Kia Rio Review 2024

The current Kia Rio arrived in 2017 and continued the upwards trend of this Korean firm in terms of styling, quality and appeal. While it may not have the outright desirability of a Volkswagen Polo or the deft handling of a Ford Fiesta, the Rio is a very sound, safe and dependable supermini choice. Low running costs are ideal for anyone on a tight budget, while the engines offer around 50mpg based on which one you choose. All that in one of the most spacious small hatches available. Read on for our full Kia Rio review.

Like so many reality television stars, Kia has been on a journey over the past few years and the Rio that arrived in 2017 throws this into sharp relief. Where so many of Kia’s cars are now among the sharpest-suited in their classes and unafraid to break with convention – Stinger, XCeed, ProCeed anyone? – the Rio is the counterpoint to all of this.

Does that make the Rio boring and all Captain Sensible? Well, yes, but that’s no bad thing when all you want is a very reliable, dependable and, well, sensible supermini. The fact it comes with a superb warranty, good engines, plenty of equipment and keen pricing is all to the good as well. In fact, all of the things the previous Rio did so well, too.

Cost-effectiveness is at the core of the Rio’s being and economy is strong, with almost every engine officially capable of more than 60mpg. Go for a diesel when buying used and the claimed figures rise upwards of 80mpg, but the real highlight is the 1.0-litre T-GDI petrol. It’s punchy, quiet and economical whether you pick it the 100PS or 120PS version.

The Rio is very easy to drive, with light, smooth controls. Around town it’s good for the most part, but the suspension does have a tendency to thump over potholes. Fortunately, things get smoother and more comfortable at higher speeds with refinement good on the motorway.

Inside, the Kia Rio is nicely finished, with sturdy build quality and a clear and intuitive layout. The centre stack features a responsive 5.0-inch touchscreen system if you skip the basic ‘1’ trim level, while the dials are simple and easy to read. There’s plenty of adjustment in the driver’s seat too.

Kia has also attempted to spritz up the Rio a bit with the GT Line trim that arrived in early 2018 and then the GT Line S. The GT Line comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, gloss black and chrome snout that Kia refers to as a ‘tiger nose’ and LED front lights. Okay, so it’s no hot hatch to take on the Ford Fiesta ST, but the GT Line does add a modicum of pizzazz to what is, we’ll grant you, a very worthy but somewhat dull line-up.

As small hatchbacks go, practicality is good. There’s enough space in the back for a couple of adults, with surprising levels of hat room and - unless there are tall occupants up front - decent leg room too. The boot is sizeable with 325 litres of capacity, beating the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo.

It might not have the all-round classiness and capability of the SEAT Ibiza or Volkswagen Polo, or the dynamic sparkle of the Ford Fiesta, but the Rio is a very capable hatchback that does everything well enough. Factor in the seven-year warranty and it's a sound buy.

Looking for a second opinion? Check out heycar's review of the Kia Rio.

There’s reach and angle movement for the steering wheel, and the 3 and GT-Line S have a heated steering wheel. Space isn’t a problem thanks to generous head, leg and elbow room. The main dash pod is clear, with the speedo and rev counter in the driver’s eye line.

Kia provides plenty of storage with large door bins, twin cupholders and cubby between the front seats and a reasonable glovebox. In the boot, there's 325-litres of space for bags, which is nudging small hatch volume, or you can drop the rear seats and free up as much as 1103 litres of room for longer, larger items.

Rear access is good as the Rio is only being offered as a five-door. The flat cushion of the bench makes it easier to fit three people across the seat, even a trio of adults at push on shorter trips. This is something few of the Rio’s rivals can achieve. One neat touch to note is the USB charger in the rear of all Rios other than the 1 trim.

The difference between perceived quality and actual strength of construction is ably demonstrated inside the Kia Rio. At its launch in 2017, it was a little disappointing to note the cabin materials had not made a huge leap onwards, yet this was more about the look than the solidity of the plastics.

Time has told us the Kia Rio is a very well constructed contender in the supermini class. It may not be the most stylish in terms of design or the textures used for much of its interior plastics, but you can be assured they will put up with all the use and abuse that a family can throw at them.

The Kia Rio 1 has a simple 3.8-inch display for its radio with Bluetooth, four speakers, and USB and aux-in ports.

Move to the 2, 3 and GT-Line S trims and you get upgraded to an 8-inch touchscreen with DAB digital radio included and six speakers. This gives access to music via Apple CarPlay and Android Audio, while the same screen is used for a reversing camera. Another improvement over the 1 trim is the 4.2-inch Supervision display between the main dials.

With the 3 and GT Line S models, you get the full Monty touchscreen with navigation and Kia Connect that uses TomTom to provide information on traffic congestion, speed cameras, weather and to search local area information.

The lead-in to the Kia Rio range is the 1 model with its 84PS 1.2 litre petrol engine and manual gearbox. At £16,170, this Rio is almost £4000 cheaper than the most basic Volkswagen Polo yet is as well equipped and matches the German on power, performance, and economy.

The next step in the Rio line-up is to the 2 trim with the same engine, which comes in at £17,520. To have a 2 model with the more powerful 100PS 1.0 litre turbo petrol motor costs £1000 more at £18,520.

A Rio 3 only comes with the 120PS 1.0 litre engine with mild hybrid assistance and it rings the till at £20,820. Alternatively, you can have the same engine in the GT-Line S version of the Rio from £21,820.

Fuel economy with any Kia Rio is not going to tax your finances a great deal. The least economical version is the 120PS GT-Line S model that sits on 17-inch wheels and returns a combined 51.4mpg, along with 125g/km carbon dioxide emissions that are the highest in the line-up.

Those figures are still decent for a turbo petrol supermini and, curiously, the best Rio figures come from the same engine but in the 3 trim on its smaller 16-inch alloy wheels. The 100PS 1.0-litre engine can muster 53.3mpg and 120g/km of CO2 emissions, which is the same as the 1.2 litre motor in base 1 trim. Take the 1.2 as a 2 trim version and economy and emissions slip slightly to 52.3mpg and 122g/km.

Those emissions mean you’ll pay £210 fo the first year of road tax, followed by £180 in the subsequent years at the current rates.

As for insurance, the Rio comes in low with ratings of between Group 4 and 9 depending on trim, so it could be a good car for any new driver to get started on the road with.

The Kia Rio doesn’t quite pull off everything as successfully as a Ford Fiesta or Volkswagen Polo with its firm ride around town.

On faster roads, there’s decent body control and very good stability, even in crosswinds where have some other superminis can be blown about.

The firm ride at lower speeds is more obvious in GT-Line S models with 17-inch alloy wheels that are standard. Go for the 1, 2 or 3 trims with their smaller wheel sizes and the cope better with the obstacles a typical street can throw at them.

The Rio has safe, predictable handling as it enters and exits a bend. A MINI does it with a bit more verve that means there’s always some fun in the offing if you want it whereas in the Kia it’s happy just to plot a route and leave the drama to other superminis.

Looking for a second opinon? Why not read heycar's Kia Rio review

Kia has dropped the diesel engine options from the Rio range. What we’re left with are a trio of petrol engines that starts with the 84PS 1.2-litre MPI. It has to be worked hard, which makes it quite noisy anywhere other than in town. Still, the five-speed manual has an easy shift action

The turbocharged 1.0 T-GDI motor comes with 100PS and it’s a three-cylinder design, unlike the 1.2’s four-cylinder configuration. It punches well above its weight, so 0-60mph arrives in 10.0 seconds.

The 120PS version of the 1.0 T-GDI serves up more of the same thanks to its extra power and nips from rest to 60mph in just 9.8 seconds. It has a six-speed manual gearbox, but Kia has ditched the seven-speed automatic as an option.

The Kia Rio is comprehensively kitted out with ESP stability control, ABS anti-lock brakes and tyre pressure monitoring system, plus six airbags and Hill-start Assist.

Every Rio has three-point seat belts for all occupants and Isofix child seat mounts for the two outer rear seats. All models now have autonomous emergency braking.

Choose any Rio except the 1 trim and you get a reversing camera and rear parking sensors. Without these safety-enhancing features, the Rio only manages a three-star score in Euro NCAP tests, but with them it improves that to a full five-star rating with impressive showings for adult and child occupant safety.

The Kia Rio can tow a braked trailer with a maximum weight of up to 900kg. The company doesn't quote a figure for an unbraked trailer, so it's safe to assume it will be very little.

The Kia Rio 1 sits on 15-inch steel wheels and has plain black cloth upholstery. You get driver’s seat height adjustment, air conditioning, electric front windows, and a 3.8-inch black and white infotainment display with Bluetooth connection.

The 2 gains 15-inch alloy wheels and gloss black exterior detailing, rear parking sensors, and daytime running lights. Inside, there’s Premium Black Cloth for the seats, leather-bound steering wheel, electric windows all round, cruise control, and the 8-inch infotainment touchscreen with reversing camera.

The 3 enjoys 16-inch alloys, rain-sensing wipers, rear privacy glass, and faux leather upholstery with heated front seats and steering wheel. Its infotainment also comes with satellite navigation included. Automatic air conditioning and infotainment with navigation and Kia Connect with TomTom updates for traffic and speed cameras completes the list.

Then there’s the GT-Line S with 17-inch alloys, ‘Ice-cube’ design LED headlights, and twin exhaust pipes. Half-leather-trimmed seats, flat-bottom steering wheel and carbon-effect trim inserts lift the interior feel. Choose the GT-Line S and you get all of this mixed with the luxury kit of the 3 trim.