The Rio four-door sedan and five-door hatchback continue to infuse the Kia lineup with style, value, technology and spirited road manners. Although the Korean automaker's most affordable vehicle, the Rio offers consumers a large amount of standard amenities, safety features and interior space. It also wears its own interpretation of Kia's design philosophy, with an athletic profile that conveys power and agility.
Like the Hyundai Accent, its corporate cousin, the Kia Rio offers an extensive 10 year/100,000 mile warranty.
What's New for 2014
The Rio underwent many significant changes for the 2012 and 2013 model years so updates for 2014 are few. The latest version of Kia’s UVO system, which communicates with your smartphone to provide information such as vehicle diagnostics, is new to the lineup. It also uses Google Maps and automatically connects to 911 if the airbags deploy.
Choosing Your Kia Rio
Whether you choose a sedan or hatchback body style, all Rios have a 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine that sends 138 horsepower to the front wheels through a standard six-speed manual or optional six-speed automatic transmission. It's an efficient engine, and the Kia Rio returns up to 37 mpg highway. Also standard across the range are four-wheel disc brakes.
Cross-shop the Rio with the closely related Hyundai Accent and decide which feels more comfortable. Although the most enjoyable Rio to drive, the SX has a price that puts in competition with more substantial cars. That means our pick of the lineup is the mid-range EX.