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Summary
The Kia Rio is neither sports car nor luxury ride, but then it isn't intended to be. It's supposed to be an efficient and reliable car for not a lot of money. Which brings up another issue: Kia was rated lowest of all makes in the most recent J.D. Power Initial Quality survey. That's no secret from Kia, and no less than President of Kia Motors, Soo Joong Kim, has established improved quality as Kia's number one priority. Should the worst happen, however, Kia offers free roadside service for the 3-years/36,000 miles of its bumper-to-bumper warranty. Then there's the five-year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty. Kia also looks like it will be around for a while, having recently been bought by Hyundai. What the Rio offers in driving, however, is a fuel-sipping set of wheels that, with its low price of entry, someone else hasn't already owned. It's a great first car, great transportation to the station and a great fuel economy car. And that, folks, is the real of it.
(Source: New Cars Test Drive)
Model Line Overview
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Model Lineup:
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Rio ($8,595) |
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Engines:
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1.5-liter dohc 16v inline-4 |
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Transmissions:
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5-speed manual |
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Saftey Equipment (standard):
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front de-powered airbags |
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Saftey Equipment (optional):
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|
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Basic Warranty:
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3 years/36,000 miles |
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Assembled In:
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Specifications As Tested
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Model Tested (MSRP):
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Rio ($8,595) |
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Standard Equipment:
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tinted glass, rear defroster, 3-speed wiper, passenger-side vanity mirror |
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Options As Tested (MSRP):
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air conditioning ($750); upgrade package ($380) includes power steering, full wheel covers, body-color side molding, tilt wheel, dual visor vanity mirrors; AM/FM/CD ($395); alloy wheels ($275) |
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Destination Charge:
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450 |
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Gas Guzzler Tax:
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Price As Tested (MSRP):
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11485 |
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Layout:
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front-engine, front-wheel drive |
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Horsepower (hp @ rpm):
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96 @ 5800 |
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Torque (lb.-ft. @ rpm):
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98 @ 4500 |
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Transmission:
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5-speed manual |
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EPA fuel economy, city/hwy:
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27/32 |
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Wheelbase:
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94.9 |
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Length/width/height:
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165.9/65.9/56.7 |
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Track, f/r:
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56.4/57.1 |
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Turning circle:
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30.8 |
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Seating capacity:
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5 |
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Head/hip/leg room, f:
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39.4/51.6/42.8 |
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Head/hip/leg room, m:
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Head/hip/leg room, r:
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37.6/53.2/32.7 |
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Cargo volume:
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9.2 |
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Payload:
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Towing capacity:
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Suspension, f:
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Independent |
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Suspension, r:
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torsion beam axle |
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Ground clearance:
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6.0 |
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Curb weight:
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2242 |
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Tires:
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P175/65R14 |
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Brakes, f/r:
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disc/drum |
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Fuel capacity:
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11.9 |
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