By Jonathan Crouch
Introduction
Look beyond the obvious choices in the supermini segment and you might be surprised at what you'll find. Take this fourth generation Kia Rio, a smartly-styled supermini that challenged for class honours in the 2017-2023 period a way that will suit sensibly-minded buyers. It's pretty spacious, easy to drive and very affordable to run, especially in diesel form or when fitted out with the brand's impressive 1.0-litre T-GDI petrol engine. Plus prices are pitched keenly it came from new with a seven-year warranty. It is, in short, a very competitive car indeed.
History
The motor industry has learned to take Korean maker Kia very seriously indeed. Back in 2017, this car was the brand's global best-seller, the fourth generation Rio supermini.
If you want an accurate perspective on Kia's progress over the last few decades, the Rio model line amply provides it. The first generation design launched at the turn of the century was an embarrassment, the MK2 model of 2005 progressed to the status of 'cheap and relatively cheerful' and the third generation version of 2011 was properly class-competitive. From that point though, there's still quite a step to genuine desirability. This MK4 model tried to make it.
Prior to the launch of this car in early 2017, design teams on three continents worked on the smarter styling and the body was stiffer and safer. Plus there was the option of up-to-the-minute media connectivity and buyers could select a punchy yet frugal state-of-the-art three cylinder turbo petrol engine. You also get a classer cabin and one of the largest luggage bays in the segment. All packaged up with an industry-leading seven-year warranty and pricing able to undercut most mainstream rivals. There was a mild update in 2020. The Rio was discontinued in our market in 2023.
What You Get
By 2017, the days of affordable Kia models betraying all the hallmarks of budget brand design were long gone. So were the days when a supermini was a relatively diminutive thing. This fourth generation Rio is not only a smartly turned-out, maturely styled contender but also a car that a decade before would have been seen as a competitor to a bigger family hatchback Astra or Focus, rather than a supermini-sized Corsa or Fiesta.
Inside, things were embellished a bit over the previous model, up-spec variants featuring faux-leather upholstery, a premium automatic air conditioning system and a large sophisticated-looking 7-inch colour infotainment screen. Even mainstream variants though, get features like a lovely stitched leather multi-function steering wheel, through which you view a smart instrument binnacle with the two main dials separated by a 3.5-inch 'Supervision cluster' digital display.
In the rear, you'd hope that this fourth generation model's increase in width and length might pay dividends. The 10mm of extra wheelbase does certainly benefit legroom back here: only if the front seat occupants happen to be particularly tall will there be any significant restrictions. Let's finish with a few words on boot space, which rose by 37-litres over the previous model. The tailgate is light to lift and reveals a 325-litre luggage area that's one of the very largest in the supermini segment from this period.
What to Look For
Not too much goes wrong with the Rio but there are a few things you need to look out for. We've heard of a few issues with rough idling and misfiring. So look out for this on your test drive and also look out for loud straining noises while accelerating, another thing that has been noticed in this model. Apparently the spark plugs are a weak engine point and need to be replaced more frequently than you might think. If the engine is misfiring or idling loudly, then that's a sign that the spark plugs need replacing.
Some owners have reported that engine check lights have come on for non-issues. Occasionally, this relates to a serious engine problem but more normally, it's just a sensor malfunctioning and the most common culprit is the oxygen sensor, which is apparently prone to failure in this model. We've heard of air-conditioning problems that manifest in loud vibrating and rattling air-conditioners, if there's vibration with sound and smell, that's a sign that the air conditioner is about to fail. Otherwise, it's just the usual stuff. Give the electrical systems a thorough test and make sure the central screen has had all its necessary map updates. Check the alloys for scuffs. The interior for child damage. And insist on a fully stamped-up service history.
Replacement Parts
(approx based on a 2019 Rio 1.0 T-GDI 120 inc VAT) An air filter costs about £9. An oil filter costs about £4. For a front brake disc, you're looking at paying in the £85 bracket, with a rear disc costing from around £57. A pair of rear brake pads are around £23, while a pair of front pads sit in the £29-£68 bracket for a set. A wiper blade can cost anything from £2-£14 upwards. A pollen filter is in the £7-£24 bracket. A tail lamp is around £67. A water pump is around £45-£94. A thermostat is around £10-£44.
On the Road
Kia made considerable efforts to improve the design fundamentals of this fourth generation Rio. Key to this was the creation of a much stiffer body, which allows the suspension to do its work without having to compensate for flexing in the chassis structure. That, along with a set of revised spring and damper settings, reduces roll through the bends yet at the same time, you get impressive standards of ride quality. Out on the open road, it's true that this Rio doesn't feel quite as sharp as a rival Fiesta through the bends, but there's decent refinement, the manual gearbox is quite slick and the brakes are very good too. All of which will almost certainly be more important to potential segment buyers than outright speed - which is just as well for the Rio line-up doesn't offer too much of that, the mainstream engine line-up including few of the kind of powerplants that would really tempt in more spirited drivers.
That's not to say that that there aren't some effective engines in the Rio portfolio - there absolutely are, with the headline act being the three cylinder 1.0-litre T-GDI Turbo petrol unit. This is a powerplant that Kia developed to take on the similar down-sized three-pot engines that were available from most of the other brands in this segment in this period and it's offered in two states of tune, with either 99 or 118bhp. The lesser variant is capable of 62.8mpg on the combined cycle and 102g/km of CO2. We think this unit is a much better bet than the two older-tech 'Kappa' family petrol engines in the range, the 83bhp 1.25-litre unit that budget buyers will choose and the 98bhp 1.4-litre variant that's the only Rio powerplant you can get with automatic transmission. If you want a diesel, there are two 1.4-litre CRDi options, with a choice between 76 and 89bhp outputs.
Overall
It's easy to see why people like this fourth generation Rio. It's smartly styled, sensibly spacious and quite acceptably efficient. As a result, it not only competes head-on with its mainstream rivals from the 2017-2023 period but betters many of them. In considering this model, your initial expectation might be of a car with an appeal based mainly around its generous equipment and relatively modest asking price. Get up close and personal with this Kia though and it doesn't take long to appreciate that a lot more than that is on offer here.
True, it's not the most dynamic supermini in the sector to drive: but it is one of the better ones in the class to ride in, which is arguably more important. In summary, you're thinking of buying in the supermini segment from this period, you may not be considering this car as an option. But take it from us, you should be.
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