- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
1.0T, 3 cyl.
- Engine Power
74kW, 172Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 5.3L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto (DCT)
- Warranty
7 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2017)
2021 Kia Rio GT-Line review
Let’s explore Kia’s warmed up and turbocharged Rio GT-Line.
- Fun to drive
- Perky three-cylinder engine
- Value for money against like-minded competitors
- Bumpy ride quality
- Thirsty on test
- Dual-clutch’s foibles
Introduction
Car brands are finding the Australian light-vehicle segment a tough one to navigate. The contemporary Australian shopper in this segment requests the features and tech from the class above – just in a smaller package.
Overall, Australian-specification cars are some of the best-equipped in the world. The tyranny of distance makes a long options list hard, both in terms of managing an inventory as a business or trying to decide as a customer. We also don’t appreciate when safety is traded as a commodity, either.
Basically, we want the burger with the lot. Throwing more gear at a light car does increase its desirability, but also the price. The segment was originally built on the premise of value for money – something that’s dwindled in recent years. It’s had enough of an effect to see the mainstays bow out from Australia, including the Honda Jazz, Ford Fiesta and Renault Clio.
Where some have left the market, newcomers have flourished. Other mainstays – like the Kia Rio – have adapted and simply survived. It holds a 12 per cent market share so far in 2021, with four models making up the split.
Kicking things off is the Rio S priced from $20,490 drive-away with a manual or $21,490 with an auto. Up next is the Kia Rio SX at $21,990 or $22,990, both drive-away. Kia claims this model grade is designed to appeal in fleet and business-to-business environments, not necessarily the showroom. Still, it’s offered to the public with leather seats, 17-inch wheels and a sunroof as reasons to step up.
Rounding out the naturally aspirated mainstream range is the Kia Rio Sport. It’s only here where you begin to receive advanced safety-assist systems like autonomous emergency braking. The interior is given a tickle, too, with better screens and displays used throughout. It’s offered, like the other two, with either a manual or auto for $22,490 and $23,490 drive-away respectively.
Up last is our test car, the flagship 2021 Kia Rio GT-Line offered for $25,990 drive-away. If you like the Sporty Blue finish, it comes at a cost of $520, alongside another four other premium colours. The main reason for choosing the GT-Line is not colour, however, but rather the turbocharged, peppy 1.0-litre three-cylinder motor that comes at this grade.
There’s a different auto, too, with the six-speed torque-converter automatic of lower grades swapped out for a quicker, seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. To those seeking more fun, sorry, there’s no manual transmission offered at this level.
The Kia Rio GT-Line’s performance is not the only thing that’s been massaged, with a sports exterior styling package introducing a new bumper, grille, rear spoiler, and twin exhausts. Other notable exterior additions include LED headlights, LED daytime running lights and ‘ice cube’ LED fog lights.
The competition at the higher end of the light-car segment is slim but strong. It’s worth noting that the Kia uses permanent, national drive-away pricing – meaning the costs you see above are the maximum you’ll pay regardless of where you live, for the indefinite future.
Other brands prefer to use list prices than calculate drive-away prices depending on the location of the buyer, usually adding three to four grand extra to the price. These same brands also offer ‘drive-away’ deals on certain cars for limited periods of time.
Key details | 2021 Kia Rio GT-Line |
Price (MSRP) | $25,990 drive-away |
Colour of test car | Sporty Blue |
Options | Premium paint ($520) |
Price as tested | $26,510 |
Rivals | Mazda 2 | Volkswagen Polo | Suzuki Swift |
Inside
The first thing that greets inside are a pair of sports seats finished in cloth and faux-leather. Over a longer drive they were, most importantly, supportive and comfortable – but they do lack any form of lumbar adjustment and are manually operated.
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Other sporting touchpoints include a neat steering wheel emblazoned with GT-Line branding (but sadly still devoid of paddle shifters), lashings of imitation carbon-fibre and alloy sports pedals. It’s a well-built cabin but looks rather monotonous for a flagship model. Personally, I’d like to see more colour or a more diverse selection of materials.
General technology is given a boost, too, with single-zone climate-control coming as GT-Line exclusive. The rest is as we’d expect from one of the most popular brands in the country, with smart ergonomics and good storage. Visibility from the driver’s seat is great, with a regular roof line ensuring checks over your shoulder are easy to conduct via large windows in the second row.
There are plenty of places to throw your gear, too, with a large storage area sitting underneath the climate-control buttons. It’s complete with a USB port and storage shelf, so those with a penchant for organisation will be happy.
Also featuring are a covered storage area that doubles as an armrest, and a pair of cupholders large enough for bottles or cans. The door bins are a little small, but do feature excellent bottle holders, with a 750ml Camelbak favourite fitting nicely.
Over in the second row, space is fair for the class. At 183cm tall and sitting behind my own driving position, I found my knees grazing the seat backs, feet left with good amounts of space, and head room fair. The overall width on offer means two fully grown adults will be comfy, as will three kids.
Both outbound rear pews feature ISOFIX points. A larger Britax convertible-type seat suitable from birth to approximately four years of age will fit in both forward- and rearward-facing positions, but the latter comes at the cost of front passenger space.
Loading bub in is easy enough, with the largely flat section of roof over the rear section of the car leaving a decent door aperture to work with. Guests in the back will have to squabble over the single USB port on offer, and there are no rear air vents either.
Boot space measures up at a respectable 300L and extends to 1078L with the second-row seats folded flat. It’s a decent-sized cargo area that’ll accept a compact stroller alongside a fortnight of groceries with some stacking and conscious thought. Under the boot floor sits a space-saving spare wheel.
2021 Kia Rio GT-Line | |
Seats | Five |
Boot volume | 325L / 980L |
Length | 4070mm |
Width | 1725mm |
Height | 1450mm |
Wheelbase | 2580mm |
Infotainment and Connectivity
Infotainment duties are handled by an 8.0-inch touchscreen display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.
We’ve experienced some issues with wireless smartphone mirroring in the past, including faults with systems found in Kia vehicles. Over the duration of testing, however, the Rio’s unit never put a foot wrong, albeit a little slow to skip between tracks via Spotify.
Aside of using Apple or Android’s interface, the system itself features a smart native software that’s intuitive to use.
Safety & Technology
Being a range-topper means the GT-Line features the most comprehensive suite of advanced driver-assist systems the brand offers. The biggest is autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection that, if the conditions are right, applies the brakes if the driver fails to react. As a side bar, you must either buy the Kia Rio Sport or GT-Line to access this important technology.
The same goes for lane-keeping assist with lane following. It attempts to keep the vehicle centred in the lane by reading the road markings. It goes one step further, however, as if the road is freshly laid or devoid of markings, the Rio will also use the trajectory of the car in front to gauge whether you’re driving safely or not.
Dusk-sensing LED headlights come as standard, too, which is a big get over the sub-par halogen bulb items featured on every other Kia Rio in the range. Other small touches include reverse parking sensors and a rear-view camera with parking guidelines that bend with steering input.
The 2021 Kia Rio range carries a five-star ANCAP safety rating based on a 2017 assessment.
Value for Money
As with all Kias, the Rio GT-Line is backed by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. You also receive seven years’ roadside assist, too, which is renewed annually if you continue to service the vehicle within the official dealer network.
Service intervals are one year or 10,000km, whichever comes first, with costs capped over the same seven-year period also. The first three years cost $283, $484 and $338 respectively totalling $1105. Years four and five at $704 and $319 create a five-year ownership cost of $2128.
As a comparison, a Volkswagen Polo will cost $1406 and $2661 over three and five years respectively, which makes the Kia Rio GT-Line appear seemingly cheap. There’s a catch, however, as the Polo will be able to travel 75,000km with those costs due to longer 15,000km intervals versus the Rio’s 10,000km milestones. If you’re going to be driving closer to the average annual distance, expect prices to level up.
At a glance | 2021 Kia Rio GT-Line |
Warranty | Seven years / unlimited km |
Service intervals | 12 months / 10,000km |
Servicing costs | $1105 3yr / $2128 5yr |
Fuel cons. (claimed) | 5.3L/100km |
Fuel cons. (on test) | 6.7L/100km |
Fuel type | 91 RON |
Fuel tank size | 45L |
Driving
It’s clear Kia has tried to instil sporting DNA into the localised ride and handling tune. Most current Kia vehicles sold in Australia are first subjected to a thorough ride and handling program. Australian engineers carry out tens of thousands of evaluation kilometres in a pre-production car, tuning and adjusting the numerous steering and suspension components to better suit our unique terrain.
The result is a fun, involving package – on the right road. On flowing, faster sections of bitumen, the Rio GT-Line can be a bit of a laugh. There’s a level of stiffness and body control that initially opens dialogue with the driver, and suggests that the GT-Line badge on the back lends more than just superfluous styling.
Once you begin to tango, it’s quite easy to get carried away. Sure, what it offers is nowhere near the level of what modern hot-hatchery offers, but it doesn’t need to be. It invokes good, clean fun at well under the speed limit – something arguably more relevant for a road car.
It also proves that vehicle set-up can have a profound effect on the thing we call fun, agnostic of outright speed or performance. Another thing true about the handling characteristics of the Rio is that they’re inherently safe. The levels of body control work wonders to keep the rear end from lifting under severe braking events, and in situations where steering comes swiftly and out of the blue.
The one trade-off comes with its secondary ride quality – the way the Rio feels over surfaces littered with continual, hard to see imperfections – that is busy. You do get a sense that it never quite feels settled, but some will like its always-on nature.
The wee three-cylinder engine is another of the Rio’s delights. Delightfully gruff yet somewhat tuneful, its turbocharged nature provides much more low-end torque than naturally aspirated rivals. Another benefit versus those without a turbo is that it’ll continue to sing along quite merrily despite being loaded up, so consider it a win-win.
Over the duration of a week-long loan, it returned a fuel-usage figure of 6.7L/100km. Good in isolation, but not perfect against the official combined figure of 5.3L/100km.
The only negative with the introduction of the three-cylinder turbocharged mill is the associated dual-clutch gearbox. Rolling acceleration events from low speed, the ones often conducted at intersections, are met with hesitation and delay. It takes time for the transmission to recouple drive and apply power.
The same goes for kick-down or general merging. It just means some pre-emptive thought is required, and after some time with the vehicle, most will understand how to work with it. Reverse parks up an incline can be tricky, too, but the Rio is one of the better-calibrated dual-clutches we’ve had through the Drive garage in recent months.
Key details | 2021 Kia Rio GT-Line |
Engine | 1.0-litre turbo petrol three-cylinder |
Power | 74kW @ 4500rpm |
Torque | 172Nm @ 1500-4000rpm |
Drive type | Front-wheel drive |
Transmission | Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic |
Power to weight ratio | 61.8kW/t |
Weight | 1197kg |
Tow rating | 900kg braked, 450kg unbraked |
Turning circle | 10.2m |
Conclusion
Despite some well-loved model names leaving in droves, and the segment itself unable to carve a large slice of sales volume, some brands have thought smartly to create a small niche for themselves in the light-car class.
The Kia Rio GT-Line is one such product – not consumed in huge numbers, but instead by a few select, discerning customers. Compared to others in the segment, the Kia Rio GT-Line is better equipped, just as powerful, and cheaper, which makes it ideal if you value a small package with all the trimmings.
It’s not just a flagship in terms of gear, but also a hoot, with fun handling and a perky powertrain. At $26,000 it’s knocking on the door of entry-level small cars from the next class up, however, and as the sales figures show, most are taking this route instead of buying a light hatch.
However, if you care more about the details and are looking for something expressive from a mainstream brand, then the Kia Rio GT-Line may be your ticket out of uniformity and languor.