Kia Rio YB GT-Line (2016-2026)

A great alternative to a VW Polo, with a longer factory warranty too – When cross-shopping with a German car, you might think the Kia would come out in a hard second place. Well, it’s a little less dramatic than that. Sure, the Polo has a far more conscious use of softer materials to avoid the occupant having to touch as many ‘cheap’ plastics as possible. However, the Kia Rio feels solid both inside and out; no… Read more

odd squeaks or rattles make themselves known when poking around the interior or over coarse sections of road.

What you’re looking at is the top-trim Kia Rio, which is called the GT-Line. The Rio range started off at $21,490 for the base model, and topped out at $27,990 drive away.

For what’s on offer, I believe this was a killer deal for a small hatchback like this.

Combine a plethora of safety features, a very usable infotainment screen, enough space for four adults, a turbocharged inline three-cylinder motor, and some aesthetically pleasing bits of GT-Line trim, and you have an excellent all-round daily driver.

Kia offers a 7-year warranty/unlimited kilometre and a 7-year capped price service period. Over this period, servicing will set you back $3299, again reinforcing the value that Kia is trying to convey by being as transparent as possible about its running costs. However, service intervals are every 12 months or 10,000km, that means coverage for services only extends to 70,000km or 7 years.

If you’re down for listening to a newly released album, it’s not the ideal place to hear the entire depth and range a song has to offer. But, if you’re looking for some speakers to ‘vibe out’ to, these fulfill that job nicely.

Be prepared to turn that audio dial up just a little bit, as road noise can be a little excessive on rough sections of tarmac.

Four disc brakes on all four wheels is a good start - surprisingly, there are some small hatches that still rock drum brakes on the rear.

The brake pedal feel is ideal for daily driving. It’s a little soft if you plan on pushing the Rio like a hot hatch, but it does mean that it’s far too easy to operate in heavy traffic.

The Rio might not look fast on paper, but in some ways, it’s a bit of a riot if you want to exploit every drop of horsepower from this 1.0L three-cylinder petrol motor.

1.0L is pretty small when it comes to engine capacity, yet things can change when you throw a turbocharger into the mix.

Producing 74kW and 172Nm (61.8kW per tonne) versus the VW Polo’s output from its own 1.0L motor of 85kW and 200Nm (73.7kW per tonne) - the Rio has 13kW per tonne less in its total output compared to the Polo.

This is no hot hatch, but it comes close to being called a ‘warm hatch’. What lets down this car is its 7-speed dual clutch transmission. Downshifts (even in manual mode) are just a little too slow, and the delay between stomping on the accelerator and actually moving is frustrating.

This particular 7-speed dual clutch automatic transmission is just that little bit too unresponsive when you want to drive a little faster from a standstill. This is especially the case when using the engine start/stop feature at a set of lights.

Moving at regular speeds and around town, there’s a seamless transition between gears. Although, you do have to get used to the more aggressive ‘creep’ this gearbox offers, after releasing the brakes.

Weighing in at a mere 1197kg, the Rio is already a candidate for effortless cornering. Throw on a set of sticky tyres like these Continental ContiSportContacts, and you have a recipe for handling success. Even in slippery conditions, the Rio is predictable and rarely wants to understeer (unless you turn off its safety nannies).

A weighted steering feel helps you avoid any guess work of where the wheels and tyres are pointing. But the amount of feedback is limited if you’re seeking that sort of engagement.

Despite only packing 3 cylinders, the Rio can be a little thirsty on the daily drive.

Combined claimed consumption is 5.3L per 100km, however, I saw figures averaging as high as 9L per 100km. That figure was recorded over 300km of driving through a mix of urban and highway driving.

The key features here are headlined by some carbon fibre look trim, GT-Line badging, a flat bottom steering wheel and an 8-inch touchscreen.

If you’re a sucker for attention to detail, you’ll appreciate how every line and contour extends past the dashboard through to the door inserts. This is better than having completely different interior designs on the door, compared to what's been designed on the dash.

There’s 325L of boot space with all the seats up available. If you fold the 60:40 seats down, you get a whopping 980L of storage in a car the size of a postage stamp, relative to SUVs being sold around this price range.

Cheap new cars are becoming a rare sight in 2022. The price of purchase and running costs are a top priority for a lot of buyers at the moment too.

If you need a comfortable, reliable and safe daily driver, the Kia Rio is certainly a ‘buy’ option.

The VW Polo might appeal to buyers who are more image focused, and who prefer a German manufacturer over a Korean one. However, what I would say is that the feature list, design and 7-year warranty are going to be far more noticeable than the 8kw per tonne difference between the two cars.

The Kia Rio would be my pick out of the two cars at this price point - unless you want to spend more on something like a Polo GTi, for a proper amount of hot hatch power.

*Disclaimer - I work for ProductReview as their independent car and motorbike expert. I borrow new cars and motorbikes from manufacturers and owners to review. I am not paid or incentivised by these brands to post reviews. I write and create content to provide insight and information about any new or used vehicle I can get my hands on.

Kias failed attempt of a hot hatch? – Sucked in by this car by its great looks and great features, I should really have tested it further before I bought one. At 2000 KMs, I had a warning light come on. After a 6 week process through kia servicing, (who were a nightmare to deal with) I finally got it fixed. Sluggish transmission, over revving issues, not changing gear when it should,… Read more

kicking, and slow acceleration, this car isn't exciting. As expected with a 1.0L, 3 Cylinder engine. The standard picanto drives better.

It slammed to a stop in a car park with no one in front of me, jolting me forward.

Would not recommend kia to anyone. I always had my doubts regarding a kia. Wish I never bought it.

Don’t buy this car – The car was running fine for the first 2 months. This was purchased new in October 2020. The engine overheats when air con is on. Apple car play always cuts out. It’s been towed to Kia twice in a month. Now the car over revs on take off before it hits its gear and also will not reverse. Got towed to Kia again, been there for 3 days without … Read more

resolution so far. I will never buy a Kia again. As a contractor I am losing income everyday I’m not on the road and this will eventually cost me more than what the car is worth. I will be exercising my rights for a full refund or a brand new car. Unacceptable for a new vehicle.