Test drive Kia Rio Cinco 2001 - 2005

Rio de Core

When I first heard the name of this car, I introduced myself ... a white convertible. In fact, the car turned out to be a small city hatchback of the color of the evening lipstick.

Mazda once had a small machine - model 121. On its basis, the Koreans subsequently built their own - Kia Avella, which was even exported under the Ford brand (in the USA - as Aspire, as Festiva). Not too high assembly quality and the reliability of the car led to the fact that its sales in the United States since 1997 of the model year had to stop ...

Last year, KIA radically updated the car. It is even alleged that it was built almost again, and independently, already without the help of Mazda. At the same time changed the name - now the model is called Kia Rio. In Korea, it has been sold since December (and very successfully), and at the beginning of this year it was presented at car dealerships in Chicago and Geneva, which clearly indicates the ambitious export plans of the company, which finally selected from the financial crisis (though under the Hyundai wing). Kia Rio is available with two body options - a sedan and a five -door hatchback.

To be honest, the soap design has already bored pretty much, but the appearance of this stranger was not without individuality. Her rounded upturned backing gracefully completes the profile line of the hood hood. The headlights are smooth, the effect of the distribution of the light flow is achieved by profiling the reflectors. The rear lights are peculiar and even funny, the pattern of alloy wheeled wheels is in harmony with the design of the machine as a whole.

Plastic bumers are painted in the color of the body, waist protective moldings - also (until they are used for their intended purpose). The bumpers are quite high, especially the rear, under it, in the center, is only one towing ear.

The loading height of the trunk coincides with the level of its floor, a full -size reserve is hidden under the rug. At the level of the lower edge of the glass of the rear door, there is a removable shelf for light things. The window is equipped with a janitor, heated and a stop signal.

Convex thresholds are not a cheap plastic trick, they are the most natural - metal. Not very often now you will find a car with drainage grooves. There are grooves on the Kia Rio, but at the place of intersection with them, the frontal lord of the windshield is protruded - wet dirt will surely accumulate here: ideal conditions for the formation of the focus of corrosion.

In the salon - asceticism. The seats with textile, on lightning, upholstery are convenient and practical, the driver's has a hinged armrest on the right. I suspect that not every Rio owner will have the strength to raise him, as well as the head restraints. Two nests for jars of drinks are located so that if you lower the armrest, no one will steal drinking. The number of settings of the right chair is minimal, on the left you can also set the pillow - in height and inclination.

The front windows are electric, without an automatic mode and a traumatic safety function of the feet in case of pinching of someone's neck. Doors upholstery are also fabric, with a edging and deep pockets of light beige plastic, soft only in appearance. The same plastic prevails on the dashboard, only the dashboard on the black background. The set of turnouts is the most standard. The speedometer is digitized up to 200 km/h, the red sector of the tachometer is from 6.5 to 8 thousand about/min. The odometer is liquid crystalline.

Radio - from Alpine. Four speakers are implanted in the front doors and rear stages of the body. Below the music is the air conditioning, unpretentious in management.

The mechanics of the chassis are simple. In front of Macpherson and disc brakes, behind - a beam with a spring suspension and drums. In front of the rear bridge, a plastic gas tank hangs in the base.

The power unit hung with pumps of the steering amplifier and air conditioning is located transversely. The engine is double -sized (there is a more calm, one version) with variable phases of gas distribution. With a working volume of 1.5 liters, it produces 108 hp. This is a new development of the company, solemnly called Mi-Tech (Millennium Innovation Technology).

The penetration of the driver’s place did not cause problems, but the salon is frankly narrow - despite the fact that compared to Avella, the new car added in all sizes. The position of the steering column is not regulated, although such an option is provided. The steering wheel, like the lever of the box, is covered with leather. Pillows of safety is also an option, in this case they are absent.

The motor starts confidently and quietly buzzes. I am settling. The ceiling seemed too low, but only until I lowered the seat. The pedals could be placed a little higher - they fell about the middle of the feet. The position of the rear -view mirrors is regulated by an electric drive.

The review forward and the sides are not bad, but the hood, due to its specific form, is not at all visible that it creates difficulties in maneuvering in limited space. A review back over the shoulder or salon mirror is limited to a raised waist line and wide body racks. The lower edge of the glass of the fifth door coincides in height with the top of the backs, and the upper one is highly lowered due to the flowing line of the roof. By the way, the roof profile does not interfere with the rear passengers, even if they are high. The sofa accommodates two adults or three children.

If the trunk length is not enough, the back can be dropped forward entirely or half. True, at the same time it will not work out of the flat floor - the pillow and back profiles do not match. It is difficult to solve the problem by removing the pillow - it is attached to the body with bolts.

The motor warmed up, I go to the asphalt. The first pothole ... It seems that the car was forgotten by shock absorbers. The suspension pierces to indecency strongly. I am gaining speed, the motor is already howling, and for some reason the automatic box is in no hurry to switch. Only 6000 rpm/min. The long -awaited one occurs, to which the engine responds with a drop in traction - the machine noticeably loses the dynamics of acceleration. And so several times ... It would be more interesting with a manual box. The Koreans clearly overdoed the Koreans - he presented us with the next unpleasant surprise when trying to move in the hill. To move, you have to frantically go out - while the box works only after a couple of seconds, after which the car immediately wants to go quickly, although I do not need it at all.

The steering amplifier is either or there is no. In fact, he (he saw!) There is, but in motion (and in place) he is covered by paralysis.

Kia Rio high -speed turns are held as a typical front -wheel drive car, while almost not heating and holds the road perfectly. That, in fact, is all ...

Answer the question: did you like the car? I don't even want to. I definitely didn't like the price. The minimum that a successful Russian buyer can count on is $ 12.800. For the domestic market - a lot.

Alexey Strelkov
 

Source: Motor magazine [No. 6/2000]