Kia throws 4th-gen Rio into the battle of sub-compact sedans

Face to face with Australian chef Maggie Brewer after a sumptuous dinner inside one of best wineries at the Barossa Valley in South Australia, the guests didn’t have to be told that their host Kia Motors had got something cooking.

As Brewer engaged the gentlemen in coats and the ladies clad in gowns in a story-telling of sorts on her fascination with the sleepy town flexing its economic muscle behind vast vineyards, it became a little difficult for the guests to stay with her. The small silvery car behind Brewer was becoming quite a distraction.

Brewer’s talk segued into the evening’s main activity: the introduction of that little car, which is the fourth-generation Kia Rio.

While the dinner was for the formal getting-to-know-you stuff with the exteriors and the interiors, the next day was to be the actual engagement with the Rio through the country roads of Barossa Valley.

Even before the excited test-drivers from Asia could lay their hands on the fleet of Rios, they were given a primer on this newest vehicle to come out of the Kia factory, which officials believe will lead people to take a second, more serious look at the brand.

“The fourth-generation Kia Rio is not an evolution from its predecessor, it’s a revolution!” says Nick Reid of Kia Australia.

Reid’s statement, of course, shouldn’t be taken as a boast.

The Rio has transformed from just being the fuel-efficient car that it was designed to something of outstanding appeal, now with strong features resembling important characteristics carried by the hot-selling Sportage like its muscular body.

There is a high-level challenge that went with producing the new version of the Rio especially since it is touted to lead Kia’s campaign to achieve more than 2 million units in sales around the world by the end of 2011.

Massimo Frascella, the lead designer for Rio who also did the sketches for the Sportage, flew all the way from his California base to the Australian jaunt to confess that he wanted nothing less than creating a special identity for the new Rio. The result of Frascella’s careful, intricate design produced a car worth crowning as a brand champion.

“The Rio introduced Kia to many Australians and its role as ambassador cannot be overstated enough. It has always been successful and with this new incarnation we have a car which is extremely attractive with a fresh feeling of sportiness,” says Kia Motors Australia president and CEO MK Kim.

Kim was close to claiming the title as a “people’s car” for the Rio in his speech but he would rather let the numbers (in sales) in the coming months when the first batch of Rios reach their international destinations, the Philippines included, prove it.

According to Boying Soriano, marketing manager of Columbian Autocars Corp., which handles the distribution of Kia in the Philippines, the five-door Hatchback will arrive first in the first quarter of 2012.

With the 1.6L Gamma GDi gasoline engine fitted to both the midrange Si and top of the range SLi Rio models, the newest competitor in the light passenger vehicle segment is going to come up with a worthy challenge on fuel efficiency and should hit around 15 kms per liter given the proper driving attitude.

There will be plenty of other features that will merit a second look for the Rio. Safety is ensured with six airbags and electronic stability control not to mention the HAC [hillstart assist control], ABS anti-lock brakes, EBF [electronic brake force distribution] and EBA [emergency brake assist] systems.

Electronic features are loaded onto this small wonder through the Vehicle Stability Management that safeguards the passengers of the vehicle. Aside from the LED daytime running lights and 17-inch alloy wheels that enhance the good looks of the Rio, the entertainment system can’t be scoffed at with Bluetooth connectivity, a radio CD player with MP3 compatibility, iPod and USB connections that can be manipulated from the steering wheel.

The Kia Rio Hatch is seen to carry a price tag of P830,000. Definitely not bad for a small car that can do wonders.