What’s it?
“Mainly, it’s Kia’s Fiesta” is the way in which to clarify the nameless form of the Rio, which stays largely unfamiliar to the general public, regardless of having been offered within the UK since 2005 and twice since reinvented.
That is the up to date model of the Rio that arrived in 2017. The vary opens at round £14,000, however that is with a 1.25-litre naturally aspirated engine that appears on paper like it could be asthmatic and is available in a Rio devoid of a lot fascinating package.
We’re on the different finish of the spectrum, the place the brand new 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine – named Smartstream – positive aspects a turbocharger and Kia’s first mild-hybrid system, which, like virtually all of them, makes use of 48V electrics.
What’s it like?
At £21,000 in GT-Line S trim (the highest of the four-strong vary), the Fiesta comparability is surprisingly legitimate. You would possibly nonetheless grimace on the prospect of a 1.0-litre engine, however whereas the facility output stays at 118bhp, this unit is 16% torquier than its forebear, giving an unexpectedly sturdy 148lb ft. It definitely does not really feel wanting – not by supermini requirements – while you get a transfer on.
In the meantime, the brand new 48V system is impressively discreet, recuperating vitality with out drawing consideration to itself, save for a cute yacht icon within the instrument binnacle to sign while you’re ‘crusing’ – that’s, when the engine shuts off throughout coasting. Likewise, Kia’s new Constantly Variable Valve Length system, which switches between combustion cycles relying on the throttle load.
The powertrain has a weak point, although, within the non-obligatory (£1000) computerized gearbox. It’s not slick, generally alerting you to its shifting and hesitating. An auto all the time feels unsuitable in a supermini, and it does much more so while you find out about Kia’s new Clever Guide Transmission (IMT), which hyperlinks the lever and clutch pedal to the ’field solely electronically, once more for effectivity.
All of this effectivity know-how is borne out in an official (WLTP) 51.4mpg gasoline consumption determine, which in our expertise would not be too exhausting to attain in real-life combined use.
Different enhancements on this replace deal with the cabin. Most blatant is a bigger (8.0in) touchscreen, which, as we’ve got come to anticipate from Kia, seems to be slightly good and is pretty intuitive. Regardless of this, the inside retains an old-school allure – by no means a nasty factor, as a result of it means every little thing is logically laid out and managed by giant bodily buttons – but does not really feel of old-school high quality.
