Kia Rio

Our verdict

If dullness was a winning feature then consider the Kia Rio hatchback a gold medal winner. Dull, dull, dull. But cheap and well-equipped. But dull.

Comfort

OK, so the Rio rides well. It might not iron out absolutely everything that the UK can throw at it, but there's a lot to be said for not being a Picanto.

Performance

Choose between a 1.4-litre petrol engine or a 1.5-litre diesel. Both are pretty loud, but the 108bhp diesel is the best bet; 0-62mph in 11.5 seconds and on to 110mph. The petrol only manages 95bhp, takes 12.3 to get to 62mph on its way to a similar top speed.

Cool

Straight to video.

Quality

At least the engines should be reliable - they've been around for long enough - but the revised interior is spoiled somewhat by cheap plastics and some wandering shutlines. A place where you can see the budget cuts before your very eyes.

Handling

The Rio won't crash and envelops itself in safe, predictable and incredibly early understeer to make sure that fun doesn't ever happen. It's not actively bad, it just discourages all but the most practical of driving styles.

Practicality

The boot is tiny for the class at 270litres, but at least you can seat four. And you won't care about parking dents, so that's a bonus.

Running costs

The diesel will get more than 60mpg supposedly and comes in at insurance group 4, so the Rio will be cheap to run. If you buy one new, be ready for depreciation graph that looks like something from a Wall Street office wall, circa 1930.