Kia Rio sedan grows up with substantial second-time design

by Bob Plunkett

Kinky cutbacks on the twisty old road climbing to Snoqualmie Pass, pitched high in the Cascade Range of Washington state, show off the taut handling characteristics and precise road manners of a cool new subcompact sedan from Kia that comes with budget-minded price points.

It's the Rio, redesigned and rebuilt for second-generation issues in the Class of 2006.

Kia, the crafty automaker from South Korea, rolled original Rio ashore five years ago as an eensy-weensy economy box. It brought a tepid powerplant, a tin-can passen-ger compartment with no frills and no fun, but a tiny price tag.

By contrast, the new rendition of Rio for '06 seems more substantial - it's a larger package with more spark from a bigger engine and more sophisticated mechanical components aboard, plus comfortable and attractive appointments in the passenger compartment.

Rio's new treatment features a new platform with a longer wheelbase and broader wheel track, far more safety gear aboard and class-capping power from the new four-cylinder engine.

In effect, this latest Rio grows up. So too does the bottom line, although it's still a contender for "Most Affordable Car in the Country" honors. Out of the box as the entry edition, the 2006 Rio sedan carries a bottom-line MSRP of $10,570. Tack on the unavoidable delivery fee - $540 - and the drive-it-home figure bumps to $11,110.

This budget edition passes on air conditioning and rolls on modest 14-inch wheels, but the full complement of safety gear is aboard including curtain-style air bags for front and rear seats, and it comes with the impressive Kia warranty program which extends well beyond protection for other vehicles - the powertrain is insured for ten years or 100,000 miles, for instance, and there's a five-year or 60,000-mile shield against defects.

More equipment for comfort (including an audio kit and A/C system) goes into the uplevel Rio LX sedan, which lists for $12,445 with a manual transmission or $13,295 with an automatic.

The additional gear includes power steering and a tilting steering column, a rear seatback that splits by 60/40 percent and folds down plus adjustable backseat headrests, a stereo audio package with AM/FM/CD and four speakers, the air conditioner and 185/65R14 tires with full wheel covers.

And Kia offers add-on options to the LX - anti-lock brake system (ABS) with four-wheel disc brakes, dual heated exterior mirrors, a body-colored tail spoiler and a power package for windows and door locks with a keyless remote device added plus tweeter speakers. The exterior re-do looks clean and simple posing in taut wedge stance with the extended wheelbase but curt overhangs front and rear.

Rio's stubby face features oversized aerodynamic headlamp clusters pinned to the front corners and separated by a narrow grille dressed with black mesh. (CONTINUE...)