This price includes a ton of equipment, from navigation and a backup camera to heated leather seats and redundant steering-wheel controls, to keyless entry and ignition and a handy iPod hookup. It’s quite a bundle of stuff and is done without any obvious scrimping elsewhere. Interior materials are dark, but soft-touch surfaces and handy storage spots abound, and all of the controls are right where you need them. The back seat would be tight for anyone with legs of any length, but the cargo hold is huge and fitted for hauling.

On the negative side, I find the highly touted gasoline-direct-injection 138-hp I4 engine underwhelming and a little raspy, and the taut suspension on this short wheelbase can make for a relatively stiff ride. The keyless door-locking system also seemed to have a mind of its own at times. On the other hand, the Rio is a strong handler with good steering response and solid body control–it barely dives or rolls in hard braking or cornering. So if you seek out your fun in curves and corners, this Kia will give you plenty to smile about.

Cars such as this give me renewed hope for the hatchback segment in America.

NEWS EDITOR GREG MIGLIORE: I came away impressed with the Kia Rio after a weekend in this hot little hatch. It has quick reflexes, a tight chassis that’s not abusive, and the transmission is smooth. Our tester is loaded, which makes the Rio feel small, but not as if you’re traveling in economy class. The looks are great. I think it has the appearance of a Volkswagen GTI, and as I scraped the windshield on a frosty, dark morning, I was struck by the sharp running lights. Nice job with the silhouette and the wheels, Kia.

Overall, the Rio is an excellent execution for this class. Even during an icy drive on a Saturday night, this thing kept me secure and balanced. I never thought I’d say this, but I was fortunate to have this diminutive hatch during that surprisingly nervous night. Plus, I parked this thing anywhere I darn well felt like parking it, backing into an end slot on a street with ease.

The steering is a little light on-center for enthusiasts, but the biggest complaint I had was with the engine, which is raspy as heck and loud during periods of acceleration. It’s an adequate engine and fuel efficient, but a little more juice would really make the Rio a lightning bug.

ASSOCIATE EDITOR JAKE LINGEMAN: My sister has a Kia Rio from five or six years ago, and there isn’t a single feature on it that I would call “cool.” This new 2012 Kia Rio SX 5-door is cool all the way around–cool looking, it handles well and it has a great amount of equipment inside.

Push-button start, iPod control, heated seats and navigation are things you would expect on a midsize sedan, but not on an economy hatch. The seats are leather but a little stiff; I’d expect that if you owned the car, they would break in a little. The buttons and switches are well placed, especially for circulation and rear-defrost controls in the bottom center.

The editors above are right about the engine being a bit raspy, but it’s peppy, too. You have to put your foot down a ways to get it going, but I didn’t have any trouble getting up to speed. The six-speed transmission is strong. When your foot is down, downshifts seem aggressive.

Twenty grand seems to be the point of entry for any decent car these days, so this one is right there. This Rio is a good combination of needs and wants. If the SX was available with a manual transmission, I would go for that and call it a day.

The latest Cee’d – which is likely to remain a European exclusive – remains a hatchback, but shares only its daylight opening shape with its forebear. The new Cee’d packs plenty of Kia’s latest design DNA into a compact vehicle: the corporate “tiger nose” grille is more prominent than ever, and flanked by long, tapered headlamps and a dramatically flared hood. As usual, the car also receives LED running lamps placed along the lower edges of the headlamp housings.

Further back, the new Cee’d shares a number of cues with the smaller Rio: taillights are mounted high up the curvaceous rear end, although the bumper cut echoes the shape of the hatch stamping itself. The lower diffuser is also a little more sophisticated, with raised accents surrounding the rear reflectors, license plate, and lower diffuser.

Inside, the interior is anything but drab. Like the Optima, the Cee’d’s instrument panel wraps into the center stack. Grey plastic materials used on the dashboard itself are broken up with strips of glossy piano black trim. Door panels are two-toned, and the leather seats shown here feature contrast stitching. The look is refreshingly high-end – which is welcome, considering the C-segment continues to move upmarket in around the globe.

As for the mechanicals, it’s still anyone’s guess: Kia has been tight-lipped about the car’s selection of engines. Currently, European models feature a range of gasoline and diesel engines that make anywhere between 89 and 126 horsepower, but it’s been rumored that the Procee’d, the three-door version of the Cee’d, could make use of the the same 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine used in the new Hyundai Veloster Turbo.

Also unknown at the moment is whether or not this car will make it to the United States. We wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t: after all, the previous Cee’d was designed expressly for the European market, which left North America with the Forte. We may not see a Cee’d on our shores, but we can only hope the next Kia C-segment offering for North America looks this good.

And that’s why a new study from Kelly Blue Book is focusing on what really matters: the total cost of ownership.  And there, the data-tracking website concludes, Kia is the clear standout as the top brand among all manufacturers when the entire ownership experience is tallied up.  Audi was the No. 1 luxury brand when measured by total cost of ownership.

“Car shoppers should take the time to compare vehicles on their consideration lists to fully understand the financial implications involved with cost of ownership,” said Juan Flores, director of vehicle valuation for Kelley Blue Book. “While a vehicle might be less expensive up front, the cost of fuel for that model, insurance and other expenditures could make it the less appealing choice for their wallet in the long run.”

Kia scored big because of the high fuel economy, “greatly improved quality” and rising trade-ins values, said KBB researchers, pointing to products like the Soul crossover, Optima sedan and Sportage SUV.  Audi was a standout because of its low depreciation and solid mileage in a segment normally not known for great fuel economy.  Audi had a number of high-value models, including the small A3 wagon, the A4 sedan and Q5 SUV.

The new KBB Total Ownership Awards included a few surprises, notably the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid, which narrowly bested the Nissan Leaf battery-electric vehicle in the electric car category.  Other studies have found consumers turned off by the Volt’s initial price tag – about $40,000 less a $7,500 federal tax credit.  But considering the Chevy plug-in’s minimal energy and maintenance costs and likely trade-in value, KBB concluded the five-year total ownership cost will come to only $40,629 compared to $42,089 for the Leaf.

That’s only about $4,000 more than the anticipated total ownership cost for the compact Nissan Juke, at $36,627, the winner in the compact crossover category, and a little more than $2,000 over the $38,476 ownership cost for a Hyundai Sonata, which scored tops in the midsize car segment.

Competition was especially tough in the subcompact segment, KBB noted, with only $400 separating the top three models, The Nissan Versa squeaked out a victory with an anticipated five-year ownership cost of $29,252 – the lowest of any model in the study.

The Audi A5 provides a good example of how a car that costs more up front may actually prove to be the long-term bargain.  While KBB reported it is more expensive than many competitors in the luxury segment, it had a five-year, $5,000 advantage over the nearest rival at $56,908.

Similarly, the Jeep Wrangler might be more expensive than offerings like the Toyota FJ Cruiser and Nissan Xterra, but the domestic model was the clear winner in the midsize sport utility category, with a five-year projected cost of $41,764.

Building off the turbocharged Optima SX trim, the SX Limited uses the SX’s 274-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder. Unique features include a chrome-accented spoiler, lower doorsills, red front-brake calipers and 18-inch chrome wheels. Trim-exclusive colors include Ebony Black, Snow White Pearl and Titanium Metallic.

Inside, the new trim gets unique wood surfaces, black or white Nappa leather seats and interior pieces, and a more premium headliner than the other versions. Interestingly, there’s also a first aid kit in the cabin.

Production will begin soon at Kia’s plant in West Point, Ga., and sales should start next month. Kia didn’t mention a specific price, but executives said it would start “under $35,000 including destination.”

It kicks off with a clumsy Mr. Sandman tiptoeing into a Gen-x couple’s bedroom to the campy classic tune of ‘Mr. Sandman’ by the Chordettes, until Sir Sands-a-lot has a little accident spilling his magical dust all over Mr. Gen-X, setting off a hyped up series of dreams set to the high octane tune of Motley Crue’s ‘Kickstart My Heart.’

Of course, we can’t forget the product at hand here, the dreaming man finds himself ripping around a racetrack in the new 2012 Optima Limited car, while bikini clad onlookers cheer him on including sexy flag girl Adriana Lima.

The sequence also shows some concert footage of Motley Crue performing ‘Kickstart My Heart’ with their usual barrage of pyro, smoke and fanfare.

The dream doesn’t stop there though, it’s also chuck full of other larger than life manly desires. Badass Chuck Liddell makes an appearance in the video in the middle of a cage fight in addition to pro bull rider Judd Lefflew riding a bucking rhino in the midst of monster submarine sandwiches.

Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx called the whole experience a blast, saying, “A hot model, a fast car, a pro fighter, pyrotechnics and rock n’ roll…What’s not to love?”  He’s got a point, doesn’t he?

It’s the first time that Kia has produced a three door version of its Rio model, with the new car available to order now. Prices for the three-door version start from £9,995-with savings of £600 compared to five door models whatever trim and engine you choose.

A five door model went on sale back in September, when it became the cleanest non-electrified model available with emissions from as low as 85g/km CO2 and fuel economy as strong as 88.3mpg on a combined cycle.

The Rio three-door is available with a choice of four engines-two petrol and two diesel. The 1.1 CRDi is the lowest emission engine, in three-door guise, this engine features emissions from just 94g/km CO2.  There is also theh 1.4 CRDi which develops 89bhp and 220Nm of torque yet achieves upt 70.6mpg combined and emits just 105 g/km of CO_2.EcoDynamics technologies, such as Intelligent Stop & Go, are a standard feature with both diesel engines.

The two petrol engines are the 1.25-litre Kappa engine and the 1.4-litre Gamma engine. Both engines exceed 50mpg, with CO₂ emissions below the below 130g/km. Even the 1.4-litre automatic version of the Rio is capable of 44.1mpg on a combined cycle drive.

Rio 3-door is offered in the same four trim grades– badged ‘1’, ‘1 Air’, ‘2’ and ‘3’ –  as the five door version.

Even on entry level ‘1’, standard features include daytime running lights, body-coloured bumpers, headlamp levelling, front electric windows, 15-inch steel wheels, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, two-way steering column adjustment on the petrol model (height-adjustable only on the entry level diesel), a tachometer and trip computer, split folding rear seats, a 12-volt power socket and an MP3-compatible RDS radio and CD player with USB and AUX ports.  Bluetooth is also standard on the petrol entry model, and on all versions with other trim grades.

The ‘1 Air’ grade is for buyers who want the comfort of air conditioning without upgrading to level ‘2’.

The new Kia Care-3 package is also available for the Rio for just £259 including VAT, which covers the first three services – either 36 months or 30,000 miles or the Care-3 Plus package is just £499 including VAT which covers the first five services – either 60 months or 50,000 miles.

A striking coupé-like side profile and a £600 saving, compared to equivalent five door models, add to Kia’s already appealing B-segment hatchback.

Efficient Engines

Rio3-door is available with a choice of four engines – two petrol and two diesel that are carried over unchanged from the five door version.  The highly efficient and much acclaimed 1.1 CRDi delivers sprightly performance from its 74bhp and 170Nm of torque available from a mere 1,500rpm and all versions deliver CO2 emissions of 99g/km or below and fuel economy of at least 74.3mpg.

EcoDynamics technologies, such as Intelligent Stop & Go, will be a standard feature with all new Rio diesels, including the 1.4-litre models. The 1.4 CRDi is a four-cylinder diesel engine from the same U2 family as the 1.1.  It develops 89bhp and 220Nm of torque.  Economy and emissions figures are 70.6mpg combined and just 105 g/km of CO2.

There are also two petrol engines in the new Rio.  The entry-level unit is the 1.25-litre Kappa engine which made its debut in Kia’s smallest car, the new Picanto.  This engine develops 83bhp and 121Nm of torque.  The new Rio is also available with Kia’s 1.4-litre Gamma engine, developing 107bhp and 137Nm of torque.  It also offers buyers the convenience of an automatic gearbox as an option to the standard manual.

All petrol manual versions of the new Rio comfortably exceed 50mpg, with CO2 emissions below the EU’s 2012 corporate average target of 130g/km. Even the 1.4-litre automatic version of the Rio is capable of 44.1mpg in mixed driving.

Four trim grades with a high standard specification

Rio 3-door is offered in the same four easily understood trim grades – badged ‘1’, ‘1 Air’, ‘2’ and ‘3’ –  as the five door version.

Even on entry level ‘1’, standard features include daytime running lights, body-coloured bumpers, door handles and door mirrors, speed-variable front wipers, headlamp levelling, front electric windows, 15-inch steel wheels, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, two-way steering column adjustment on the petrol model (height-adjustable only on the entry level diesel), a tachometer and trip computer, split folding rear seats, a boot light, a 12-volt power socket and an MP3-compatible RDS radio and CD player with USB and AUX ports.  Bluetooth is also standard on the petrol entry model, and on all versions with other trim grades.

The ‘1 Air’ grade is for buyers who want the comfort of air conditioning without upgrading to level ‘2’.

The ‘2’ is distinguished by 16-inch alloy wheels, front fog lights and a chrome radiator grille surround.  Inside, there is premium black cloth upholstery, a cooling glovebox, electrically adjustable heated and folding door mirrors with side repeaters, leather trim on the steering wheel and gearshift and a centre console armrest.

The luxurious level ‘3’ specification adds 17-inch alloys with low-profile tyres, LED daytime running and rear combination lamps, automatic air conditioning with auto de-fog, rain sensing wipers, cruise control, automatic projection-type headlights, heated front seats and six speakers instead of four.

And every new Rio, as with all Kias, is covered by the best warranty in the business, extending to seven years or 100,000 miles on parts and labour, excluding wear and tear items and subject to certain conditions.

Insurance ratings are very low – as low as group three for the 1.1 CRDi versions.  The 1.25-litre versions are in group five whilst the 1.4-litre petrol and CRDi versions are still only in group eight.

Democracy in safety

In terms of safety all Rio models enjoy exactly the same standard safety specification.  The package includes the potentially life-saving features of electronic stability control (ESC), electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), emergency brake assist (EBA) in addition to emergency stop signalling (ESS).

The new Rio also includes the helpful feature of Hill-start Assist Control (HAC) to prevent the car momentarily rolling backwards when pulling away up steep gradients

Should an accident be unavoidable, the new Rio has a stiff body shell featuring front and rear crumple zones that absorb and dissipate crash energy to minimise the risk of injury to occupants as well as twin front, side and curtain airbags and seat belt pre-tensioners with load limiters for the front occupants.

Kia Care-3: Great value servicing

First introduced on the recently launched Picanto, Rio 5-door and all-new Optima, Kia’s Care-3 all inclusive national servicing package is also available on the new Rio 3-door.  The Rio’s service intervals are 12 months or 10,000 miles across all four engines.

The Care-3 package is just £259 including VAT, which covers the first three services – either 36 months or 30,000 miles or the Care-3 Plus package is just £499 including VAT which covers the first five services – either 60 months or 50,000 miles.

These packages are not just excellent value for money, they offer a fixed cost and inflation proof servicing for the full three or five years. All work will be carried out by trained product technicians, using genuine Kia replacement parts and specified oils.

The Care-3 and Care-3 Plus package stays with the car, so is fully transferable to another customer. If a second owner would like the five year service package – on a vehicle with a Care-3 package, the new owner can top-up this package to cover the next two years.

Each of the newcomers has impressed in its own way, they are well developed for New Zealand roads and driving conditions, while the mid-size Rio is a car that will tempt locals with its sharp styling (thanks to top designer Peter Schreyer), and driveability.

It had been my intention to take the Rio to Picton and return, but circumstances worked against that plan, however, I still clocked up 240km on a burst through the mid-Canterbury high country. It is a quiet and comfortable car on the highway, but it’s my pick that most Rio buyers will travel at city speeds mostly, it’s fine in that role as well, but it’s reassuring to know that it will also cater for that long journey if required.

The Rio arrives here in New Zealand in LX and EX form with the choice of diesel (manual) or petrol power, idle stop/go is fitted to the petrol manual. Automatic transmission is available on both petrol LX and EX models. They list at $23,490 and $25,790 respectively, the diesel sits at $22,990, a guide to the value-for-money pricing Kia are keen to market at in New Zealand.

The small to mid-size Rio belies its compact proportions, sitting on a 2520mm wheelbase it makes good use of its proportions with satisfactory occupant space and a relatively useful area to store belongings under the hatch.

At the other end and sitting under the bonnet is a 1.4-litre, twin-camshaft, petrol engine which Kia rate at 80kW and 137Nm. It is a new engine from the Hyundai/Kia conglomerate and stands out for its sophistication.

It is a also an engine which promotes fabulous fuel usage. During my testing time it constantly listed an eight-litre per 100km (35mpg) average with a 100km/h instantaneous figure of 6l/100km (47mpg) on offer, the engine turning over at 2700rpm at the legal limit.

These figures are close to what Kia claim at 6.4l/100km (44mpg), good figures but not as pleasing at the pumps as the diesel which is rated at 4.3l/100km (65mpg). However, the Rio is a snappy, energetic car both at slow speed and on a cruise. Response to throttle request is instant, while power for overtaking is adequate.

On that subject, it will complete a 120km/h from 80km/h overtaking manoeuvre in 8sec and will launch to 100km/h from a standstill in 11.2sec.

Even though the engine is hooked to a four-speed automatic only, Kia (and Hyundai) have done a lot of development work in the driveline area and it shows, interaction between engine and gearbox is harmonic and fluid, while efficiency has obviously been a high engineering priority.

And none of that comes at a cost of stifling the Rio’s performance, it is enthusiastic and invigorating to be part of.

In terms of handling, it can’t be classed as a dynamic handler but it does fit well with the undulating nature of New Zealand roads. The suspension is firmed adequately, gravitational forces don’t allow for significant body sway. The steering loads up with positive information of what the tyres (195/55 x 16in) are doing in relation to the road surface.

Aimed into a corner the Rio steers and turns well, the suspension isn’t bothered by mid-corner ruts and body movement, while noticeable, doesn’t arrive with a lurch.

Steerage isn’t pin sharp but the Rio could well be described as accurate with a neutral handling balance. Any push towards understeer would be quickly negated by stability control.

The Rio is a quiet, purposeful car to travel in at city speeds, it has absorbent suspension over the worst of the city’s earthquake-damaged roads and it is responsive to the throttle if a quick lane change is needed.

For its money the Rio, especially in high grade form, comes well equipped. Fitted as standard are digital climate control, cruise control with speed limiter, Bluetooth audio with MP3/iPod connectivity and automatic lights and wipers.

The Rio represents adequate all round performance, during the time the evaluation car was in my care it served to prove it is capable in varying driving situations.

Chief operating officer Datuk Hafiz Syed Abu Bakar said sales volume of new cars registered in Malaysia is expected to remain flat next year due to the next general election and European economic crisis.

He said the total industry volume this year is expected to remain at last year’s level although vehicle and parts production have been affected by the recent Thai floods and disasters in Japan, and maintaining sales at the current level would be good enough for 2012.

Hafiz said Naza Kia aims to sell 300 units of the newly launched Optima K5 per month. Named “Best of the Best” at the 2011 Red Dot Design Award, the new model is expected to drive sales in the competitive D-segment (large family car).

“The all-new Optima K5 is the embodiment of Kia’s new design direction. With a head-turning design, exhilarating drive, premium amenities and a high level of safety specifications, we are confident the all-new Optima K5 will be one of the leading models in its segment next year,” said Naza Group of Companies joint group executive chairman SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin.

The Optima K5’s fuel consumption on a combined cycle is 7.6 litres per 100km. Priced at RM143,888 (on-the-road), it will be open for bookings next month.

“The all-new Optima K5 is a class ahead of its competition. With this vehicle, we will be able to take the Kia brand to new heights in 2012,” said Hafiz.

The Optima K5 was launched on Tuesday at Naza Kia’s new flagship Kia Red Cube outlet in Petaling Jaya, which is the first of its kind in Malaysia and the second such outlet in Asean.

Featuring Kia’s new modern space identity, the Kia Red Cube – Petaling Jaya is a 3S (sales, service and spare parts) outlet.

“In 2012, we will open another Kia Red Cube either in the northern or southern region.
“At the same time, 27 of our existing outlets are currently being upgraded to incorporate Kia’s new space identity,” said Hafiz.

Yes, it looks like fun, but it won’t make it to the U.S. This is a car only for South Korea, a clone of another small Kia model that’s powered by a tiny 1-liter gas engine with the same name.

Although the Ray EV weighs about 400 pounds more, it outperforms the gasoline model in acceleration — although at zero to 60 miles per hour in 15 seconds, they are both pretty poky. Top speed is about 130 mph. Recharging times are six hours using a 220-volt household current and 25 minutes in fast-charge mode. The batteries are designed to last 10 years.

The Ray EV’s automatic transmission offers the driver a choice of two modes. There is regular drive or the eco mode, which is aimed at getting the most out of the batteries.