Verdict
The latest Kia Rio is a highly competitive supermini which looks good and has very low running costs. It's an affordable rival to the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo.

Expert rating: 4.0

Pros
• Handsome design
• Economical engines
• Impressive standard kit

Cons
• Inert steering
• Some cheap plastics inside
• 1.25-litre petrol isn't quick

1. Exterior: 4/5
The meteoric rise of Kia is evident in the Rio, which is in a different league from its predecessor. Its kerb appeal conveys a sense of solidity while also offering style.

2. Interior: 3/5
The interior is just as improved as its exterior. Nice touches include two 12V power points below the central console, while comfort is favoured over sportiness, the front seats perfectly adept for long drives, but too flat and wide to offer much support in tight corners.

3. Practicality: 4/5
The Rio is one of the largest cars in the supermini class. With a 288-litre boot there's plenty of room for luggage, expandable via 60:40 split folding rear seats if necessary. There are large door bins for drinks bottles and paraphernalia, while the glovebox is usefully deep.

4. Ride and handling: 3/5
While it feels primarily targeted towards comfort and has an excellent ride, the Rio does have reasonably taut suspension, so it isn't all at sea over a demanding British B-road. In fact the only problem is the numb steering, which has a synthetic feel that can mask the impressive amount of grip on offer. The Rio is a hushed car, with impressive refinement.

5. Performance: 3/5
There are four engines on offer, starting with a 1.25 and 1.4-litre petrol putting out 83 and 107bhp. The latter is the quickest Rio on-paper, hitting 60mph in a respectable 11.1 seconds - and the only Rio available with an automatic gearbox. For diesel buyers, there's a 1.1 or 1.4-litre CRDi engine with either 74 or 89bhp and hitting 60mph in 14.9 or 12.6 seconds. The bigger diesel suits the Rio best, offering the most performance in real-world driving, where the petrol models can feel lethargic. All models badged EcoDynamics include stop and start to cut power and save fuel when stationary.

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6. Running costs: 5/5
The 1.1 CRDi EcoDynamics Rio in basic '1' trim steals headlines with its 88.3mpg average fuel consumption and 85g/km of CO2 emissions, making it exceptionally frugal, road tax-free and London Congestion Charge exempt. Choose the 1.4 CRDi and 70.6mpg and 105g/km is still not to be sniffed at. The petrol engines manage 56.5 and 51.4mpg respectively.

7. Reliability: 5/5
Kia is carving itself an enviable reputation as a trusted brand for reliability, partly thanks to its standard seven-year/100,000-mile warranty, which is also transferable to the next owner of the car. There have been few major faults with recent Kia models, leading us to expect the Rio will perform just as well.

8. Safety: 4/5
Kia will be disappointed with any score below five stars in Euro NCAP crash tests and has fitted the Rio with electronic stability programme as standard. It also gets anti-lock braking, hill assist control to prevent the car rolling backwards during hill starts, twin front, side and curtain airbags and front and rear seat ISOFIX child seat anchors.

9. Equipment: 5/5
Trim levels include 1, 1 Air, 2 and 3, with 1 getting Bluetooth connectivity, daytime running lights, trip computer, stereo with USB and AUX ports as standard and 1 Air adding air-con. Front fog lights, 16-inch alloys, rear electric windows, a cooled glovebox, better stereo, heated and folding mirrors and a leather steering wheel, gear lever and central armrest make the 2 a considerable step-up. Privacy glass, 17-inch wheels, reversing sensors, LED daytime running lights and rear lights, climate control, auto wipers, cruise control, enhanced headlights, heated front seats and a six-speaker stereo complete the range-topping trim level 3.

10. Why buy? 4/5
The Kia Rio looks good, drives well and you get lots of car for your money. Standard features like Bluetooth improve desirability and safety too.