Admirers of hatchbacks in Russia have become victims of a kind of vicious circle - domestic demand for such a body is traditionally small, and therefore manufacturers supply fewer and fewer such models to our country. Kia Rio X-Line is a rare beast in modern times, and therefore we could not pass by such a curiosity. Today we present to your attention the Test Drive Kia Rio X-Line 2018 - it will be interesting!
Characteristics
The model is presented in two variations - with a 1.4-liter engine and 100 horsepower, and a 123-horsepower copy with a volume of 1.6 liters. Body dimensions:
- Length - 4240 mm;
- Height - 1510 mm;
- Width - 1750 mm;
- Wheelbase - 2600 mm;
- Trunk volume - 390/1075 l;
- Clearance - 170 mm.
The premium package includes:
- Climate control;
- SmartKey keyless access system;
- Dashboard SuperVision 3.5”;
- Navigation system with 7” display and support for information about traffic jams and fixation cameras;
- Bluetooth for mobile phone connection.
The price of Kia Rio X Line in Russia starts from 670,000 rubles - very affordable in today's times.
Appearance
Those who are familiar with the already iconic sedan bearing the same name are unlikely to immediately name many innovations and radical differences between it and this hatchback. The front part has a subtle difference in the area of the radiator grille, in the form of an air intake and niches for fog lights. 
Both bumpers received overlays stylized as metal, but made of prosaic plastic. 
Roof rails settled on the roof, which visually add a little height to the car, but by and large, the same good old Kia Rio got to us for a test drive, but with an X-Line postscript and a cut-off trunk. 
Salon
The interior of the car deserves extremely warm words - a conservative, but very stylish dashboard design, an extremely comfortable steering wheel that allows any grip, an impressive automatic transmission handle and a small but quite sufficient set of essential electronics, although in luxury variations there is where to roam. The seven-inch touch screen is a window into the multimedia world, with which you can find out information about traffic jams or connect Android Auto / Apple CarPlay.
The dashboard spoils the impression a little - it is painfully dull and forgettable, the level of brand recognition is simply zero. Despite the manufacturer’s attempts to create the impression that the car belongs to the middle class, budget plastic still betrays the true origin of the car, and there is sorely lacking space - it simply won’t work to fall apart in a chair with a nearby passenger. But there is enough heating for everyone here - the windshield and rear window, steering wheel, mirrors, windshield washer nozzles and seats, all this is heated to the fullest. 
In the rear seats with amenities, it’s quite tense - no USB, no cigarette lighter. The quality of the upholstery corresponds to the price of the device, no unexpected luxury. The trunk is small, but for a hatchback as a whole it is sufficient - 390 liters, and if you fold the back sofa, then 1075 at all.
Engine
As is already clear from the information above, the X-Line power units do not differ from those installed on the sedan - these are the same 1.4 / 100 and 1.6 liters / 123 horsepower. They quite agree on 92-gasoline, which is important in the current economic situation. The buyer has the opportunity to choose a 6-speed manual transmission or a 6-band automatic, and the manufacturer recommends changing the oil every 90,000 kilometers.
In general, there are no complaints about the engine, but I would like to have a little more torque than 151 Nm at 4850 revolutions, and the revolutions, in turn, are lower than 6300 at maximum power. Already in the basic configuration there is an electronic tire pressure monitoring system, although, to be honest, it is not a feature of the first importance. But the premium equipment already starts with a button and has a contactless smart key. In general, there is something to think about when choosing the final option, although a significant difference in price can decide everything for you.
Test Drive
On the track, the car behaves again according to the precepts of its older brother-sedan. The car is well balanced, the steering feedback is adequate, the suspension is quite a good compromise between comfort and handling. In short, there are no questions on the track, but maybe then we'll take a look at the car outside of it? 
Already looking at the ground clearance, it becomes clear that we still have a city hatchback, and not a compact crossover - 170 mm on 15-inch wheels are not suitable for off-road rallying. If your goal is to get through a relatively flat primer to a given place, then the car will cope with the task, but it is strictly not recommended to cut away from paved roads on a regular basis - the pleasure is below average. Remember that the legendary "nine" Zhiguli has the same clearance and do not even poke your head in those places where you would not dare to climb on the miracle of the domestic auto industry.
Test drive Kia Rio X-Line video
Conclusion
You need to perceive this car in exactly the same way as the Kia Rio in the sedan body, the hatchback in this case is the form, but not the content, and you should not pretend to comfortable movement outside the city. If you feel that a gravel-strewn road would surely damage the paintwork and, God forbid, the bottom of a standard sedan, then be sure that fake metal inserts on the hood will not save you from such a fate. 
On the other hand, the car looks really nice and the price is more than democratic, so fans of hatchbacks - it's a holiday on your street again, hurry up to enjoy the representative of an endangered species.
The Oreans, as is typical of them, harnessed for a long time. The Sandero Stepway became the pioneer of the class of budget high hatches, then the Lada Xray, a platform with it, appeared ... Hyundai / Kia seemed to pretend that nothing was happening. Well, they had lagged behind European competitors before - when Avtoframos was already stamping Russian-assembled Logans with might and main, there was a wasteland and winds at the site of the future Hyundai assembly line near St. Petersburg. But then ... And now the Rio X-Line enters the established segment with a delay. Will he make the same stir there as Solaris and Rio of the last generation in the early 2010s?
Whatever marketers say, this is not a “cross-hatchback”, but simply the right hatch in Russian. This is how even the most peaceful and far from extreme car should be in our harsh realities - a little raised and with a practical plastic "rim" along the arches, thresholds and doors. I would even say that this is not an X-Line - an improved hatchback in some ways, but rather a Rio - a sedan where something is missing ... Truly, to make a person happy, you must first take something away from him and then return.
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A lot has already been written about the appearance of the updated Rio, the car is not new. And despite the fact that the X-Line feels like a different car, and not a derivative of the sedan, if you start comparing them in the spirit of a children's puzzle “find ten differences”, then there will be a maximum of a dozen, and there are no radical ones at all.
The physiognomy of the X-Line version differs from the sedan in a subtle difference in the radiator grille, the shape of the lower air intake and the niches in which the foglights and DRLs are located. Well, the hatchback got nice, but non-functional pads on the bottom of both bumpers - an old design trick in the form of an attempt to pass off silver plastic as harsh metal protection needed on off-road ...
Roof rails have been added to the X-Line, making it visually a little “higher”, while the optics and other exterior elements are the same as those of the progenitor sedan.
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Inside
Salon X-Line - well, just do not find fault! Very stylish and at the same time discreetly delicate design of the dashboard, the most convenient "steering wheel" with the possibility of any grip in the lower part and plump tides "at 10 and 2 o'clock", a solid automatic transmission handle, funny "tongues" of the climate control panel that protrude and "teasing » the driver with the buttons for turning on the heating of the windshield and rear window.
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The dull and unpretentious dashboard of a classic look somewhat blurs the picture. No, she does not need a color and "architectural" riot, she just needs some little zest for recognition.
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The interior of the car looks almost like an adult, hinting at the approach to the middle class. But belonging to the “budget” caste cannot be hidden: hard plastic is everywhere (there is no elastic at all), the “elbow feeling” of the person sitting next door, unpleasant little things like the lack of illumination of the glove box ... But the armrest is adjustable, moving back and forth (this is an option only for expensive complete sets), the steering wheel is in two positions, branded “Rio” little things add comfort - a double 12-volt socket at the bottom of the dashboard and two salon lamps that are switched on separately.
Multimedia is implemented on the basis of a 7-inch touch screen that supports navigation with traffic jams via a GSM channel, hands-free, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The control on the steering wheel pleased not only with buttons, but also with joysticks, “rocking chairs”, of which there are already two under the left hand. One is responsible for the volume, the second - for switching tracks or stations. True, there is no useful “mute” button, as often happens ...
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Like the sedan, X-Line "gives heat" in full! Heated front and rear windows, steering wheel, mirrors, washer jets, front and rear seats - this car is not afraid of any frost, snowfall and freezing rain. And if you install an alarm with a remote start and hang the heating of the “windshield” on an additional channel, then you get just a “heat bomb”! You can forget about the snow brush and go to work in the morning under the envious glances of the neighbors in the parking lot, furiously scurrying with scrapers and brooms (though only the most expensive versions have heated windshields, nozzles, and rear seats).
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Door cards entirely in black oak plastic. True, high-quality, not prone to scratches. The front doors have a nice stripe that enlivens the view, while the rear ones are completely gloomy.
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The rear sofa offers its guests exclusively heated seats, the activation buttons of which are funny and conveniently located on the doors. There is no cigarette lighter, no USB, not even an armrest ... There is not much space either, which, however, is not surprising for a budget car. With the front seat completely pushed back (and I drove that way with my build), there is absolutely no legroom for the rear passenger behind the driver.
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Trunk volume here is modest by the standards of a sedan, but very good for a hatch - 390 liters. With the seatbacks folded down, of course, radically more - 1075 liters. In the trunk there is a removable shelf, lighting and straps for attaching an eggplant with anti-freeze in the side niche.
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Well, now about the sad things... But when will this terrible hobby of manufacturers of "chernukha" in the interior of cars end?! Black in itself is not a very positive color, but on a budget car it doubles its depressing effect! I once owned a second-generation Rio, and its grayish interior, inexpensive, non-staining and practical, felt much more cheerful than the current ubiquitous gothic black ...
Iron
The power units of the X-Line do not differ from those on the sedan. These are engines of 1.4 liters and 1.6 liters with a capacity of 100 and 123 hp, "aspirated", ready to eat 92nd gasoline without any problems, with a 6-speed manual gearbox and a 6-band automatic, known from many Hyundai models . Relatively gentle, loving soft and humane operation and oil changes with an interval significantly less than the official 90,000 km.
Engine
1.6 l, 123 hp
The maximum power of our 123-horsepower engine is given at 6,300 rpm, the maximum torque of 151 Nm at 4,850 rpm. The car feels quite peppy if you work the gas pedal in the “on-off” mode, because, like all inexpensive cars, vivacity is achieved by twisting the engine in low gears. I felt really sorry for hurting him like that. However, if you pedal calmly, it becomes completely boring ... On the plus side, I note that at low speeds, the effect of engine braking is clearly noticeable, which is given by the box switching down sequentially. This is convenient both from the point of view of traffic safety and from the point of view of increasing the resource of discs and pads.
There are no special claims to the heart of the car, but it would be nice to have a little more torque, and lower speeds ... Within the warranty period, this probably does not matter, but in general, for a car from the budget popular segment, shifting characteristics in the indicated direction is useful. Well, we have to take into account the presence of a crisis that is not in a hurry to leave us and, accordingly, the average length of the period of car ownership continues to grow ...
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Of the interesting electronic options, it is worth noting the tire pressure monitoring system, which is already included in the X-Line base. True, to me personally, it seems far from being a chip of paramount importance. I would prefer that instead of it, the database had a regular parking sensor, which is much more useful and necessary in everyday use. And the most expensive “premium” equipment, the one that crosses the million mark, starts from the button and has a contactless smart key of a completely “adult” design.
It's nice that on the updated Rio and, accordingly, the X-line, the electric power steering has returned. It was on Rio in the old version of JB, but in the third generation, an idiotic power steering appeared again, a mechanism that is completely ridiculous these days ... True, the advantages of the EUR on a budget car are expressed only in getting rid of excess unreliable iron - hydraulic system, pump, hydraulic rails and so on. Of course, there are no interesting features such as autosteering or parking on a car that is located at the start of the model line. There is only a slight delay in turning off the EUR motor, which makes it easy to put the wheels straight in the parking lot when the engine is already turned off.
In move
Actually, the behavior of the X-Line on a straight line and moderate turns has already been described many times using the example of a sedan body. The hatchback behaves in much the same way. The car is quite balanced for its price, rulitsya with adequate feedback, the suspension is in balance between comfort and handling, moderately giving both. But today we are interested in the “off-road” qualities of this car, which, in the wake of the current “cross-boom”, is called by some enthusiastic people both a cross-sedan and even a crossover (!) Sometimes ... The ground clearance of the X-Line on 15-inch wheels is 170 millimeters. The rear suspension is a conventional U-shaped torsion beam. The same Renault Sandero Stepway, by the way, on 16-inch wheels promises 195 millimeters under the belly - 25 mm more. In other words, even if the X-Line is shod in 16-inch slippers, it will still be lower.
Therefore, a potential buyer should not take into account the word "cross". Not worth it at all! The "off-road" abilities of the car are at the level of the progenitor-sedan, a purely city car. The X-Line is a solid, well-designed hatchback for Russia, but that's all. On it you can, for example, drive to a distant lake on a rather bumpy dirt road with holes half a wheel deep. But only very slowly and in dry, dry weather. And with the understanding that an ordinary VAZ-"nine" with its exactly the same ground clearance of 170 centimeters, but a wheelbase smaller by 170 centimeters and smaller overhangs, will crawl there better. While the 2109 was never referred to as a "cross-hatchback" or anything like that...
The main task of the X-Line in relation to its “off-road” is to drive in the same place where the Rio sedan will pass, but a little faster and with less risk of paint damage. Take, for example, a dacha “street” filled with gravel or a rutted primer, from which the rains washed away the clay, exposing a “washboard” of protruding stones the size of one or two fists. Where a thrifty driver drives a Rio sedan at a speed of 10 kilometers per hour, the X-Line can “fly” and all 20-30 without breakdown of the suspension and dents on the edges of the wheel arches ... That, in fact, is all you need to know about X -Line as about "cross-hatchback"...
Model history
The first generation of the budget front-wheel drive Kia model appeared in 2000 and was presented in sedan and station wagon bodies, with low-power engines up to 100 hp, manual transmission and automatic transmission. The sedan turned out to be ugly, with an awkward ass, and the “shed”, on the contrary, was cute and very modern for its time, with a dynamic appearance close to the first generation Volvo V40 of the same years. Three years later, the model went through a minor restyling.
In the photo: Kia Rio "2000–02 The second generation was released in 2005 in sedan and five-door hatchback bodies.
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Pictured: Kia Rio "2005–09 and Kia Rio" 2005–09
This generation underwent restyling in 2010, having received several features in the same spirit of the entire Kia model line, which was designed by the famous German designer Peter Schreyer. The concept of the car has not changed: it has remained almost the same in terms of dimensions, engines and transmissions, as well as equipment.
In the new design, Rio was produced for a little over a year and was replaced by the third generation, which became the Hyundai Solaris co-platform, which appeared a year earlier. The model has finally begun to “grow up”, having increased by more than 100 mm in length, by 70 mm in wheelbase and even in width by an inch. The engines overcame the "hundred-horse" barrier, motors for 107 and 123 forces became available. Available bodies are sedan and hatchback.
In the photo: Kia Rio "2011–2015 In 2016, the current, fourth generation appeared. Like the previous two, it is going to Russia. There are no radical changes compared to the third generation. Almost all key dimensions have grown, but by about a centimeter; motors and transmissions have changed, but not their characteristics. The main changes affected the exterior and interior. Disappeared not too pretty, although memorable "face", which was a "smile" of the combined grille and headlights. At first, only a sedan body appeared in the Russian sale, but less than a year later, the hero of this review, a hatchback under its own “sub-brand” X-Line, was added to it.
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No matter how much you get acquainted with the technical characteristics of the car, read the reviews on the forums and communicate with the owners of the model you are interested in, you still won’t be able to find out about all its advantages and disadvantages. Specifications are just manufacturers' statements, and the personal opinion of each car owner is subjective.
The Irbis company offers not to waste time and sign up for a test drive of the model of interest. This test will give you the opportunity to get behind the wheel and test the model in any way. Only in this way you can feel the car and find out for yourself in full all the information.
Test cars before buying!
The Irbis company, through a network of car dealerships, sells products of the well-known Korean automaker KIA. On the territory of our car dealerships there is a significant range of models, and we are ready to provide each of them so that you can drive on your own.
The offered test drives of KIA are:
- the opportunity to experience the level of comfort of the chair while driving;
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- evaluate the maneuverability of the model, etc.
Only your own test of the model will help you answer the question of whether you want to purchase it. In the showrooms of the Irbis company, you can sign up to test various models for any convenient time. We do not ask you to choose one car, because we understand that our customers can fluctuate not only between several models, but also between different equipment levels.
Come and experience KIA - this will later allow you to purchase a vehicle that will suit you in full. To register for testing, choose the most comfortable way for you. Managers of the Irbis company know everything about any KIA model and will readily answer any questions. A personal approach to working with visitors and many years of experience have allowed us to create high-quality conditions for choosing models of the Korean car industry!
In 2016, when this car did not yet have a large battery and a socket on its side, the Koreans took it to exhibitions and proudly said: “Look, this is a hybrid that does not scream that it is a hybrid!”. And… they weren’t lying: the Niro really doesn’t betray its “non-standard essence” in any way – it’s just a Korean crossover, without kitsch in appearance, but not too bland either. In front - like a Sportage, which has been reduced in aggression, in the back - just an enlarged European-style Rio.
And if you are a simple consumer who needs to drive a car every day easily and inexpensively, you can not lift the veil. But if you get a little curious, you can find out that behind the external simplicity lies a little more curious. Kia built the Niro as a hybrid car from the start, with no plans for "regular" versions. What does this mean in terms of the end result? A separate platform on which hybrid and electric vehicles will be built - in other words, a base designed in advance to accommodate batteries of different capacities, electrical components and a hybrid powertrain.
By the way, about the transmission: this crossover ... strictly front-wheel drive. And this is also part of the concept of “commonness”: cool schemes with separate electric motors that drive the rear wheels separately, a complex transmission and other progressive technical things are hard, expensive and ... scary. Yes, intimidating for the average shopper. And here everything is simple: an electric motor, located between a gasoline 1.6-liter aspirated engine and a familiar six-speed dual-clutch “robot”, and a battery under the rear seat.
But the fact that the buyer is unknown and uninteresting has its own subtleties. For example, the platform was made as light as possible: about half of the body is ultra-high-strength steel, and another part is, of course, aluminum. From it, not counting the suspension parts, they made a hood and a trunk lid - and this works not only to lower the center of gravity, but also to reduce weight, which is important from the point of view of ... no, not dynamics - fuel efficiency. Yes, yes, this is a hybrid, albeit undercover, and fuel consumption targets were hardly less important in development than handling. But we will return to them.
In the meantime, sit behind the wheel, briefly evaluate the interior. A cursory assessment is enough - here, too, there is nothing that we would not see in other models from Kia. "Corporate" steering wheel, gearshift lever and climate unit, 8-inch touchscreen multimedia system, instrument panel with two scales ... There is a touch of "hybridity" here, however, and this is not even an "ECO plug-in" blotch next to the multimedia screen, and a nice blue stitching of the steering wheel and blue edging of the climate system deflectors. But - nothing more: there is no need to overload the salon with unusualness.
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Then, having driven, you already stop believing the mileage written at the top of the screen between the circles of the scales - it's just a calculator that adds 2 + 2. You need to look down, where in the corners, next to the scales, there are power reserve indicators separately for gasoline and electricity. And depending on where, how far and what you ride, the eye follows either the right scale or the left.
Acceleration up to 100 km/h, s
11.5 seconds
Driving in the Niro is both the most ordinary and the most curious car experience. Ordinary - because it is an ordinary crossover: moderately soft, comfortable, and on gasoline traction it is no different from everything that flickers around along the road. There is not much of this thrust here either: the 1.6-liter aspirated Kappa family, converted to the Atkinson cycle, has direct injection, but is derated to 104 hp. However, 148 Nm in these conditions is quite an acceptable indicator, and with large traction requests, a 43-horsepower electric motor can also help him, increasing the total output of the installation to 139 Nm and 264 Nm. And that electric motor paired with the larger battery is just the point where the ride becomes extraordinary.
In fact, the main difference between our current Niro PHEV and the crossover that debuted two years ago is the battery, which has increased in capacity from 1.56 kW h up to 8.9 kW h. True, and it began to weigh not at all 33 kilograms, but oh well - we remember, the platform was created with the expectation of pure electric vehicles, where the battery will be even many times heavier. For a person who has bought a Niro as a family car, something else is important: he can drive it every day and hardly pour gas into it.
The claimed mileage on electric traction is about 42 kilometers. This is far from a record: a much heavier (and more expensive) rechargeable Range Rover travels 51 km on a battery, a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV - 60, and a BMW i3 - even 156. But against the background of the hybrid Porsche Panamera and BMW X5 with their 32 and 23 km accordingly, and compared to the “reference” Prius Prime with its 40 “green” kilometers, the newcomer does not look pale - and if your daily runs fit into the mark of 30-35 kilometers, you will definitely have enough capacity available to almost never start a gas unit. Another good news is that a 240-volt charger can charge your small battery in 2.5 hours, and if you have something to “stumble” at work and at home, the claimed range of 42 kilometers can be safely doubled. And having received an invitation to visit from a friend from a neighboring city, finally drop by a gas station, pour full 50 liters into the gas tank and wave to it - after all, no one canceled the gasoline engine under the hood.
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At the same time, neither in gasoline nor in electric driving mode, the car does not tire with dull response or very sluggish dynamics. A car reaches a hundred in 9 seconds - but more importantly, it is able to reach this speed on electricity alone. When the gasoline engine starts, you again remember with a kind word the Koreans who put their six-speed robotic gearbox here, and not the variator familiar to hybrids: it turned out to be not only easier and cheaper, but also better. The motor does not hang for a long time in a fixed rev range, and gear shifting remains imperceptible. And this is another plus in the piggy bank of the same “commonness” of the car.
What is the result?
Korean arguments were convincing, the statistics tell us. Last year, the Niro even without a power outlet on its side won the title of "Best Family Car" in the US. An average of 2.5 thousand cars are sold monthly, and in 2017 the total volume was 27 thousand units. And not only the Americans liked the crossover: 34,000 cars were also sold in Europe last year. Now, with a big battery and 42 miles of "free" mileage, it's added a good $4,000 to the price, which the US government is happily reimbursing through a tax refund program. Is there now any doubt that the market will accept it favorably?
