2013 Kia Rio SX
2013 Kia Rio SX
2013 Kia Rio SX
2013 Kia Rio SX
2013 Kia Rio SX
A look behind the driver’s wheel
2013 Kia Rio SX
The 2013 Kia Rio SX’s dashboard
2013 Kia Rio SX
The Good: Attractive exterior styling, intuitive interior controls, impressive power train, excellent warranty, good gas mileage and price tag.
The Bad: A rough riding sport suspension, difficult child seat installation, awkward cup holders and a less than impressive sound system.
For more information on this KIA visit www.kia.com.
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The interior is equally appealing with comfortable seats, an ergonomic steering wheel and simple, chunky switches throughout the dashboard. The touch-screen navigation with Sirius Traffic will help you find your way, and Bluetooth wireless technology connects you to your phone for effortless hands-free operation and music streaming.
The Rio SX comes equipped with a 1.6-liter gas direct injection (GDI 4-cyl engine producing 138 hp. The power is controlled through a 6-speed automatic transmission that also has an Active Eco system to increase fuel economy. This package provides steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters that made shifting in manual mode much more interactive.
The engine and transmission really steal the show. The transmission was always in the correct gear for the situation and was expert at correctly maintaining speed. The engine increased noise during aggressive acceleration, but that's to be expected. It was also a bit loud in the low RPM range of each gear. At highway speeds, the 138 hp was very capable and easily kept the speed I set on the cruise control. The occasional steep incline on I-376 near Aliquippa and Chippewa Township made the transmission adjust gears and increase RPMs, but it wasn't intrusive.
Most suspension systems in smaller vehicles make them fun to drive in town, very nimble and accurate with good steering feedback and tight turning capability. The Rio doesn't disappoint in that area. However, on the highway is where those same small cars lack high-speed stability, steering feel and noise reduction. That is where this subcompact impressed me again. At 65-70 mph, it is very quiet, stable and doesn't lunge around high-speed bends.
Gas mileage is another area the Rio shines. Kia claims an average of 33 mpg, and I calculated an average of 30 mpg while road-testing it. With a fairly small 11.7-gallon tank, the Rio can get you about 350 miles or 29/30mpg between fill-ups.
I tested the SX model with the premium package ($2,350, which included navigation with Sirius traffic, satellite radio, heated leather trimmed seats, power tilt/slide sunroof, and push-button start with Smart Key. Other options included carpeted floor mats ($115 and the electro chromatic mirror with compass and Homelink ($350.
MSRP started at $17,700, but with the options ours brought the bottom line to $21,340.
Will Chamberlain is a freelance automotive writer. He is co-founder and editor of pghcarguys.com.
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Sunday, January 6, 2013 12:15 am.
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