KIA Rio 2016-2018 Photos, engines & full specs

The Kia Rio was the South Korean’s response to the VW Polo, Skoda Fabia and Vauxhall Corsa. The Rio was redesigned to grab the people’s attention and was a good deal for a car in its segment.

The exterior design doesn’t stand out, however, it was lower and with a sportier appearance than the last Kia’s Rio.

The back of the Rio was modified and looked more tight and compact.

Kia decided to drop the 3-door model and kept the 5-door, the Rio being a practical car and most suitable for families as a city car.

When opening the trunk lid, you could see a good sized load area that could even be extended by folding the rear seats. The load space was larger that the Corsa’s or the Polo’s.

The only downside of the trunk was its high position, thus heavy luggages were a bit hard to load.

A full grown up sitting in the rear seats of the Rio would enjoy even long trips, as both legroom and headroom were good.

In the back were little cupholders and no storage compartments, not even the pocket on the backs of the front seats.

The Rio was available with 3 trim levels, simply named 1, 2 and 3.

The 1 trim level offered air conditioning, heated mirrors, split-folding rear seats, the 2 came with electric windows, alloy wheels, a digital radio, USB, a reversing camera, cruise control and safety systems such as emergency braking and lane departure warning.

The top of the range, the 3 trim level was equipped with bigger alloys, heated seats with leather upholstery, sat-nav, smartphone connectivity and a rain sensor for the wipers.