2019 Kia Rio5 Reviews, Pricing & Specs
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Kia redesigned the Rio 5-Door in 2018, trading the previous model’s cheerful styling for a more mature appearance with additional content. Thus, the 2019 is a carryover.
The Rio 5-Door competes in the same subcompact-hatchback arena as the Ford Fiesta Hatchback, Honda Fit, Mitsubishi Mirage, Nissan Versa Note, and Toyota Yaris. Th Rio’s utility is right in line with those cars: there is 17.4 cubic feet of cargo space, which expands to 32.8 when the 60/40 split-folding rear seat goes down. There’s also room for five people, though, like most subcompact cars, adults may find the rear seats to be cramped on long journeys.
Previously, Kia offered the Rio 5-Door in LX, S, and EX trims, but 2019 sees only the S trim. You get 15-inch steel wheels with wheel covers, Bluetooth, cruise control, keyless entry with an alarm, air conditioning, a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, automatic lights, heated exterior mirrors, cloth upholstery, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Unfortunately, since the upscale EX trim is no more, you lose its niceties, which include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, fog lights, and alloy wheels. That said, a new Tech Package gives you LED headlights and daytime-running lights, a nicer instrument cluster, telematics, satellite radio, and tire-pressure monitoring that displays individual tire pressures.
Every Rio 5-Door gets a 1.6-liter inline 4-cylinder engine with 130 horsepower and 119 pound-feet of torque. Its fuel economy figures of 28 mpg city, 37 highway, and 32 combined are matched or exceeded by vehicles one or two sizes larger. As a benefit of the new single trim approach, last year’s standard 6-speed manual transmission went by the wayside, and a 6-speed automatic now comes with all units.
The Rio 5-Door is light on safety features; the only standard items are airbags and a reversing camera. The aforementioned Tech Package gets you forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, which was previously bundled with the EX trim. While the 5-door hasn’t been crash tested, the similar Kia Rio sedan earned a 2018 Top Safety Pick Plus award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
Kia’s simplification of the Rio 5-Door line reflects a market that’s steadily shifting away from such vehicles. Still, if you want a subcompact hatchback with reasonable amounts of space and handsome styling, the Rio 5-Door may be the answer.
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2019 Kia Rio5 Pricing
Trims & specs
Air Conditioning
Single front air conditioning zones
Airbags
Dual front airbags · Passenger airbag deactivation: occupant sensing deactivation · Front side airbags · Front side curtain airbags
Audio System
Antenna Type: mast · Voice recognition audio system · Bluetooth auxiliary audio input · Touch screen display radio · Total Number of Speakers: 6
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel · Braking assist: hill start assist · Front brake diameter: 11.0 · Front brakes: ventilated disc · Rear brake diameter: 8.0 · Rear brakes: drum
Comfort Features
Floor Material: carpet · Shift knob trim: urethane · Steering wheel trim: urethane
Convenience Features
Assist handle: passenger side · Center console: front console with armrest and storage · Cupholders: rear · Multi-function remote: trunk release · One-touch windows: 1 · Power outlet(s): 12V front · Power steering: speed-proportional · Power windows: lockout button · Reading lights: front · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable · Steering wheel mounted controls: audio · Storage: accessory hook · Vanity mirrors: dual
Driver Seat
Manual adjustments: 6
Drivetrain
Axle ratio: 3.07
Engine
Alternator: 130 amps · Battery: maintenance-free
Exterior Features
Door handle color: body-color · Front bumper color: body-color · Grille color: black · Mirror color: body-color · Rear bumper color: body-color · Rear spoiler: roofline spoiler · Rear spoiler color: body-color · Rear trunk/liftgate: liftgate · Window trim: black
Headrests
Front headrests: adjustable · Number of front headrests: 2 · Number of rear headrests: 2
In Car Entertainment
Connected in-car apps: Google POIs · Infotainment: Android Auto ready · Infotainment screen size: 7 in.
Instrumentation
Fuel economy display: MPG · Instrument cluster screen size: 3.5 in. · Warnings and reminders: low oil level
Lights
Headlights: auto delay off
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power · Inside rearview mirror: manual day/night
Passenger Seat
Manual Adjustments: 4
Rear Seats
Type: 60-40 split bench
Safety
Camera system: rearview · Child seat anchors: LATCH system · Crumple zones: rear · Rearview monitor: in dash
Seatbelts
Emergency locking retractors: front · Front seatbelts: 3-point · Seatbelt force limiters: front · Seatbelt pretensioners: front · Seatbelt warning sensor: driver and passenger · Second row seatbelts: 3-point
Seats
Driver seat manual adjustments: height · Front seat type: bucket · Passenger seat manual adjustments: reclining · Rear headrests: adjustable · Rear seat folding: split · Upholstery: premium cloth
Spare Tire
Mount Location: inside · Size: temporary
Spare Wheel
Rim Type: steel
Steering
Steering ratio: 14.9 · Turns lock-to-lock: 2.8
Suspension
Front Arm Type: lower control arms · Front Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Front Spring Type: coil springs · Front Suspension Classification: independent · Front Suspension Type: MacPherson struts · Rear Shock Type: twin-tube gas shock absorbers · Rear Spring Type: coil springs · Rear Suspension Classification: semi-independent · Rear Suspension Type: torsion bar · Stabilizer bar(s): front
Telematics
Electronic messaging assistance: with voice recognition · Phone: voice activated · Phone wireless data link: Bluetooth
Tires
Type: all season
Tires and Rims
Wheels: steel
Wheels
Wheel covers: full
Windows
Front wipers: variable intermittent · Liftgate window: fixed · Power windows: with safety reverse · Rear wiper: intermittent