows that the New Zealand small car market is alive and well. If the Rio wants to move ahead of vehicles like the Volkwsagen Polo, the Toyota Corolla and Suzuki Swift, it needed to be more innovative and marketed more effectively.
And as car features and specs gets better, it’s often the smallest benefits which stand out the most.
What’s changed?
The new Rio boasts a 1.4L Petrol engine with 74kW @6,000 RPM and 133Nm @ 4,000 rpm of torque. It’s more fuel efficient than ever, meeting Euro V emission standards.
According to Driven.co.nz “The styling evolves the handsome lines of the previous Rio design with a slimmer and wider “Tiger Nose” grille treatment and a significantly slimmed down C-pillar which allows improved rear three-quarter visibility combined with a deeper rear screen.”
A big emphasis has also been placed on safety. Some of the 5 star ANCAP safety features in the new Rio include the six seat airbag system, reverse parking sensors, straight lane stability, cornering brake control and electronic stability control.
The engineering and design team also made small reinforcements to the chassis to improve the vehicle rigidity and provide drivers with improved handling and safety.
You can choose between 6 speed manual and 4 speed automatic transmission.
The cabin space has been modified slightly to gives you a little bit of extra space in the cabin area, both up front and at the back. The cargo space is also better and with fold out seats from a lower loading height, it’s less of a hassle to get things into the car.
The safety features and benefits just continue to get better. The six airbag system, reverse parking sensors, straight lane stability,cornering brake control and electronic stability control.
Pricing for the Rio starts at $22,490 and goes up to $26,990 for the top range Limited model edition.
With the next-generation Picanto and the Stinger joining the Rio in the marketplace later on this year, it’s a great year to be a Kia fan.
