I remember a time back in the day when everyone talked about Japanese cars being made out of old Milo tins.
The common jibe was that if you hit a Japanese car, the paint would flake off to reveal the flattened out Milo tins used as body panels.
How things have changed!
Nowadays, everyone wants a Japanese car. Build quality, reliability and safety have vastly improved, so much so that now everyone advises you to buy a Japanese car.
Like the Japanese, Korean cars a decade ago could hardly earn a reputation as something desirable – unless you wanted something cheap and were not worried about reselling it later as values plummeted as soon as you drove it out of the showroom.
Today’s Korean cars, however, are as desirable as a vivacious K-pop singer strutting her stuff on stage.
While Korea gave the world of screaming teenyboppers the likes of Super Junior and Wonder Girls, Korean car manufacturers like Kia were giving car enthusiasts something to smile about, too.
A Kia car today is nothing like your daddy’s Kia! To put it simply, today’s Kia cars are sexy, elegant and highly desirable.
It wasn’t long ago that Kia Motors were deep in the doldrums, facing poor sales and the effects of a global economic meltdown.
But something miraculous happened when they adapted a major paradigm shift in design language and corporate culture and in the process, became a world top 10 car manufacturer.
Time and time again they would win design awards and break sales records, something not seen in other automakers, which were either closing down or selling off their businesses to the Chinese and Indians.
I was part of a group of motoring writers from various parts of the world who were invited to a media preview of the much talked about all-new Kia Rio in Seoul, Korea.
The new Rio is a feast for the eyes, incorporating Kia’s highly successful design language. It shares design features similar to its larger siblings like the Forte, Sportage and Optima K5 (launched last month).
And like them, the Rio is jam-packed with features. In short, it’s a value-for-money small car with big car features. Its equipment list reads like a premium high-end European car minus the European price tag.
The Rio is the perfect answer to global demands for a fuel-sipping, feature-packed B-segment car that’s not going tear a hole in the pocket.
I was given an attractive Electronic Blue 5-door hatch with a 6-speed manual gearbox.
First and foremost on the feature list is a 1.4-litre engine with an impressive 107HP coming in at 6,300rpm. The 135Nm of mid-range torque comes in at 4,200rpm, which is more than sufficient for a zippy drive in the one tonne-plus car.
Our test drive took us out of Seoul towards the airport in Incheon, most of which was on a web of highways.
After an hour or so of rush hour traffic, I was itching to see what the little engine could do.
As the GPS showed a 2km straight stretch of highway before we exited, I floored it and peeled away from the convoy.
I was enjoying this quick spurt, bringing the Rio to 150kph before a keen-eyed Kia marshal roped me back into convoy.
The 6-speed manual gearbox was a dream to use. It’s by far one of the nicer ones I’ve come across.
Each gear change was smooth and exact, like a precision bolt-action rifle. The gear lever snicked in and out with the accuracy of a well-engineered machine.
There’s even a gear change indicator. Well, sort of. An upwards pointing arrow with the numeral 6 appears in the instrument cluster informing you to change into 6th gear for better fuel consumption.
As fuel economy is now a major concern for car buyers nowadays, Kia Motors have made it a key priority and the all-new Rio is among the most frugal of them.
The Rio 1.4-litre manual sips fuel at 5.7 litres per 100km while the 4-speed auto is a little thirstier at 6.5 litres per 100km.
There’s also a 1.2-litre engine with 5-speed manual that is even more economical at 5.4 litres per 100km but sacrifices a little performance.
The fuel figures given in the spec sheet are combined cycle, which means that a highway-only run would be even more economical.
A reduction in fuel consumption also means lower CO2 emissions and that can only be good for Mother Earth, not to mention your wallet.
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| The Seoul skyline. |
The top-of-the-range Rio comes with full leather and a list of kit usually found in more expensive upmarket cars.
To start with, you get smart keyless entry. All you need is to have the key fob in your pocket or handbag and the door lock will detect it and unlock as soon as you have your hands on the door lever.
There’s no place to stick a key in to start the car. The all-new Rio has a start-stop button prominently placed on the dashboard. Once again you need the smart key fob around you in order start the car.
You also get a stereo system with Bluetooth, iPod, USB and AUX connectivity and steering wheel-mounted audio controls.
Cruise control can also be found on the steering wheel.
There’s even a photo frame integrated into the dashboard where you can slip in your favourite photo for that personalised touch.
The new Rio also comes with optional 17-inch sports rims. And the list keeps on going.
The current standards of today’s Korean cars are so high that they are a feasible choice of cars for many people, me included.
The all-new Kia Rio is a viable choice because it is value for money, has an equipment list that rivals more expensive cars and is fuel-efficient.
But most of all, the new Kia Rio follows modern, dynamic and eye-pleasing design standards that is so typical of the new Kia models.
As of writing, plans are being drawn by local Kia distributor Naza Kia Malaysia to bring in the 5-door hatchback some time later in the year.