KIA RIO HYBRID FOR CARS

The Kia Rio is flat out one of the most economical subcompact automobiles in the American marketplace today, in terms of both price and efficiency. It shares these attributes with its almost identical corporate sibling, the Hyundai Accent. Although these Korean brands did not originally have a stellar reputation in terms of build quality, things have improved with time. Now in its third generation, the Rio has become a viable competitor to segment heavyweights such as the Honda Fit , Toyota Yaris, and Nissan Versa. We’re not saying the Rio is exactly on the same level as these top-tier subcompacts, but the tiny import is at least a reasonable alternative for people who want reliable, baseline transportation from a small car, without spending a penny more than they can afford.

Plain-Jane from from front to back, inside and out, the Kia Rio makes no false promises. It’s not fancy, it’s not slick, it’s just there. Its main purpose is to get its occupants from Point A to Point B with little drama and even fewer frills. It is the quintessential entry-level car, offered as both, sedan and hatchback. The Honda Fit, incidentally, is only available as a hatchback.

The modest 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine makes 110 horsepower which mates to either an automatic or a manual transmission. Sure it’s a little buzzy on the highway, and might struggle a little to get up a hill. And don’t expect to punch past slower moving traffic. Chances are that you will be the slower moving traffic. But these are the compromises one makes for low-cost economic motoring. The Toyota Yaris and Scion xD provide more ‘get up and go’, but the more powerful engines and lighter bodies are going to cost you. The Rio does, however, have more power and performance than its closest American competitor, the Chevrolet Aveo.

For fuel economy, the Rio gets 27 city/32 highway with a manual transmission. With an automatic, it rates at 25 city/35 highway. These numbers are very competitive with other cars in its class. Add a 12 gallon tank to the equation—second largest in the segment only to the Nissan Versa—and this subcompact is looking at a 400-plus mile interstate cruising range. Fewer trips to the gas pumps is always a good thing.

The Kia Rio is a durable and efficient choice for mass-market commuters. Some may still call it cheap, but keep in mind that it has the best manufacturer’s warranty in the business, with 5 years/60,000 miles on the car, and 10 years/100,000 miles on the powertrain.

The expansion of this hybrid test fleet (from the current 780 cars) makes the Korean operation one of the world’s largest future-technology test programmes and it is just one of several Kia research and development undertakings aimed at creating eco-friendly cars for volume production by 2010.

The hybrid Rio is the first Kia to employ a CVT (continuously variable transmission).

This Rio accelerates briskly from 0-to-62 mph in 12.2 seconds, can reach a top speed of 112 mph and returns a fuel consumption of 53.4 mpg. Compared to the standard petrol Rio, air pollutants are reduced by 37% and fuel efficiency is improved by 44%. The hybrid’s CO2 figure is 126 g/km