Road Test: 2012 Kia Rio EX Sedan

If you've jumped into the new-car market for the first time in a few years, you'll have discovered that small cars aren't that small anymore. And a good example of this paradigm shift in tiny wheels is the new-for-2012 Kia Rio sedan. Unlike its bottom-of-the-class forebearer, though, the second-generation Kia is no small car joke. Like its in-house rival Hyundai Accent and other competitors, the front-wheel-drive, five-passenger Rio hatchbacks and sedans are classified as subcompacts. Yet, they offer the size, features and performance of what buyers would expect from one-size-up compacts only a few years ago. One of those old-school compacts happens to sit in my laneway: a Volkswagen City Jetta that Mrs. Automotive Journalist runs. It's a 2009 model, the last year of the City-badged Jettas. Ostensibly, it's a fourth-generation Jetta that first appeared 10 years earlier that VW Canada continued to sell after a new, non-City Jetta appeared in 2006. (The current, sixth-generation Jetta appeared in 2010). Based on the anecdotal evidence of the number of 1999 to 2009 Jettas and City Jettas I still see on the road, the VW compact sedan remains popular. It sports a well-built and functional interior, a comfortable (if not too firm) ride and urban traffic-friendly dimensions. Plus there's that German badge. Similarities, though, between the old-age compact VW and new-age subcompact Kia are eerie. The two cars are almost identical in length, width, wheelbase and height. Plus, it's no coincidence that the new Rio's looks may remind you of cars from the Fatherland. The Korean automaker's head pen, Peter Schreyer, previously worked at VW, and the Rio subcompact definitely has the clean-cut look City Jetta fans have always liked about their cars. Under their respective hoods, the Volkswagen and Kia both sport four-cylinders. But the Korean car's engineering is more up-to-date. The Rio's 1.6-litre is smaller than the VW's 2.0L unit. But the Kia offers direct injection and dual- instead of the VW's single-overhead cam. This allows for 23 more horsepower in the Rio than the 115 hp found in the City Jetta. Torque, though, is nearly identical: 123 pound-feet in the Kia and 122 in the VW. Despite the similarity in size, the Rio weighs less than the City Jetta (1,123 kilograms versus 1,313 kg). That, plus one more gear in its six-speed manual transmission helps the Kia score much better fuel economy ratings than the VW: 6.8 litres per 100 kilometes in the city and 4.9 L/100 km on the highway, compared with 9.8 and 7.0 L/100 km, respectively. So now that we've established that a modern subcompact (such as the Rio) is no slouch compared with an older compact (such as the City Jetta), there has to be a catch, right? If there is, I can't find one. Firstly, it's hard to argue with the newfound value today's subcompacts offer. My mid-level Rio EX sedan's base price starts at $16,695 - about the starting price of an '09 City Jetta. The small Kia came with a less-than-satisfying six-speed manual, but a $1,300 automatic with the same number of gears is available. Yet, still, the subcompact Rio's level of standard comfort, convenience, infotainment and safety gear is off the charts versus the compact City Jetta's. Even with its price advantage, the Rio standard kit is impressive. While anti-lock brakes were optional on the VW, the Kia has ABS included. Plus some of the Rio EX's standard safety kit (such as electronic and vehicle stability management controls and more air bags than a political convention) and comfort and convenience features (i.e., heated front seats, state-of-the-art audio system with a rear backup camera, hands-free cellphone connectivity, trip computer, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, leather on the shift knob and steering wheel - hey, you get the point) could not be had on the older compact at any price. In fact, when you add features such as larger alloy wheels, ABS, air conditioning, upgraded stereo, heated cloth seats and a six-speed Tiptronic automatic gearbox, a "loaded" City Jetta went for about $21,000. For that type of money, I could move up to the top-line Rio SX and get full-leather seats, navigation and a heated steering wheel. Arguably, the 2012 Korean Rio also drives better than the 2009 City Jetta. Its smaller engine is much smoother to use than the VW's growly "two-point-slow" four-banger. Like the VW, the Kia's suspension is set up more for comfort than carving corners. Instead, at highway speeds, the Rio5 feels well planted, with the type of refinement and composure usually found in better-driving compacts such as the Ford Focus or Mazda3. In the end, small cars aren't that small anymore. So, if you're in the market to replace your aging compact sedan, a new-age subcompact such as the 2012 Kia Rio EX sedan is definitely worth a look. THE SPECS Type of vehicle: Front-wheel-drive subcompact sedan Engine: 1.6L DOHC four-cylinder gas engine Power: 138 hp, 122 lb-ft of torque Transmission: Six-speed manual Brakes: Four-wheel disc with ABS Tires: P195/55R1 Price: base/as tested $16,695/16,695 Destination charge: $1,455 Transport Canada fuel economy L/100 km: 6.8 city, 4.9 hwy., 7.6 as tested Standard features: Four-wheel disc/anti-lock braking system, electronic stability control, vehicle stability management, hill assist control, cloth seats, heated front seats, six-way adjustable driver seat, 60/40-split folding rear seat, rear window defroster, AM/FM/CD/MP3/SAT stereo system, four speakers, MyMusic internal music storage, AUX/ USB input ports,Bluetooth, trip computer, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, power door locks and windows, remote keyless entry with panic function, tilt and telescopic steering column, 16-inch alloy wheels, leather shift knob and steering wheel, power/heated folding sideview mirrors, power sunroof

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