


The Most Efficient City Car 2019
Diesel engines are known as powerful machines, especially with abundant torque. In addition, this diesel-fueled engine tends to be more economical than conventional gasoline engines. In terms of torque, this is the Kia Rio with the greatest torque compared to conventional or turbo petrol engines. On paper, the diesel engine has a capacity of 1,400 cc with a maximum power of 90 hp at 4,000 rpm. Slightly smaller than the petrol engine which is 94 hp, but lower than the turbo version which is capable of producing a maximum power of 100 hp. As we alluded to earlier, the maximum torque of the Kia Rio diesel reaches 240 Nm at 1,500-2,500 rpm! Plenty of torque for a hatchback. Even the torque is twice that of the petrol version which is only 121.6 Nm. Sure enough, we felt the might of this torque when adventuring in the city of Lisbon, Portugal at the Kia Rio Media Test Drive event (1/2). Combined with a 6-speed manual transmission, even when the first gear you can feel the power with the car immediately stomping. In the lower rounds we feel the sensation of fun to drive both when shifting gears and maneuvering. The route we went through had quite a steep incline. Again, the Kia Rio diesel proves its toughness because for uphill terrain it can still be traversed in gear 3 or a speed of around 40-50 km/hour without any reduction in power.
Kia claims that the Rio diesel is not only powerful but also more efficient than other engine variants. From the results of their tests, the Kia Rio diesel was able to achieve fuel consumption of 26.3 km/liter! In Europe, the diesel engines we tried had many differences, especially features. Like the smartkey and start/stop button which the petrol variant doesn’t have. This makes it easier for the driver not to need to enter the key to start the engine. Comfort is also designed differently because all the seats are covered in leather. The dashboard color is also made in two tones, namely red and black. It gives off a sporty aura, in contrast to the petrol engine which is more towards the elegant design of the interior. Unlike the interior which looks different, on the exterior there is no difference from the other variants. The dimensions are the same with a wheelbase of 2,580 mm, length 4,065 mm, width 1,725 ​​mm and height 1,450 mm. The exterior design of the Kia Rio is now more sporty. ‘U’ shaped DRL lamps which at first glance are similar to Audi headlights. The grille is still with the identity of the Tiger Nose but there are no more honeycomb-shaped air holes which are replaced with black. LED lights with a pattern like a row of boomerangs are the center of attention on the back of the Kia Rio. The A-pillar frame looks slimmer so that it no longer obstructs the driver’s view when looking sideways. Unfortunately, this Kia Rio diesel seems difficult to sell in Indonesia considering the quality of good diesel fuel is not evenly distributed. Although it is possible if PT Kia Motors Indonesia dares to make this big decision.