In March 2011, at the Geneva Motor Show, KIA presented the third-generation Rio budget car. In the Russian market, sales of the sedan began in October of the same year. In the summer of 2014, the car underwent a modernization, which affected the technical part (new transmissions appeared) and added two new shades to the color scheme. The next stage of modernization was overtaken by the Korean bestseller in 2015 - in March, the manufacturer revealed the exterior and interior of the updated Kia Rio sedan.
The car has noticeably changed in appearance, having received new optics, redesigned radiator grille and bumper and more chrome elements on the body.
The Koreans took the Kia K2 sedan sold in the Chinese market as the basis for the Russian Rio. And this choice has a logical rationale - this model, unlike the European Kia Rio, has exactly the same body structure as that of Hyundai Solaris, which is assembled at a plant in St. Petersburg, and this facilitated the organization of the production of new items at the same enterprise.
It is worth noting that in fact it was not "created specifically for Russia", but before arriving in our country, the car was seriously adapted. In particular, already from the factory, the car is equipped with a 4-liter washer fluid reservoir, front and rear mud flaps, three-jet windscreen washer nozzles, an increased capacity battery (48Ah), a plastic crankcase and headlight lamps with an extended service life. The body and bottom have anti-corrosion treatment.
The designers of the Korean automaker, led by Peter Schreier, gave the Rio a distinctive, family-style exterior: striking, but at the same time adult. There are no revelations in the exterior of the sedan, but a number of good details are present, and they are concentrated mainly in the front end - miniature fog lights, a stylish brace of head optics of a searchlight type, a proprietary grille and direction indicators on the sides, enclosed in a chrome edging. The prerogative of the expensive versions is the LED running light strips, based above the fog light sections.
And as you look at the sidewalls and the rear, the appearance of the "Rio" begins to be perceived as more everyday. The car has a calm and harmoniously cut profile, accentuated by "shiny" accents in the frame of the side windows and turn signals. The three-volume stern is topped with Cerato-inspired lanterns with LED light sources, which are graphically disguised as ordinary bulbs. What really catches the eye are the trendy 15- or 16-inch rims with an original design that give the model character (though these are in expensive versions, those that are cheaper are equipped with stamped wheels with caps).
The external dimensions of the Kia Rio sedan are as follows: 4370 mm in length, 1470 mm in height and 1700 mm in width. The wheelbase of the car is 2,570 mm, and 160 mm ground clearance is visible under the bottom. In the equipped state, the model weighs from 1115 to 1151 kg, and this indicator depends on the modification.
Visible innovations in the interior of the Kia Rio 2015-2016 model year - a different steering wheel layout and a rethought design of the radio and "climate". Inside "Rio" of the third generation looks simple and laconic, everything here is perceived cold-bloodedly and functionally. Behind the plump steering wheel (in expensive trim levels it is multifunctional), familiar from the “older” cee’d model, there are “three deep wells” of the dashboard, which can be either a standard type or Supervision with clear graphics. But in any case, the information content and readability are at a decent level.
The center console is comfortable and pretty; only the necessary controls are placed on it. In the basic version, these are plugs in place of the audio system and a pair of "krutilok" settings for the air conditioner, and in the more expensive ones, there are enough high-quality "music" and climate control. That seems to be all - functional and simple. The interior of the Kia Rio will definitely not feel like a lot of savings. Hard plastic is used everywhere, but boominess is not about it. The panels fit exactly to each other, and the handles and buttons on the dashboard work with verified efforts and do not play.
This sedan is quite rider-friendly. The front seats provide a comfortable seating position, although lateral support is clearly lacking. But the ranges of longitudinal adjustments are large - 240 mm. There is enough space in all directions, and there are amenities like an armrest and cup holders.
The back sofa will easily accept three adults, and each of them will have enough space in the legs and above the head and end-to-end in width. The transmission tunnel of the minimum height will not bring discomfort to the feet of the average passenger, and the air ducts will help maintain a comfortable climate.
The luggage compartment has a volume of 500 liters, a full-size spare wheel is located under the floor, there is a convenient niche on the side, which is suitable, for example, for a container with an anti-freeze, and the rear seat back folds down. The loading height of the trunk is 721 mm, and the dimensions of the compartment are as follows - 447 by 958 mm. The shape cannot be called comfortable, and the wheel arches eat up a good part of the volume. When the rear seat backrest is folded down, there is an opening for transporting long items, but its width is not impressive.
Specifications. The Third Rio is available on the Russian market with two four-cylinder petrol "aspirated" engines and four types of gearboxes.
- The base role is assigned to the 1.4-liter engine, delivering 107 "horses" of power and 135 Nm of peak thrust at 5000 rpm. This unit relies on a 5-speed manual transmission or "automatic" for four gears. In the first case, acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h requires 11.5 seconds, and the maximum possible speed is 190 km / h, in the second, these figures are respectively 13.5 seconds and 175 km / h. Every 100 km of run, the fuel tank is emptied by 5.9-6.4 liters of gasoline, depending on the modification.
- The flagship is the 1.6-liter engine with 123 horsepower, the peak output of which is set at 155 Nm at 4200 rpm. In tandem with him work "mechanics" and "automatic", in both cases with six steps. A sedan with a manual gearbox conquers the first hundred in 10.3 seconds, with an automatic gearbox - 0.9 seconds slower, and it can accelerate to 190 and 185 km / h, respectively. In terms of fuel consumption, the powerful engine in this aspect is on par with the less powerful version.
The Rio sedan is built on a platform that also serves as the basis for the Hyundai Solaris and the i20. The front independent suspension with McPherson struts is mounted on a subframe in the form of the letter "H", while the rear is a semi-independent scheme with a twisting beam. Power steering makes the vehicle easier to drive, while disc brakes are installed in a circle to ensure effective deceleration.
Options and prices. In the Russian market, the 2015-2016 Kia Rio sedan model year in the basic Comfort configuration is available at a price of 539,900 rubles.
- The "base" car is equipped with a 107-horsepower engine and "mechanics" for five gears, and its list of options is formed by ABS, a pair of front airbags, two power windows, power steering, heated external mirrors with an electric drive, as well as a folding rear seat.
- A complete set of the Rio Comfort AC sedan is offered at a price of 579,900 rubles, its prerogative is the presence of an air conditioner.
- A "three-volume Rio" with a 4-band "automatic" can be bought starting with the Comfort RS configuration at a price of 619,900 rubles.
- The Luxe version, equipped with standard "music", a multifunctional steering wheel with heating, four power windows and heated front seats, is offered at a price of 639,900 rubles.
- For the Prestige version, they ask from 709,900 rubles, and it includes, among other things, an adjustable steering wheel, climate control, lensed headlights, LED daytime running lights, a light sensor, heated windscreen and washer nozzles.
- The "top" sedan Kia Rio "Premium" can be bought at a price of 809,900 rubles, for which you get all the equipment of more affordable configurations, as well as stability control technology (ESP), a system of access to the salon and engine start without a key, rear parking sensors and alloy wheels 16 inches.
