History and description of the car Kia Rio

Kia Rio (Rio) is a small car (B-class), produced from 2000 to the present by the South Korean automaker Kia Motors. The body is available as a 3- or 5-door hatchback or a 4-door sedan. It is the successor to the Kia Pride model, produced from 1987 to 2000.

The petrol or diesel engine is mounted transversely at the front and drives the front wheels via a manual or automatic transmission. It shares a platform with the car Hyundai Accent.

The main competitors of Kia Rio cars are Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Polo, Mazda2, LADA Vesta, Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, Lada Granta, Mitsubishi Colt, Peugeot 208, Suzuki Swift, Renault Symbol, Renault Logan, Nissan Micra, Seat Ibiza and Skoda Fabia.

In 2012 and 2015, the Kia Rio was the best-selling car in the world. In the United States, about 600 thousand units were sold over the entire period.

First generation (DC, 2000—2005)

The first generation with the code "DC" appeared in 2000 with a 4-door hatchback (length: 4215-4240 mm, width: 1675-1680 mm, height: 1440 mm) and a 5-door version, between a hatchback and a station wagon. The design was developed by the Italian design studio "I.DE.A Institute". At that time, it was the cheapest family car. Despite its availability and good sales, the car was criticized for poor quality. Assembly shops were located in South Korea, Ecuador, Iran and Russia.

At first, only petrol engines with a capacity of 1.3 liters (B3 I4, 75 hp), 1.5 liters (B5-DE I4, 96 hp) and 1.6 liters (B6 I4, 104 hp) were installed, all 4-cylinder in-line engines. The gearbox was a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic (F4A-EL).

In 2002, the car underwent modernization, which affected the engines, suspension, brakes, interior and exterior design, and also improved sound insulation.

Second generation (JB, 2005—2011)

At the beginning of 2015, the next generation with the code "JB" was presented. The body was produced as a 4-door sedan (length: 4250 mm, width: 1695 mm, height: 1470) and a 5-door hatchback (3990:1695:1470). The exterior design changed significantly, the body size increased, the interior volume increased, safety increased and fuel economy improved. Assembly shops were located in South Korea, China and Russia.

Two petrol engines were offered: a 1.4-litre (G4EE) with 96 hp and a 1.6-litre (G4ED, Alpha II I4) with a capacity of 110 hp, as well as one 1.5-liter turbocharged diesel engine (D4FA, U-Line I4) with a capacity of 109 hp. All engines are four-cylinder with in-line cylinder arrangement. Gearbox 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual.

At the end of 2009, the car received updates. The exterior design became similar to the general corporate style of Kia with a radiator grille "Tiger Nose", the steering wheel has the same design as Kia Soul and Kia Forte.

The Euro NCAP safety test results for the 2005 5-door hatchback can be seen in the table on the right. The 2006 model received the following ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS):

• Overall rating: 2 out of 5 stars
• Frontal tests with small overlap - Acceptable
• Side Crash Test - Poor
• Roof Strength Rating - Acceptable
• Head Restraint Safety Rating - Poor

Third generation (UB, 2011—2017)

On March 1, 2011, at the Geneva Motor Show, the third generation of Rio with the code "UB" was shown to the public. In China, the car was called Kia K2. It was possible to choose from three bodies - a 3- or 5-door hatchback (length: 4046 mm, width: 1720 mm, height: 1455 mm) or a 4-door sedan (4366:1720:1455). Assembly shops were located in South Korea, China, Malaysia and Russia.

In November 2011, the car won the Irish Car of the Year award. In 2015, it was restyled.

Three models of petrol engines were offered: 1.2 liters (Kappa I4, 78 hp), 1.4 liters (Gamma I4, 107 hp) and 1.6 liters (Gamma I4 GDI, 123 hp). There were two diesel engines: 1.1 liters (D3FA U-Line I3, three-cylinder, 74 hp) and 1.4 liters (D4FC U-Line I4, 90 hp), both turbocharged. There were three models of gearboxes: 4- or 6-speed automatic (A6GF1) or 6-speed manual (M6CF1).

The results of the tests of the European agency Euro NCAP for the 5-door hatchback of the 2011 model year can be seen in the table. The American Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) also conducted its tests in 2012, the results were as follows:

• Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars
• Frontal tests with small overlap - Extreme
• Frontal tests with partial overlap - Good
• Side Crash Test - Acceptable
• Roof Strength Rating - Good
• Headrest Safety Rating - Good

Fourth generation (YB, 2017–present)

At the Paris Motor Show 2016, a prototype of the fourth generation Kia Rio with the code "YB" was presented, and production began at the end of 2016. The exterior of the car was developed in Kia design centers in California and Germany. The body is offered in two versions - a 4-door sedan (length: 4385 mm, width: 1725 mm, height: 1460 mm) and a 5-door hatchback (4065:1725:1450). Assembly took place in South Korea, Mexico and Algeria.

The petrol engine range includes the following models: 1.0 litre (Kappa turbo GDI I3, 120 hp), 1.2 litre (Kappa MPI I4, 85 hp), 1.4 litre (Kappa MPI I4, 100 hp), 1.6 litre (Gamma GDI I4, 123 hp) and 1.6 litre (Gamma MPI I4, 140 hp). There is only one diesel engine with a capacity of 1.4 litres (U-Line TCi (WGT) I4, turbo) with a capacity of 90 hp. The gearboxes were installed with the following parameters: 5- and 6-speed manual or 4- and 6-speed automatic.

Kia Rio IV 2017, hatchback

Kia Rio IV 2017, interior

Kia Rio IV 2017, engine

The European agency Euro NCAP tested the 2017 5-door hatchback with standard equipment (table on the left) and with the optional safety package (table on the right).