The Kia Rio has been around since the 2006 model year, and recently received a cosmetic
make-over inside and out. Although the Rio was updated in its look and feel throughout,
the drivetrain remains untouched, and it continues to share its chassis and mechanicals
with the Hyundai Accent.
Power comes from a 1.6 liter inline-four, which produces 110 horsepower at 6,000
rpm and 107 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm. The Kia rio returns a respectable 27 mpg
in the city and 32 mpg on the highway, when hitched to the standard five-speed manual
transmission. With the optional four-speed automatic, the numbers change to 25 and
35, respectively.
There are three trim levels of the Rio: Base, LX and SX. The Base car doesn't even
offer a sound system of any kind, even on the options sheet, but it does sport a
commendably low price of entry: just $11,515. It rides on 14-inch steel wheels with
center caps adorning them.
The next step up, the LX, adds full-face plastic covers for those wheels, as well
as air-conditioning, tilting steering column, adjustable headrests atop 60/40 split-folding
rear seats and a four-speaker AM/FM/CD audio set-up.
KIA Borrego
