2009 Kia Rio5: What's New

Vehicle Overview
The Rio5 is Kia’s version of a sporty European hatchback. The Rio5 is related to Kia’s Rio sedan, which is listed separately in the Cars.com Research section. The Rio5 comes in moderately equipped LX and sporty SX trim levels. Kia’s Rio5 hatchback competes with other small hatchbacks, including the Chevrolet Aveo5, Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris.

New for 2009
The Rio5’s radio has been revised and now has Sirius Satellite Radio and MP3 compatibility; both trims get a USB jack for iPods. Some minor revisions were also made to the instrument and radio controls.

Exterior
Created with a European-inspired exterior, the Rio5 features a black mesh grille and swept-back headlights. The wheel well openings have a sculpted design, and its equipped with body-colored mirrors. The Rio5 is 158 inches long and 66.7 inches wide; its longer than the Yaris and Aveo5 but shorter than the Fit.

• Available 14-, 15- or 16-inch wheels
• Standard auto-off headlights
• Optional power heated mirrors
• Rear spoiler and fog lamps (SX)

Interior
The Rio5 can seat up to five and has a 60/40-split folding rear bench. The Rio5 SX has chrome dashboard accents and red stitching on the steering wheel, gearshift knob and door panels. A USB connector is now standard in both the LX and SX; redesigned gauge clusters for the radio and climate controls are also new.

The hatchback has 15.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat. With the backseat folded, space increases to 49.6 cubic feet. The cargo area beats out the Yaris and Aveo5, but it’s less than the Fit’s.

• Available cloth or sports-cloth upholstery
• Standard air conditioning
• Standard Sirius Satellite Radio
• Optional power windows and locks and keyless entry
• Optional steering-wheel-mounted controls
• Standard leather-wrapped steering wheel/shifter and metal-finished pedals (SX)

Under the Hood

• 110-horsepower, 1.6-liter inline-four-cylinder engine with 107 pounds-feet of torque
• Available five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission
• Standard speed-sensitive power steering

Safety
Considering its price and its competitors’ offerings, the Rio comes fairly well equipped with safety features.

• Standard side-impact airbags
• Standard side curtain airbags
• Standard child-safety locks
• Optional antilock brakes with rear discs