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There is a newer version of this car Read the latest Kia Rio Hatchback (17-23) review here

Kia Rio Hatchback (2005-2011) review

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Parkers overall rating: 3 out of 53.0

At a glance

Price new £7,395 - £11,810
Used prices £438 - £2,643
Road tax cost £35 - £305
Insurance group 12 - 19
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Fuel economy Not tested to latest standards
Range 386 - 614 miles
View full specs for a specific version

Available fuel types

Petrol

Diesel

Pros & cons

PROS

Neat styling, easy to drive, decent diesel engine, good value for money

CONS

Unsophisticated ride on early cars, awkward gearchange, noisy at higher speeds

Written by David Ross Published: 6 June 2019

Overview

The Kia Rio is a small hatchback that’s often overlooked in favour of more stylish or well known makes. But the Rio has plenty going for it, especially as a good value and cheap to run town car. It’s robustly built with a neat interior, the majority of models are well equipped and it’s also easy to drive with light steering. It doesn’t feel especially modern inside, nor on the move where it lacks refinement and can be quite noisy at higher speeds.

But both engines in the range are more than capable and return decent economy, making the Rio cheap to run. All models from January 2010 come with an unrivalled seven-year warranty as standard, replacing the previous three year scheme.