Used Kia Rio 2017-present review

Kia has been making waves among shrewd car buyers for a number of years now. The brand has done this by offering people cars that compare very favourably with more established rivals by providing lots of standard equipment at a competitive price.

But the trump card for used buyers could be Kia's exceedingly long manufacturer's warranty, which helps to make a compelling argument for why you might choose this Kia Rio over small hatchback rivals such as the Volkswagen Polo and Skoda Fabia.

This fourth-generation car has also proved to be surprisingly competent and classy, too. It was heavily updated in 2021, with a sharper and more distinctive look and a revised 'tiger nose' front grille and bumpers among the features new to this latest version.

The choice of petrol engines in the pre-facelift cars is between a smooth but slow 83bhp 1.25-litre unit, a 98bhp 1.4 and a turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder pair with 99bhp or 118bhp. There are also 76bhp and 89bhp versions of a 1.4-litre diesel for those who want maximum fuel economy.

A five-speed manual gearbox is available on the 1.25, 99bhp 1.0 and 1.4 petrol engines; a six-speed manual is standard with both versions of the 1.4 diesel and 118bhp 1.0 petrol. Fans of two-pedal driving can get a six-speed automatic as an option on the 1.4 petrol, or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic on the most powerful 1.0-litre.

For the post-2021 facelifted car, the Rio gets a choice of petrol engines: a pair of new 1.0-litre turbocharged three-pot petrols making 99bhp or 118bhp (the latter being available for the first time as a 48-volt mild-hybrid), and a cheaper 1.2-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol with 83bhp.

Diesel engines were discontinued for the car's 2018-model-year, and so only very briefly figured in the fourth-generation car. Both manual and seven-speed twin-clutch automatic gearboxes are on offer in the latest Rio, depending on the selected engine.

The entry-level 1 has air conditioning and Bluetooth connectivity, but the 2 version is a better buy because it adds 15in alloy wheels, a reversing camera, rear parking sensors, cruise control, automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping assistance. GT-Line comes with most of the features of 2 but adds bigger (17in) alloys and sportier styling both inside and out. Heated front seats and steering wheel, faux leather trim, climate control, sat-nav, rain-sensing wipers and 16in alloys come as standard on 3. Finally, GT-Line S models come with keyless entry and start, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror and blindspot detection.

To drive, the Rio is safe and sensible. You won’t be having a barrel of laughs, but the manual gearbox is slick to use, the steering is light around town and weights up progressively as speeds build, and the car feels stable on the motorway. Road noise can be quite loud over rougher roads, but even on smoother surfaces, the Rio isn’t as quiet as the Polo. The ride is firm around town, although this improves on faster roads.

You won’t find any soft-touch plastics inside, but it's all very well screwed together. Everything is placed where you’d expect it to be and you get the sense that Kia has tried to ape Volkswagen; the white numbers, red needles and chrome surround used on the speedo and rev counter are carbon copies of the ones you’ll find in a Polo.

However, the 5.0in infotainment screen on 1 and earlier 2 trims is on the small side and isn’t as easy to use as it could be on the move. It’s a shame because it limits the usefulness of the standard reversing camera on 2 models. You’d need to upgrade to 3 (or look for a late 2018 2 model) for the larger 7.0in screen, along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring.

The Rio is rather roomy up front with plenty of leg and head room. You may find yourself occasionally rubbing shoulders with your passenger, but this is still a small car after all. Storage for odds and ends is impressive because there are many cubbies in the door cards, centre console and dashboard. You'll find more rear passenger accommodation than a Skoda Fabia, plus a more generous boot than a Renault Clio and Ford Fiesta. One mild criticism is that you don't have a variable height floor and will, therefore, have to lug items over a significant lip.

If you're interested in buying a used Kia Rio, or any of the other cars mentioned here, check out our used car classified site here.

Prices for a Kia Rio at the time of writing start at £7000 for a 2017 1.25-litre example in 1 trim, but you'd be better off increasing your budget to £9000 to get a better specified 2 with the 99bhp 1.0-litre engine. A First Edition model tends to cost £11,000, while a top-spec GT-Line S can be found for £13,000. Spend between £9000 and £11,000 on a mid-spec Rio from 2018 or 2019, and £11,000 to £13,000 on a 2019 or 2020 car. Spend a little more for the post-facelift cars.

Check the value of a used Kia Rio with What Car? Valuations

MPG

Unless you go for the automatic 1.4 petrol variant (42.2mpg), all models compare reasonably well with rivals in terms of fuel economy. The entry-level 1.25 petrol has an official figure of 45.6mpg under the old NEDC tests, while both the manual versions of the 1.4 and 118bhp 1.0 petrols do slightly better at 46.3mpg. An automatic-equipped 1.0-litre does 44.1mpg. The 99bhp 1.0 engine is the most economical petrol engine at 48.7mpg, but it's the 76bhp 1.4 diesel that is the economy champion, with an official figure of 80.7mpg. Mind you, the 89bhp version is still very impressive with a figure of 74.3mpg.

Under the later, more realistic WLTP tests, the later cars achieved 49.6mpg for the 1.25, and 52.3mpg for the 1.0-litre car.

CO2 emissions

The most polluting Rio is the 1.4 automatic with a CO2 figure of 153g/km, followed closely by the 1.0-litre auto at 146g/km. The entry-level 1.25 petrol emits 140g/km, while both the manual version of the 1.4 and 118bhp 1.0-litre petrol spit out 139g/km. Finally, the 99bhp 1.0-litre emits 132g/km and is the greenest petrol in the range, but it is the 76bhp 1.4 diesel that has the lowest overall figure with 92g/km, with the 89bhp just managing to sneak into the free tax bracket due to a figure of 98g/km.

Road tax

Road tax for all models registered before 1 April 2017 will vary depending on the emissions the engine produces (see paragraph above for more information), while examples registered after this date will have the same flat-rate fee for cars that cost less than £40,000 when new. This is currently £155 a year. To find out more about the current road tax costs, click here.

Servicing

Kia dealer servicing is reasonably priced compared with competitors, so your maintenance cost should be quite low. You can also check either with your local Kia dealer or online to find out if your car already has a pre-purchased service plan with it. Plus, you can take advantage of fixed-priced MOT costs when your car reaches three years old.

Insurance

Insurance groups for the Rio are reasonable compared with the rest of the class, ranging from group 4 for a 1.25 1 petrol to group 10 for the 118bhp 1.0-litre GT-Line S.

Engine

You’re unlikely to need a diesel engine in a car this small, so we’d go for the 99bhp 1.0 turbo petrol, because it’s a flexible engine that copes well with city traffic and motorway journeys alike, and you won’t have to spend a fortune on fuel.

Specification

You'll get all the equipment you’re likely to need with 2 trim, and it even gives you automatic emergency braking, a reversing camera and lane departure warning for increased safety. Go for a late 2018 example and you'll get the larger (7.0in) infotainment system, which is easier to use than the smaller screen fitted to earlier cars.

Our favourite Kia Rio 1.0 T-GDi 2 manual

The Hyundai i20 is another good-value offering from Korea. Unlike the Rio, this car has a shorter warranty, at five years, but it’s still better than those of most mainstream rivals. You have a similar choice of engines and the i20 is also very well equipped.

The Skoda Fabia may not look as posh as a Volkswagen Polo, but all the dashboard controls have the same feeling of quality and its shared infotainment system is one of the best in the class. You also get a wide range of quiet petrol engines and an efficient diesel.

The Volkswagen Polo is the one to beat in terms of overall sophistication and driving dynamics. It isn't the most entertaining car to drive, but the way it balances ride comfort and body control mark it out among its competitors. It will be more expensive to buy, though.

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If you're interested in buying a used Kia Rio, or any of the other cars mentioned here, check out our used car classified site here.