Kia Rio - Complete Sedan on a Small Scale

Kia has had 17 straight years of annual growth--an amazing record. Coming from nowhere (well, Korea actually), the expanding range of attractive and high-quality vehicles is one of the industry's success stores of the last several years of angst.

The Rio is Kia's entry-level car, but it is hardly plain or spartan. You can choose a five-door hatchback or a four-door sedan depending on your needs, and pick the entry LX, midrange EX or top SX level. I recently tested the SX sedan, and I drove the 2012 SX hatchback last year. My sedan tester, in Signal Red paint, got another upgrade, with the Premium Package, available only on the SX. Imagine, in the smallest car in the lineup, leather seats--heated in front--, power sunroof, push botton start with a smart key, and a well-equipped navigation system. It's mind-boggling how much Kia packs into the little car.

I call it little, but driving around in it is anything but confining. The 101.2-inch wheelbase helps make this smallest of Kias a compact, not a subcompact, ride. The trunk holds almost 14 cubic feet, which was plenty for groceries and bass amplifiers. The rear seats have room for real people, too. There isn't any feeling of sacrifice driving it.

The standard and only engine is a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that puts out 138 horsepower. You can order a  manual six-speed in the LX level only. The SX offers paddle shifters on the steering column, just like the expensive cars, for a higher entertainment value. I only used them for a minute and they work fine, but it's not the same as driving a true manual. In this case, the manual is on the LX, I think, to allow Kia to offer a car at a lower price point. Most American buyers won't go for it.

The Rio is the first non-hybrid vehicle outside the luxury segment to offer Idle Stop and Go (ISG) technology. I recently experienced this in a $120,000 BMW, and it's normal for cars like the Toyota Prius. The technology turns off the engine at stoplights, restarting automatically when the driver releases the brake. It can be disconcerting if you don't know it's there, but it saves gas.

The EPA gives the Rio with automatic economy ratings of 28 City, 36 Highway, 31 Combined. I averaged around 26 mpg. It was hard to run a long-term number since the car resets the fuel economy gauge with each gas fill-up, and you need to do these often as the tank is pretty small.

The car moves along fine in traffic, but if you need to accelerate on an incline, you'll hear the automatic downshift, and a lot more sound will emanate from beneath the hood. I was able to keep up with traffic under these conditions but not accelerate significantly. That's one place where the entry role of the Rio is apparent.

The interior, however, does not give an entry-level appearance. The materials are good and fit together well. There is some metallic-looking trim, and in the SX, you get metal pedals--a very sporty-looking feature. The steering wheel tilts and telescopes. In the attractive gauges, including a 140-mph speedometer, the needles do a dramatic sweep across their faces when you start up the car.

The seats are firm and flat, but I got used to them. The seat heaters work well. Placing your hands on a leather wheel and shift knob in this size and level of car truly upgrades the experience.

Price? The LX with manual transmission starts at just $14,400. The SX begins at $18,500. My test car, though, with the Premium Package and a couple of other small items, came to $21,340. Is that a lot for Kia's entry-level car? Considering the comfort, utility, perceived quality and attractive looks, it could be a deal. And don't forget about that 10-year, 100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty.

Hyundai Genesis Coupe - Moving Up Again

Photo: Victor Llana (www.boundlesscaptures.com)

Hyundai, and its sister division, Kia, have been on a happy upswing for a while now. I like to think that they took Toyota and Honda as the models of success, although whether there's an actual correlation between the two Korean brands and the two Japanese ones is debatable.

Think of this. The first Hyundai in the U.S. was the Excel. Excel is something it didn't do--it was pretty poor. It was cheap, though, and you got what you paid for. But then, the cars got progressively better and better, and better looking, too. The Koreans at Hyundai studied the Japanese models just mentioned. So now, you have the excellent Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio at the bottom, the Hyundai Elantra and Kia Forte a step up, then the midsize Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima. All are doing very well, thank you. I've driven them all.

But what about moving upward? What about giving more performance and luxury? Ask no more. From Hyundai, you can get the Genesis sedan or coupe. Think of it as the Korean Lexus--or Acura. But, unlike those to esteemed brands, there is no separate showroom. You can go into any Hyundai dealership and pick one up today. That saved Hyundai a wad of cash--and the positive vibes rub off on all of the other, more modest vehicles in the fleet. Smart.

I just spent a week with the 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe, specifically the 3.8 R-Spec. It impressed the heck out of me with its mighty 3.8-liter 348-horsepower V6 driving the rear wheels. The solid shifter action reminded me of a Nissan 370Z I drove not long ago. The clutch was a little tricky, with quick takeup, so I did stall it a few times at first.

Who would think you could get this kind of entertainment from Hyundai? The sedan exudes Mercedes-like elegance, but this coupe is a brawler. 348 horsepower is more than many Corvettes offer with their V8. And how about 20.4 miles per gallon? Official EPA average is 21 mpg, with 18 City and 27 Highway.

My Becketts Black tester mysteriously did without automatic climate control, which is probably standard in the Sonata, and the USB port is tucked away in a teeny little cubby up front--nice--but without enough room for the iPod, which has to hang out in one of the console cupholders. But despite that, and including lovely red leather bucket seats, the price came to $29,625--including shipping. That feels like a heck of a deal to me.

And now, how about the new Hyundai Equus? It's $60,000! What will they think of next?

Kia Rio - Small Car, Big Step Up

When you're selling in the lower end of the car market, it's easy to be dismissed as a cheap "econobox." The Kia Rio could be treated that way--but it would be a mistake. For 2012, it's not only better looking, but has the feel, inside and out, of a real car that's worth buying for its own sake--not just for the price.

Much of the goodness is its looks comes from the happy fact that Kia's design chief, Peter Schreyer, used to design Audis for a living. Everything Kia sells is getting a profound upgrade, and now, Kia's smallest vehicle in America has been hit with with the beauty brush (the opposite of an ugly stick). From the large headlight pods to the subtle scoops on the sides to the tightly integrated high taillamps,this car looks the part of a scrappy little hatchback now--or a tidy sedan, depending on which you choose.

I just spent a week driving back and forth to work and all over the place in a Signal Red Rio 5-door hatch. I got 29.6 miles per gallon in the process. It would probably have been a little higher if I had the manual transmission, but that's still quite good for a regular, non-hybrid vehicle.

Regarding the manual, it's available--but only on the LX base model, so ordering one would preclude some items I'd want, including Bluetooth, telescoping steering column and the standard audio system. The automatic worked fine with the 1.6-liter, 138-horsepower four-cylinder engine, and it wasn't too noisy in the cabin.

And what an interior you get now with this little car. While sister division Hyundai revels in swoops and curves, the little Kia is chunky and Teutonic--more like a VW Golf--and the flat, matte-finish dash is just one area where you can see the influence. The door armrests felt a little "sticky" with their soft plastic coating, but the overall sense of high quality, good design and attention to detail makes this car a whole lot nicer than the Kia Sephia I tested back in 1994.

Yes, the bass fits in there fine when you flip down the rear seats and remove the cargo cover. I had the scroll as an armrest, and it was the one time when I was glad I had an automatic.

My car, with SX model, with shipping, came to $18,545. Prices start at $14,350.

Things are going very well for the Korean manufacturers in the U.S. now, and that's because they're delivering what customers want--looks, features and price-and it's all backed up with a 10-year warranty.

Car Show Leaves Me Exhausted

I attended the 2011 San Francisco Auto Show yesterday. As a huge dealer showroom (plus more), there were lots and lots of cars there, and plenty of people looking at them.

We arrived just when it was opening, hoping to minimize the crowds on Black Friday. We needn't have worried--it never got too bad. Descending the staircase, we saw the Fisker Karma--a remarkable and expensive plug-in Hybrid vehicle--and the powerful and very expensive McClaren.

It was the 1959 Autobianchi near the stairs that really appealed to me, though (a similar car is shown in the photo).

We opted to turn left and start our tour at the Lexus stand. The brand new 2013 GS was on display and a young man was describing its wonders. Looked nice, with its spindle grille, but not particularly exciting.

The Ford/Lincoln display had some new models worth considering, including two important Fords--the 2013 Focus BEV all-electric vehicle and the 2013 Escape compact crossover SUV. The electric Focus, due early in 2012, will give the Nissan Leaf some direct competition with its estimated 100-mile driving range. The all-new Escape replaces an aging bestseller with the more stylish European Kuga.

At the Hyundai stand, the new Equus looked huge and over chromed--and overpriced. It's surely contains all the right stuff, though, so we'll see who goes for it. The new Hyundai Veloster sports sedan/coupe was there with its oddball four-door sedan left side and two-door coupe right side. It looks better than that might sound, and in bright colors, should be another hit for the rising Korean brand. The Hyundai Elantra Touring could be a nice ride. It comes standard with a five-speed manual transmission and starts at $16,000.

Speaking of Koreans, the new Kia Rio hatchback looked like a shrunken little brother of the remarkably appealing new Optima. So much going on with those two brands now.

GM had some fresh merchandise, with Buick's compact Verano--the smallest Buick in a long time--and the new full-size Cadillac XTS. I think both could be successful, but Buick is still struggling to entice folks used to buying import brands. At least at a car show people can get a feel for the new iron--although these two cars were perched up on stands away from the future buyers to sit in them and check out the interiors. Chevy's new 2013 Malibu sat right next to the 2012 model, showing the big changes--while keeping a smooth, handsome overall shape. This is a volume car and needs to be excellent to battle the dominant Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

The 2012 Camry, by the way, was there, ready to check out. The problem is, it's so subtly redone that buyers may not be aware that it's new. As a mainstream midsize (virtually fullsize) sedan, it needs to not upset anybody, but it may not entice anyone either.

As I kept moving through the show, I realized that I was getting tired. There were lots more cars there but they didn't move me. The new Subaru Impreza looked good but they still don't know how to draw a pretty face at that company. VW had a couple of new Beetles there, and that was fun. I've already driven one for a few minutes so it wasn't my first look, but the future of that model is probably in good hands with the new, sharper, lower, modern interpretation. With it's hatchback and drop down 2nd row seats, it could be a practical choice too.

There were loads of classic cars from the Academy of Art University collection and you could drive the Nissan Leaf in a short loop.

Oddly missing--Mercedes-Benz.

What to buy? I need a small wagon or hatchback with a folding rear seat. There were numerous options, with the Mazda3 with SKYACTIV technology looks promising, especially in bright blue paint. The grin up front is a little toned down now.

Exhausted, now I'll review my hoard of brochures and think about my favorites.