Kia Rio Hatchback Cyan

In a supermini’s most usual setting – around town – the Rio is in its element. The light steering makes getting around town simplicity itself, much helped by the good view to the front and sides. When you escape the urban jungle, you’ll find the car sits very securely on the road, and even in torrential rain, the Rio felt very sure-footed through the bends and at cruising speeds. Our only disappointment was that the price you seem to pay for that sure-footed feel is a firm ride, at least on the bigger wheel option we tried. Kia does a fine line in user-friendly cabins, and the Rio is yet another example. The chunky controls and bulbous buttons are pretty much the definition of ‘easy to use’, and it’s fantastically simple for pretty much anyone to settle into the driver’s seat and quickly find their way around. The Rio is undoubtedly one of the more practical superminis, and there’s no faulting the amount of room up front, with a good range of adjustment on both the driver’s seat and steering wheel. Admittedly, you can’t quite say the same of the rear, but the Rio is still very good by the standards of its rivals. It’ll take four adults in reasonable comfort, although thanks to the centre rear seat being very narrow, the Rio is realistically no more than a four-seater. Likewise, while the boot is a decent size, it’s let down by the high sill you have to lift things over.