New Kia Sportage 2016

An early drive of the Kia Sportage compact crossover reveals a promising car that we look forward to driving in UK spec. Kia is continuing its convincing charge upmarket. The new Sportage takes the successful recipe from the seven-seat Sorento and scales it down into a smart, high-quality and spacious compact crossover. The news isn't all positive, because prices have risen slightly, but for the relatively small increase, you're actually getting a much more talented and capable car. This early drive showed that the Sportage has great promise, so we look forward to driving it in UK spec very soon.

The previous Kia Sportage stormed the crossover sector, stealing sales from other brand's offerings thanks to its chunky looks and solid stance. Instantly, it turned Kia into a genuine contender against rivals such as Ford, Mazda and Nissan.

It was a massive leap in terms of quality and refinement, too. Kia promises that the new car will refine the formula to the next level, even though it admits at as it has moved into the mainstream, teh gains on each subsequent model won't be so great. We headed to the brand's testing centre at the Nurburging in Germany to get a taste of what it's like to drive.

The answer is good. We sampled both the 1.6-litre T-GDI turbo petrol, which had Kia's latest seven-speed dual-clutch auto, as well as the 2.0-litre turbodiesel with a six-speed manual, and it's the latter we're focusing on here.

It's eager to whisk the Sportage along on a smoothly delivered surge of torque, so there's lots of accessible performance. Autobahn overtakes were easy, thanks to the decent in-gear performance, and on country roads the flexible engine kept everything relaxed. Wind, engine and road noise were all nicely filtered out, too.

The Sportage's high-riding chassis doesn't exactly devour corners, but it provides a comfortable trade-off between sportiness and comfort. It's one of the better drivers' cars in the crossover class, with sweet steering, a light but positive manual gearshift that matches the engine's calm power delivery and decent pace.

There's a good amount of grip, and the intelligent four-wheel-drive system fitted to our test car means you won't have to worry too much when the conditions become slippery. It doesn't hit efficiency too hard either, as most of the time the transmission sends power to only the front wheels. It'll divert up to 40 per cent to the rear axle when it senses extra traction is needed.

We drove a GT Line model that was loaded with kit, and while UK equipment specifications haven't yet been confirmed (the range will include KX-1 to KX-4 trim levels, as well as the new GT Line version we tried), features such as sat-nav, heated seats and steering wheel, autonomous braking, connected services, leather and a reversing camera are all on offer, depending on the model.

The Sportage effectively takes the seven-seat Sorento's formula and downsizes it for the mid-size market - and it's just as good, with an interior that scores on comfort, quality and space.

It's only slightly longer than before, but a longer wheelbase gives more space inside. Legroom in the back is good, while the boot is bigger and more practical than the old car's - plus the awkward loading lip has been reduced.

The smarter cabin, better performance, stronger efficiency and extra practicality over its predecessor all come at a price, though - the entry level Sportage now costs £17,995, or around £500 more than before. However, it still comes with Kia's seven-year warranty, which gives it a real edge.

Key specs

• Model: Kia Sportage 2.0 CRDi GT Line AWD
• Price: £17,995
• Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbodiesel
• Power: 180bhp
• Transmission: Six-speed manual, four-wheel drive
• 0-60mph/Top speed: 9.5s/121mph
• Economy: 40mpg

Kia Niro 2016

Test driving an early prototype can often be short on feedback, but the Niro gave us a good insight into the car that’s around 12 months from launch. While not especially daring in design, there’s no denying it looks quietly expensive in the metal and under the camo. The hybrid powertrain works well and the car feels good to drive. Kia could well have cracked the compact SUV hybrid segment and produced an interesting alternative to the Toyota Prius.

Kia is putting the final touches to a radical rival for Toyota’s all-conquering Prius. Due to launch late next year, the hybrid crossover has been designed to create a brand new market segment – and Auto Express has driven it.

In a surprising move, Kia has decided to call the hybrid crossover ‘Niro’. Up until now, Niro has been the name assigned to Kia’s 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show concept car, and widely thought would be used on the production car that’ll do battle with the Nissan Juke and replace Kia’s aging Venga compact MPV in 2018. However, bosses have deemed the name to be more suitable for its first ever hybrid crossover.

In fact, the Niro will be the first small SUV crossover that uses a hybrid powertrain on the market for now. At 4,355mm long it fits between the Soul and new Sportage in the size. And while it looks wider than the new Sportage, the Niro is actually 55mm narrower – a look that’s helped by the squatter roofline – and it sits 100mm lower, too.

Our pictures help to give an idea of the proportions of the car, but sadly don’t reveal the stylistic details. Auto Express was treated to a walk-around of an un-camouflaged car at Kia’s top-secret R&D facility in Namyang, South Korea, and it was clear to see it looks different from any other Kia on sale – it’s quite plain. Kia’s trademark ‘Tiger Nose’ is present but it’s thinner and wider on the Niro – it’s similar to the grille used on the recently facelifted Cee’d but has a thick black outer lip surrounding a chrome strip. Underneath there’s a secondary grille with horizontal LED day-running lights incorporated and to the outer edges of the bumper there are vertical vents. The headlights, however, are familiar and similar in design to the new Sportage.

It’s at the side where the plain styling is most obvious with only a thick bump strip covering the lower edge of the doors, and body cladding around the wheelarches being the stylistic highlights. Our car’s 16-inch wheels looked a little lost in the arches but 18-inch alloys will also be available. Our pictures hide the gently arching roofline that’s topped off with a spoiler and frame the boxy rear-end; the light clusters with integrated LED brake lights are neat as is the rear-view camera that’s incorporated into the wiper.

The simple design continues on the inside, too. An uncluttered dashboard features a large touchscreen and rows of vertical buttons but it’s packed with the latest technology like wireless phone charging, Android Auto smartphone compatibility (Kia is working on adding Apple CarPlay, too) and luxury features such as heated and cooling seats and a heated steering wheel. Futuristic dials in the instrument cluster look neat, and there’s a long list of safety kit too including automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind sport monitoring and seven airbags.

The big news is that the Niro uses a brand new platform that was designed specifically for a hybrid powertrain. For now the platform is solely for the new crossover but in time it should underpin a number of new products including a Niro plug-in hybrid version. The Niro is powered by a 1.6-litre petrol engine pushing out 104bhp and 147Nm of torque, a 1.56 kWh lithium-polymer and a 32kW electric motor – all through a six-speed double clutch auto box. It’s easily one of the smoothest hybrids on sale and quietly slips between electric and petrol power modes around town – it’s only when accelerating hard when joining a motorway, for example, does the petrol engine make itself heard.

Our test drive included a few twisting roads and the Niro impressed with flat handling, decent body control, and direct and well-weighted steering. The ride seemed unnecessarily firm and it was difficult to brake smoothly with the pedal not giving enough ‘feel’, but the car was an early prototype and not tuned for UK roads. That said, there was plenty of driver adjustment in the wheel and seat, and there was plenty of rear leg and headroom. The boot was adequate too thanks to the battery being mounted under the rear seat.

The Niro is just one of a raft of models Kia is bringing to market over the next five years. When it’s launched in around 12 months time, it’ll be joined by the new Optima, Optima Plug-in Hybrid and new Sportage. The year after will see the next Rio supermini and the Niro Plug-in Hybrid while 2018 is earmarked for a brand new Cee’d hatchback and a Nissan Juke-sized crossover. Towards the end of the decade, Kia will also a launch a fuel-cell car allowing the Korean firm to compete against the new Toyota Mirai, Honda FCV Clarity and its sister firm’s Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell.

 

Key specs

• Price: £25,000 (est)
• Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl petrol and electric motor
• Power: 104bhp (combined)
• Torque: 217Nm (combined)
• Transmission: Six-speed auto
• 0-62mph: n/a
• Top speed: n/a
• Economy: 60mpg (est)
• CO2: Less than 90g/km

Kia Sportage

 

Stylish looks, a seven-year warranty and great-value price tag make the Kia Sportage a desirable crossover.

 

Kia’s mid-sized Sportage crossover SUV has certainly struck a chord with car buyers, who are attracted by its combination of good looks, great value and seven-year warranty.

As a rival for the best-selling Nissan Qashqai, it competes well, offering decent practicality and very generous equipment levels, although it may not have quite the same feel-good quality inside that the best cars in this class offer. Nor is the Sportage the sharpest car in its class to drive.

The Kia’s core strength lies in a mix of spaciousness, style, practical features and low cost of ownership, on these criteria it ranks right up there with the best crossovers on the market.

Since its launch in 2010, the Kia Sportage has taken the crossover market by storm. This is a stylish SUV that takes the fight to the Mazda CX-5 and Nissan Qashqai. Thanks to its modern looks, generous equipment list and solid build quality, it’s one of the best cars in the Korean brand’s range. It’s also Kia’s most popular model in the UK.

There’s no doubt that, even five years since it was launched, the Sportage still cuts a dash in the mid-sized crossover class. It’s one of the first complete cars to be designed by Kia styling chief Peter Schreyer, and the elegant lines mean it really stands out. It’s arguably more interesting to look at than more premium rivals such as the BMW X1 and Volkswagen Tiguan, and it still looks good compared to the new Qashqai.

In 2014, the Kia Sportage was given a bit of a nip and tuck, adding a revised grille, new LED tail-lights and a ‘shark fin’ roof antenna to keep it looking sharp. The revisions also added even more equipment for no extra cost.

The car is backed by an industry-leading seven-year warranty and, as with many rivals, it comes with the option of two- or four-wheel drive for go-anywhere capability. The Sportage is available with a 1.6-litre GDi petrol engine, 1.7-litre CRDi diesel or a 2.0-litre CRDi diesel, but none of them can match the latest equivalent engines fitted to rivals for emissions or economy.

If you opt for the Sportage in front-wheel drive entry-level diesel form, you’ll benefit from 54mpg fuel economy but that’s well behind the greenest versions of Mazda’s CX-5 and the Nissan Qashqai.
Whichever engine you choose, there are four trim levels (numbered 1 to 4), and cars with four-wheel drive add a ‘KX’ prefix. Its car-like driving dynamics are a bonus, but rivals such as the Mazda CX-5 have now overtaken the Sportage in the driving enjoyment stakes.

Perhaps the biggest plus point for the Sportage is that despite its extensive standard kit, it’s still affordable to buy – and thousands of pounds cheaper than the basic Ford Kuga. Head to the Kia website and you can often find some decent finance and lease deals, too.

Although the Kia Sportage's styling still looks bang up to date, the drive is now showing its age. A combination of hefty weight and soft suspension means it suffers from a lot of body roll and not huge amounts of grip. If you want a sporty drive from your SUV, you’re better off with a Mazda CX-5.

While the steering and chassis lack precision and agility, the Sportage has a softer, more composed ride than many rivals. The downside to the softness in the suspension is that it can make the Sportage feel a bit bouncy on rough roads and produces quite a bit of lean in corners. The manual gearbox has a rather notchy shift, too.
Decent forward visibility makes the Sportage a doddle to drive around town, although the small windows and thick roof pillars hamper all-round visibility. Thanks to a soundproofed windscreen and new suspension bushings, road noise levels are pleasantly subdued.

If you’re planning on going off-road, the 2.0-litre diesel is available with intelligent four-wheel-drive. The system’s easy-to-use 4x4 lock switch helps with traction in slippery or difficult terrain.

You have a choice of three different engines, starting with an entry-level 1.6-litre petrol or 1.7-litre diesel, which drive the front wheels only. The 1.6 GDI petrol has 131bhp and feels fairly lively at low speeds, but becomes a bit breathless on the motorway. This 1.6 petrol unit feels the most refined of all the Sportage engines, but the diesels’ blend of performance and efficiency make them more desirable – and they are the ones we’d recommend.

While the 1.7 diesel has less power on paper (112bhp), its torque (or pulling power) is actually much stronger so it feels far more sprightly, especially at lower revs. It’s also better suited to long distance use than the 1.6 petrol.

The 2.0-litre diesel engine is available in two states of tune: 132bhp and 181bhp. If you need to do a lot of load-lugging or towing, these are the engine options to go for. And if you want a 4x4, it’ll have to be a 2.0 diesel – this is the only Sportage model to be offered with four-wheel drive.

It’s the same story if you want automatic: only 2.0-litre versions can be specified with auto. But we’d recommend the manual, as it suits the car better, is much smoother around town and cheaper to run.

As you’d expect from Kia, the Sportage represents excellent value for money – even if it commands a slight premium over models of old.

Competitive prices, a long list of standard equipment and the manufacturer’s trademark seven-year/100,000-mile warranty all help to boost its considerable showroom appeal. Kia also offers a pre-paid servicing pack that covers all routine maintenance for three years.

If keeping running costs to a minimum is a priority for you, steer clear of 4x4 and automatic transmission models, as their economy is worse and their CO2 emissions higher than the equivalent front-wheel drive and manual models.

Overall, the Sportage’s mpg and CO2 emissions are a bit of a let-down. The most efficient model is the front-wheel drive 1.7-litre CRDi diesel, which promises average fuel consumption of 54.3mpg and 135g/km emissions – decent but not quite as good as equivalent rivals from Mazda and Nissan.

The 2.0 CRDi (132bhp) isn’t far behind at 49.6mpg and 149g/km, but the 1.6 petrol (41.5mpg) and high-power 181bhp 2.0 CRDi auto (39.2mpg) are disappointing from a fuel economy point-of-view.

Kia’s design chief Peter Schreyer has built up a formidable reputation for creating good-looking cars. The Sportage – which shares its Cee’d-derived platform with the Hyundai ix35 – was one of Schreyer’s first full designs for the company. Even after five years on sale, it still looks distinctive, with a large grille and headlamps up front, and a low roofline and small window area.

Styling updates made in 2014 have left the Kia Sportage largely unchanged, with the only revisions being larger xenon headlights, a new grille design and revised tail-lamps. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as the car manages to look chunky without being too imposing, and from some angles – especially the rear – its smart design isn’t as fussy as the Qashqai’s.

Trim levels 3 and above add 18-inch alloy wheels, which fill the arches nicely, while black plastic wheel arch extensions, chrome trim and silver roof rails boost the rugged off-roader looks.

Inside, Kia has made revisions to help give the Sportage a lift. The original car had a lot of black plastic inside, but it now features matt grey trim on the dash and around the gearlever to break up the monotony. Plus, many of the plastics have been finished in what Kia calls soft nano paint, which feels rubbery to touch.

The other big change is a new instrument pod ahead of the driver. The speedo and rev counter are now positioned either side of a larger colour TFT trip computer display. However, the angle and curve of the glass can reflect the sun from some angles, which obscures the dials. The rest of the Sportage’s cabin is largely unchanged, which means it’s decently built, but it’s a little uninspiring due to its dark colours.

In size terms, the Sportage is middle-of-the-table compared to rivals. At 4,440mm long, it’s shorter than the Ford Kuga (4,524mm) but it’s longer than the Nissan Qashqai (which measures 4,377mm long) and broader than both (at 1,855mm wide).

While rear-seat space is good, taller passengers will notice that headroom is a bit tight, especially if you go for a model fitted with a panoramic glass roof. The high floor does mean that there’s no transmission tunnel for middle-seat passengers to deal with, though, and foot space is reasonable here. You can even fit three adults across the back seat in reasonable comfort, and fitting child seats is easy using the seatbelts or Isofix.

Space up front, meanwhile, is very generous indeed, but the seats don’t offer as much support as some rivals’, which could cause a bit of backache on long runs.

The Kia Sportage has a very large 564-litre boot, which is bigger than either the Nissan Qashqai or the Skoda Yeti. Its low loading lip also makes lifting luggage in and out easier than in many rivals. What’s more, leather straps attached to the 60/40 split rear seatbacks mean they’re easy to fold down. Do this and you have 1,353 litres of storage at your disposal, with a flat floor to make sliding objects in and out very easy.

Under the boot floor you’ll find extra storage space, which is great for stashing valuables out of sight. The Sportage also features a 12V power socket and storage bin on one side of the boot, while the other side holds the subwoofer for the stereo – although this doesn’t hurt boot space at all. Commendably, a full-size spare wheel is provided on all models.

All models have a maximum unbraked towing capacity of 750kg, while the braked figure ranges from 1,200kg, rising to 1,600kg for all-wheel drive models with automatic transmission, and 2,000kg for all-wheel drive manuals.

Kia is clearly confident in the reliability of its Sportage: as with all Kia models, the Sportage range is covered by an industry-leading warranty that lasts seven years or 100,000 miles (whichever comes first).

That’s backed up to a certain degree in the results of our 2014 Driver Power survey, where the pre-facelift Kia Sportage ranked 72nd out of 150 cars. In the 2015 survey, however, the Sportage had slipped to 122^nd place out of 200.

It’s worth noting that the Sportage was recalled due to a potential fault with the seatbelt pretensioner. On the plus side, the only cars affected were built from October 2011 to November 2012, and it’s believed that no injuries have occurred as a result of the problem.

In most other respects, the Kia has a solid range of safety features: six airbags, active head restraints, stability control, hill start assist, trailer stability assist and tyre-pressure monitoring are all standard. However, this is far from being a class-leading car in safety terms.

For instance, kit such as lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist and low-speed collision avoidance aren’t available, even as options – many rivals have these as standard nowadays. Euro NCAP hasn’t tested the Sportage, so we can’t comment on its crash protection.

Overall build quality is very good, although it’s not difficult to find some cheap-feeling switches and hard plastic in the cabin.

Kia Pro_cee'd GT 2015

The revised Kia Cee’d GT has taken a step upmarket, but with it comes a sizeable increase in price. It’s good to drive, and comes loaded with kit, we just question its place in such a busy and competitive sector. If you want a hot hatch, the Ford Focus ST makes more financial sense, while the Pro_cee’d’s lesser 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo ticks all the right boxes if you value rock-bottom running costs.

The Kia Pro_cee’d GT has never quite cut it alongside cars like the SEAT Leon Cupra or Volkswagen Golf GTI. But with prices starting from just over £20,000, it made up what it lacked in pace, with outstanding value for money.

However, the entire Kia Cee’d range has just undergone a mid-life facelift and along with tweaked styling and an updated colour palette, Kia has also added £2,900 to the cost of its flagship GT hot hatch. It means that, at £23,105, this three-door pro_cee’d GT is now £610 more than a basic Ford Focus ST. And that gets an extra 46bhp – along with a pair of rear doors.

There’s now only one specification available on the top-spec GT, with Kia removing the GT ‘Tech’ with this mid-life update. That means all cars now benefit from new 18-inch alloy wheels, automatic xenon headlamps, heated Recaro seats, sat-nav and a colour reversing camera. DAB, dual-zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers and a heated steering wheel are also included.

Elsewhere, Kia has installed an electronic sound generator to all GT models. There’s a GT button on the new flat-bottomed steering wheel, which when pressed, pumps an artificially synthesised engine sound into the cabin under acceleration. We’ve become quite accustomed to these systems in cars like the Peugeot 308 and BMW M4 – and the Kia’s is among the best executed of any we’ve tried. While it never feels truly natural, it certainly adds to the overall driving experience.

Updates to the existing 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine ensure peak torque is now available from just 1,500rpm, rather than 1,750rpm in the old model. While that undoubtedly makes the car more urgent at low revs, you’d have to drive the two back-to-back to notice any difference. It’ll cost the same to tax as before, too, and you won’t save any money at the pumps.

It may not have the spine shearing acceleration of the hottest, hot hatches, but there’s enough in reserve to put a smile on your face, and the well-weighted, direct steering and precise gearbox ensures the GT can be nicely rewarding on the right road.

 

Key specs

• Price: £23,105
• Engine: 1.6-litre 4cyl turbo petrol
• Power/torque: 201bhp/265Nm
• Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
• 0-60mph/Top speed: 7.3s/143mph
• Economy/CO2: 38.2mpg/170g/km

New Kia Cee'd 1.6

The new dual-clutch gearbox is a worthy addition to the tried and tested Kia Cee’d range, bringing welcome gains in fuel economy and a decent drop in CO2 emissions. The 1.6-litre diesel engine is new as well, but despite a jump in power, still can’t match the smooth options from VW or even Vauxhall. This top-spec hatch is expensive, too.

Back in May we visited Kia’s state of the art European factory in Slovakia to help build the one millionth Cee’d. Just four months later the brand has facelifted its second-generation family hatch with updated styling, new engines and a fresh seven-speed dual clutch gearbox.

We drove a range of revised models – including the 1.0-litre three-cylinder – a few weeks ago, but as with any new car, the true test comes when it arrives in the UK.

As popular as these scaled-down turbocharged petrol engines are, a considerable 40 per cent of Cee'd sales are still accounted for by diesels. So a new 1.6-litre CRDi is an important introduction for the Korean car maker.

On paper, this four-cylinder unit sees CO2 emissions drop by 10g/km, while fuel economy for the manual car jumps to an impressive 78.5mpg. However, the biggest gains are on the automatic model, where this seven-speed dual clutch trumps the old six-speed torque converter by almost 25 per cent.
That means emissions are down to 109g/km (from 145g/km) and fuel economy is up to 67.3mpg (from 51.4mpg). Not quite as frugal as the manual – but impressive nonetheless.

The engine is more powerful too, and feels it in near enough every situation. The 0-60mph sprint takes just 10.2 seconds (compared to 11.3 seconds in the old car), while a 40Nm bump in torque to 300Nm ensures it also feels quicker in gear.

It’s still not as refined as some of its European competitors, emitting a mildly intrusive clatter on start up and at low revs – but settle into a cruise and it’ll plod along nicely. What’s more, plant your foot at motorway speeds and it’ll surge forward, letting you overtake slower moving traffic more easily.

The gearbox is the biggest revelation though. It feels smooth and quick to react – especially at the top end, where it shifts from sixth to seventh without you noticing. There’s a pair of (admittedly cheap-feeling) steering wheel mounted paddles too, so you can even have a bit of fun if you find yourself on a twisting back road.

But don’t expect Kia to have transformed the Cee’d into a Ford Focus-fighting drivers car. Despite tweaks to the chassis and suspension, this remains a car that prioritises comfort over dynamics. It’s impressively composed over lumps and bumps, but throw it into a bend and the lifeless steering does little to instil confidence. That said, there’s plenty of grip and providing you don’t push too hard, too often, it’ll prove a satisfying enough car to live with.

All models are now available in sporty GT Line trim, though our car came in the slightly more restrained, yet still well-equipped ‘4’ specification. At £23,730 (for five doors, a diesel engine and an auto gearbox) it does look expensive – especially next to the SEAT Leon FR 2.0 TDI DSG – but you will benefit from a quite extraordinary list of standard kit. Interior quality is good, too, and rapidly approaching German levels of solidity.

All ‘4’ models get 17-inch alloy wheels, heated leather seats and steering wheel, keyless entry and go, an LCD high-definition display and a panoramic roof. That’s not to mention the adaptive xenon headlights, 10-way adjustable driver’s seat, front and rear parking sensors, and Smart Park Assist system. You’d have to spend quite a bit more on an equally-equipped VW Group car.

 

Key specs

• Price: £23,730
• Engine: 1.6-litre 4cyl diesel
• Power/torque: 134bhp/300Nm
• Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch auto, front-wheel drive
• 0-60mph: 10.2 seconds
• Top speed: 124mph
• Economy/CO2: 67.3mpg/109g/km
• On sale: October 2015

Kia Rio

The Rio offers space, value, quality and Kia's trademark seven year warranty, but isn't quite the class leader.

 

The latest-generation Rio, launched in 2011 and facelifted for 2015, marked the point Kia began their push away from bargain-basement value small cars, to challenge the class lead. Since then the supermini class has got even tougher, but the Rio can still hold its head high amongst cars such as the Hyundai i20 and new Vauxhall Corsa.

Thanks to its smart looks, spacious and high-quality cabin and prices that start from £10,145, the Rio is a practical and affordable compact hatchback – if you’re after driving thrills at this level, then the Fiesta and Mazda 2 are better bet, but if usability and fuel economy are top of your list then the Rio fits the bill.

Kia’s stop-start equipped 1.1-litre turbodiesel emits just 86g/km CO2, making it one of Britain’s most efficient cars. Road tax is free, and this version of the Rio will return up to 85.6mpg according to Kia.

Alongside this there’s another 1.1 diesel, as well as a 1.4-litre unit with both receiving stop-start. If you’re preference is for a petrol engine Kia offers a 1.25- and a 1.4-litre unit. As of 2015 the 1.4 can be hards with stop/start, but there are no smaller capacity turbocharged petrols, similar to those offered on the Rio’s competitors, until the end of 2015.

There are six different trim levels to choose from, starting with the entry-level Rio 1. There are a few stand-out versions in the range, including the SR7, 1 Air and high-spec 4 models, while all engines are available in three- and five-door guise – although the latter brings with it more practicality thanks to the rear doors, it also adds an extra £600 to the price. However, given the rear doors make the most of the Kia’s roomy interior, we’d recommend spending the extra.

Basic versions don’t get much equipment as standard, but all Rios do come with Kia’s impressive seven-year warranty.

Our choice: Rio 1.1 CRDi SR7

The Kia Rio is characterised by a high-quality interior, with an easy-to-fathom layout, solid plastics all-round and, on the 2015 facelift, some more upmarket touches such as gloss black trim and a new touchscreen infotainment system.

The Rio gets a three-dial instrument cluster, and toggle switches on the centre console, which are neat touches. The three-door Kia Rio is sportier than the five-door, but both versions get sculpted flanks, a swooping roofline and are designed with the European market in mind. The facelift is very modest, but the Rio is still an attractive car that didn't require an overhaul.

Both the three-door and five-door models are available in a wide variety of paint finishes, including Blaze Red, Bright Silver, Electric Blue, Midnight Black, Graphite, and Clear White.

Entry-level cars have to do without alloy wheels, so if you want the extra style these rims bring you’ll have to upgrade to the sportier Rio SR7. However, all models still get electric front windows, a trip computer, steering wheel-mounted controls and Bluetooth connectivity. 1 Air, as the name suggests, introduces air-conditioning and is only available as a five-door, costing £11,345.

Next up is 2 specification, which gets 16-inch alloys, front fog lights, a DAB radio (as of 2015), heated door mirrors and electric windows all-round, with prices starting from £11,245 for the three-door model.

Meanwhile, the high-spec £13,445 Kia Rio 3 boasts LED daytime running lights, automatic headlights with cornering function, parking sensors, a seven-inch touschreen inoftainment and nav system, climate control, cruise control and 17-inch alloy wheels. The top of the range Rio 4 adds an electric sunroof, leather trim, a heated steering wheel as well as keyless go and costs £14,545.

On the road, the Kia Rio is a worthy alternative to many superminis, but it still can't match the Ford Fiesta for driving fun. With a new crop of rivals now hitting the market – including the Vauxhall Corsa and Mazda 2 – it struggles to tick many boxes for the enthusiastic driver. One of the Kia’s major problems is its steering – it can be a bit vague at times and doesn't fill you with the same confidence that the class best do.

The pay-off for a lack of fun is decent ride quality. Larger wheels on the pre-facelift car can make it a bit stiff and thumpy, but smaller wheels are fine and the 2015 updates made it a reasonably comfortable long-distance cruiser.

 The entry-level 1.25-litre petrol delivers 83bhp and 122Nm of torque, as well as this, it's hooked up to a five-speed manual gearbox, helping it reach 0-60mph in 12.9 seconds. The 107bhp 1.4-litre petrol, meanwhile, is the only Kia Rio to get an automatic gearbox – it’s a four-speed transmission and we’d recommend sticking with the six-speed manual alternative.

The 1.4-litre is the current pick of the petrols, with strong performance once you rev it out. But it still doesn't feel as muscular as the torquey turbocharged petrols in the Corsa, Polo and Fiesta, for example, while fuel economy is only average.

Diesel options include a 74bhp 1.1-litre three-cylinder and an 89bhp 1.4-litre, four-cylinder CRDi. Both offer great efficiency but neither is especially punchy. The Kia Rio is really good on the motorway, though; road and wind noise are kept to a minimum.

The Kia Rio was awarded a full five-star rating in Euro NCAP’s crash tests, scoring an impressive 92 per cent for adult occupant protection and 86 per cent in the safety assist category. ESP is fitted as standard and there's an Emergency Stop Signalling system, too. All Kia Rios come with driver, passenger, side and curtain airbags.

In the Auto Express Driver Power 2015 satisfaction survey, the Rio finished in a reasonable 39th place. But that's down from a superb 5th last year, mainly due to the lack of a touchscreen until this year and a slight drop in reliability, and it should bounce back in 2016.

The Kia Rio comes with the industry-leading seven-year warranty, too. The only negative thing we can say about the car in this department is that the door handles are a bit flimsy, but other than that, it's one of the best-built Kias yet. 

Despite its compact dimensions, the Kia Rio is surprisingly roomy inside, and there's plenty of space for two adults in the rear. Kia claims the Rio offers best-in-class head and legroom for those upfront, while the steering wheel features two-way height adjustment on all but the entry-level diesel model.

With 288 litres of luggage space the Rio’s boot is on par with rivals like the Ford Fiesta – however, newer rivals like the Renault Clio and Hyundai i20 offer more space.

All trim levels come with split folding rear seats that increases the boot space to 923 litres. At the front of the cabin, a useful storage area sits below the heating control panel, which is ideal for mobile phones, wallets and keys. The door bins are shallow but can easily hold a large water bottle. Parking the Kia Rio is easy thanks to its compact dimensions and tight turning circle.

As mentioned earlier, the engine range on offer has been tuned with running costs in mind. The 1.1-litre CRDi 1 model, which features EcoDynamics and stop-start, delivers a claimed fuel consumption figure of 85.6mpg and emits a cost-effective 86g/km of CO2.  It's probably the pick of the limited engine range because of this.

The 1.4 CRDi is amazingly cheap to run, too, offering 74.3mpg combined and emitting 98g/km of CO2, so it’s also road rax free. The 1.25- and 1.4-litre petrol models are competitive with other petrol-powered superminis, and the 1.25 still returns low emissions at 114g/km of CO2. Kia Rio insurance group ratings range from two to seven, and the fantastic seven-year/100,000-mile warranty should provide peace of mind.

With stop/start now available, the petrols now both offer claimed economy in the mid-fifties. But a turbocharged petrol, due towards the end of the year, should see this figure move towards the class leaders.

Kia Venga

   

The Kia Venga has made a big impact in mini MPV sector, with great space and strong value.

 

The Kia Venga proves that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to get a truly practical family car. This supermini MPV combines practicality and value for money to great effect, and as a result has made a big impact on this class of the market.

The car has recently received a mid-life refresh in a similar way to the latest Picanto city car with tweaked exterior styling including new alloy wheels designs, a larger front grille, deeper air inlets and daytime running lights.

Another big part of the appeal is the industry-leading seven-year warranty Kia offers – this shows the manufacturer’s confidence that the car won’t suffer any problems, and provides buyers with real peace of mind. The only potential fly in the ointment is the firm suspension, which can make for a rather uncomfortable ride over rough road surfaces.

Plus, as spacious and practical as the interior is, it trails rivals like the Honda Jazz and Ford B-MAX by a long way in terms of quality – the Venga hasn’t caught up with the level of fit and finish found in newer cars from Kia.

Most buyers will be able to put up with this when they look at the price, though: the basic 1 model represents brilliant value for money, while even the more expensive, gadget-packed flagship 3 looks tempting.

Our Choice: Venga 2 EcoDynamics 1.4 CRDi

As with the recently-revised Kia Picanto, it’s a game of spot the difference to tell this Venga apart from the previous model. But Kia has given its supermini-MPV a revised front-end design, with a larger version of its trademark ‘tiger nose’ grille as well as a larger lower air inlet that incorporates the Venga’s foglamps and daytime running lights.

There are a few other styling tweaks, including some new alloy wheel designs across the range, but the visual differences really are minimal – and in our test car’s £490 optional Silver Storm metallic paint, the Venga’s soft, rounded shape appears a little drab.

though it might not be the most stylish five-door on sale, the extra height works wonders for practicality, adding extra room inside. Kia might not have focused too much on changing the exterior design, as the basic look worked and the family resemblance was already present, but the interior has come in for more attention – there are now some smarter trim details that brighten up the functional layout. And although you don’t get that many gadgets on the lower-spec models, a tyre pressure monitor is now fitted as standard across the range.

Also included are core features like air-conditioning, Bluetooth and rear parking sensors, while a digital radio is the only real option on mid-spec '2' versions. As on many Kias, this is a £250 dealer-fit extra.
As a result of all this, it’s not the most sparkling cabin, but it does feel hard-wearing and build quality is good. In this sector, where practicality rules, it’s these qualities that can make the difference, and the Kia scores well here, even if it is a little short on flair.

There’s a wide choice of engines in the Kia Venga. Entry-level 1 models come with 1.4-litre petrol or diesel engines, both with 89bhp and a manual gearbox only, while if you go for 2 spec, you also get the option of a 123bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine with an automatic box.

Buyers choosing the top-spec Venga 3 and Venga 4 models can pick from the 123bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine with manual or automatic transmissions, or a 114bhp 1.6-litre CRDi diesel manual – and the latter is the cleanest and most economical model in the range.

In fact, diesel will be the best bet for most buyers, as the 1.4 and 1.6 CRDi engines combine stronger efficiency with decent mid-range performance, and their six-speed manual boxes serve up greater long distance refinement. With quick, if lifeless, steering and reasonable grip, the Venga is surprisingly agile on twisting back roads.

Longer-travel suspension means there’s a noticeable amount of body roll if you’re a little too energetic with your corner entry speed, and the squidgy steering doesn’t give much feedback – but the Venga is more about relaxed cruising in urban areas than blasting down a country road.

Here it makes more sense, with a soft chassis set-up that soaks up cracked roads and rutted tarmac well. On the motorway, the Venga is refined and offers smooth cruising ability, while even on B-roads it’s comfortable, floating nicely over bumps. It never feels engaging, though, and it’s a shame that the engine lacks any real shove, even if the light five-speed manual gearbox is pleasant to use.

Compared to some of its rivals, the new updated Venga should also be reassuring to run, as Kia finished our Driver Power 2015 satisfaction survey in 19th position. This isn’t the best performance, but its reliability scores were more impressive.

The brand’s dealer network fared much better, however, coming in 10th place in our last survey. We’ve not heard of any major problems with the Venga, but it only just made our Driver Power top 200 best cars to live with – owners ranked it 197th.

Euro NCAP crash tested the previous Venga in 2010, and although it performed well, scoring a full five-star rating, the assessment has changed since then. Still, we’d expect the new car to fare as well now, with six airbags and ESP as standard. There’s a hill start assist function, too, and the car will flash the hazard lights under hard braking to warn drivers behind.

Things get brighter for the Kia when it comes to practicality: in its regular five-seat configuration, the 440-litre boot is the biggest here, helped by the rear seat bench which can slide back and forward by up to 130mm, giving a good amount of rear legroom.

With the back seats down, luggage capacity rises to 1,253 litres, which isn’t as big as in the Ford B-MAX or Nissan Note, but still plenty. It’s more impressive that the load bay is so spacious in five-seat configuration.

There’s also a false boot floor for secure storage, and inside there are plenty of large compartments dotted around the high seating position. This means an excellent view of the road, too, while there’s a handy armrest for extra comfort on long journeys.

The Kia Venga represents strong value for money, undercutting less well equipped mainstream rivals on price. However, it doesn’t hold on to that price especially well – poor predicted residual values undermine the otherwise excellent financial case for this car. If low running costs are a priority, the diesel versions make the most sense.

The top-spec 1.6-litre CRDi EcoDynamics diesel is equipped with stop-start technology – Kia calls this Intelligent Stop and Go, or ISG – and promises fuel consumption of only 64.2mpg, while 117g/km CO2 emissions mean low road tax bills. ISG also cuts fuel and road tax bills on EcoDynamics versions of the 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrol cars.

But you don’t have to buy a high-spec Venga to get low fuel consumption and emissions: the 1.4-litre diesel delivers 62.8mpg and 119g/km even in the entry-level 1. The 1.4 CRDi also benefits from longer, 20,000-mile service intervals; most other versions of the Venga will need attention from your local dealer every 12,500 miles.

Air-conditioning and electric windows feature on all versions, while 2 trim and above gets a leather steering wheel and an iPod connection cable. If you can stretch to a Venga 3, you benefit from automatic air-con, cruise control, heated front seats and a cooling glovebox as standard. And the line-up ranges from insurance group seven to 15, depending on the spec you choose.