Last weekend was the first chance to get behind the wheel of the Rio. What a cracker it turned out to be too.

The Rio is a great looking car and drives as well as it looks.

It’s right up there as one of the best light cars on the market but just can’t usurp the fabulous Volkswagen Polo which I rated as my best drive last year.

But this is 2012, the Rio is the first drive of the year and it did not disappoint.

It’s not perfect and not as cheap as you would expect from a Korean manufacturer – it has moved upmarket somewhat.

By sheer coincidence when I parked the car in Atherton it was behind the last Rio and the one before that. It looked a million dollars, especially compared to the older version and more sophisticated than its immediate predecessor.

The Rio is Kia’s top seller with 6187 units but it was down by 31.7 per cent on 2010 (9052) last year. It ranks only 10th, well behind Mazda2 (17,501), Toyota Yaris (16,214) and Suzuki Swift (12,388) for a market share of 4.8 per cent. Lights cars account for 132,442 units a year, second behind small cars (244,090).

THE DETAIL

The test car was the Si 1.6 automatic which is a not-so-cheap $24,660 drive away.

This is not an on-road $19,990 special but to be fair, it is well equipped.

Standard gear includes a six-speed auto, 1.6-litre direct injection engine, full-size spare, electric power steering, tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment. There are six airbags, ESC with rear disc brakes, Vehicle Stability Management with Hill-start Assist Control and seatbelt reminders (all positions) on the safety side.

Body-coloured outside mirrors and door handles are standard, as are the rear spoiler, electric heated outside mirrors, engine immobiliser, driver and passenger vanity mirrors and seatback pockets, 60:40 split rear folding seat, temperature display, trip computer, airconditioning, power windows, CD, radio & USB/AUX/iPod connectivity, six speakers, audio remote controls, Bluetooth and cruise control (steering wheel controls), rear cargo covering shelf trim, electric folding mirrors with side repeater, leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob, 16-inch alloy wheels and front fog lamps. There is also a metal-look interior accent on the steering wheel, centre console and door handles.

The fifth generation Rio is the best looking of the light car set. Styled under the direction of ex-Audi designer Peter Schreyer in California and with a cabin created in Germany, the Koreans have looked internationally for visual and functional application and it has worked a treat.

It is a suave and handsomely proportioned sexy super mini.

There are nice touches such as the divided A-pillar window and a muscular upswept shoulder line.

Inside there’s solidity and attention to detail but the drab monotones belie its festive name and its attractive exterior lines.

There’s a great steering wheel that tilts as well as telescopes with spoke-mounted Bluetooth phone and cruise control switches.

Behind the wheel the triple instrument dials look good day or night, with the white markings clearly visible and the red digital readouts adding a sporty flavour, while the easy-to-use large simple knobs and buttons on the neat centre console are another part of Rio’s maturity.

There are more delights such as a centre armrest that slides and hides a deep bin, as well as a spacious glovebox, lane-changing three-step indicators and Mini-like toggle switches with a rubbery feel.

The front seats slide back for taller people and provide good support during long as well as short distances.

The rear seat is spacious for a B-segment hatch, with sufficient leg, head and knee room, as well as a place to slide big feet beneath the front seats. The backrest angle is comfy, and entry and exit is easy.

The boot area is deep despite the presence of a full-sized spare wheel beneath the floor, and is aided by a low loading lip and child-seat latches that don’t take up luggage space.

A large esky fitted in here easily.

Rear vision is poor, the result of thick C-pillars and a shallow rear window.

THE DRIVE

Under the Si’s snub bonnet is a gem of an engine – a new Gamma series 1.6-litre twin-cam multivalve GDI (Gasoline) Direct-Injection unit, delivering 103kW of power at 6300rpm and 167Nm of torque at 4850rpm.

For the record it tops 180km/h and 0-100km/h takes 10.3 seconds.

The review car was an automatic, not my preference in this sort of car but preferred by women.

The standard six-speed manual is much better by all accounts.

The auto is not as lively but the engine/transmission combination is quick enough with smooth up changes.

It gets rowdy towards the top of the rev range and the engine note lacks inspiration.

Dynamically, the Rio is pretty good.

The steering is linear and responsive and goes where it’s pointed without hesitation or drama and the tyres stick steadfastly to the road.

It zipped up the Gillies Range when I manually changing the gears with just the lack of power through the auto stifling quicker progress.

It was a lot of fun over the Walkamin-Dimbulah Rd with its undulations and sharp bends. Bad surfaces are expertly dealt with and the car felt stable, backed up by a set of good disc brakes all round.

There’s a bit of road noise, which seems to be the norm in all cars these days, but the wind noise was subdued.

The downhill run on the Kuranda Range was a piece of cake too and it’s a beauty around town and to park, except when reversing.

Kia says the Rio should achieve fuel economy of 6.1 litres/100k overall.

When I returned from my weekend run it was 8.9 litres/100km which concerned me.

I reset the trip computer and with mainly urban running it returned a better 7.8.

THE DECISION

The price has climbed with $24,660 drive away a far cry from the Rios of old, but it does have more equipment and far superior safety credentials.

There’s a five-star ANCAP safety rating, Bluetooth, audio streaming, power windows all round, a multi-function trip computer, electric heated outside mirrors and a five-year warranty.

So while the Rio is significantly more expensive than its predecessor, at least Kia does not skimp on the specs. It’s a great looking car which is well equipped and drives pretty well.

It is not as refined as others and rides a little firmer.

The engine note is not inspiring and coupled with the auto, can drone. It also gets harsh higher up the rev range.

While most women and some men like autos, I would opt for the six-speed manual. It’s cheaper and more economical.

The dash is dark and sombre and really needs some lighter trim to break up the slab of blackness.

But this is Kia’s and Korea’s best effort by far.

>> TEST CAR COURTESY OF TRINITY KIA, MCLEOD ST, CAIRNS CITY, PH: 4050 5000.

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