2013 Kia Rio 5-Door SX

2013 Kia Rio 5-Door SX

Overview

The 2013 Kia Rio SX has added a unique 5-door design for the already crowded sub-compacts segment. The ’13 Rio competes against the Nissan Versa, Hyundai Accent, Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Ford Fiesta, and Chevy Sonic. My SX MSRP was $18, 650.00.

Safety

Safety Features

  • 4-wheel ABS
  • Front and rear head airbags
  • Dual front side-mounted airbags
  • Child seat anchors
  • Emergency braking assist
  • Ventilated front disc / solid rear disc brakes
  • Rear door child safety locks
  • Daytime running lights
  • Front fog/driving lights
  • Auto delay off headlamps
  • Dusk sensing headlamps
  • 2 front headrests
  • 3 rear headrests
  • Passenger airbag occupant sensing deactivation
  • Rear center 3-point belt
  • Front seatbelt pretensioners
  • Turn signal mirrors
  • Stability control
  • Traction control
  • Electronic brakeforce distribution
  • Front height adjustable headrests
  • Rear height adjustable headrests
  • Tire pressure monitoring

Driving Impression

I thought the Rio’s drive train & 6 speed manual transmission missed the mark as far as power and  the 6 speed  was not a pleasure to drive. The handling is adequate, but I did not find this a fun vehicle to drive.

While driving the Rio for a week I found the cabin noise at a minimal, but you could feel the bumps and vibrations when you hit a pothole.

Under the Hood

The ’13 Rio SX 5-door has a 1.6L GDI 4-cylinder engine producing 138 hp and 123 lb-ft of torque. My test car had a 6-Speed manual transmission. The drive train is adequate, but was not in any case dynamic or responsive to acceleration.

Inside

The Rio SX interior is very inviting, and the seats are very comfortable. The driver’s seat has six-way adjustable and can be raised and lowered in height. The interior materials are very nice and the instrument cluster is nicely laid out. All controls are easy to reach and easy to read.   The steering wheel on the Rio has controls for cruise, radio, and telephone controls. The large switches on the center stack for the climate controls were also easy to use, and pretty cool in design. All the Rio interior surfaces are soft, which are high quality in feel and touch. MY SX had Navigation, Back Up Camera & Sirius Radio. The Rio 5-door with the seats up has 15 cu. ft of storage and with the seats down has 49.8 cu. ft of storage.

Outside

The 2013 Rio 5-door design is unique to its sibling the Hyundai Accent. The unique C-pillar treatment gives the appearance of a sporty compact. The front fascia has an aggressive look and is rear end is highlighted with chrome twin- exhaust; the blackened lower rear valance and a taillight treatment emphasize the vehicle

Summary

The Kia Rio is a great value for the money and has good fuel economy. The Rio 5 door is a great commuter vehicle that is worth stopping at a Kia dealer to check out!

Specifications

Exterior Measurements

WIDTH 5 ft. 7.7 in. (67.7 in.) HEIGHT 4 ft. 9.3 in. (57.3 in.)
LENGTH 13 ft. 3.3 in. (159.3 in.) GROUND CLEARANCE 0 ft. 5.5 in. (5.5 in.)
FRONT TRACK 4 ft. 11.9 in. (59.9 in.) REAR TRACK 5 ft. 0 in. (60 in.)
WHEEL BASE 8 ft. 5.2 in. (101.2 in.)

Interior Measurements

FRONT HEAD ROOM 40.0 in. FRONT HIP ROOM 52.1 in.
FRONT LEG ROOM 43.8 in. FRONT SHOULDER ROOM 53.1 in.
REAR HIP ROOM 51.2 in. REAR HEAD ROOM 37.6 in.
REAR LEG ROOM 31.1 in. REAR SHOULDER ROOM 52.1 in.

Weights and Capacities

EPA INTERIOR VOLUME 103.4 cu.ft. CURB WEIGHT 2483 lbs.
CARGO CAPACITY, ALL SEATS IN PLACE 15.0 cu.ft. MAXIMUM CARGO CAPACITY 49.8 cu.ft.

Drive Train

DRIVE TYPE Front wheel drive TRANSMISSION 6-speed shiftable automatic

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