Kia Rio vs. similarly priced hatchbacks

The Kia Rio is the brand’s current entry to the Philippine compact hatch segment. Here it holds the fort for the South Korean carmaker as it competes with some of the segment’s staple nameplates.

The Kia Rio is touted as a hatch that’s poised for adventure. Outside, you get bi-projection headlamps, electric folding mirrors, a redesigned radiator grille, and aerodynamic blade wipers.

Inside, its notable features include the Supervision instrument cluster with a 3.5-inch LCD screen, a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and a multi-functional steering wheel.

Power comes from a 1.4-liter Kappa engine mated to a four-speed automatic gearbox with manual mode.

Safety-wise, the Kia Rio comes with a suite of airbags, seatbelts, ABS, and an immobilizer.

Kia is currently offering the Rio hatchback in two variants: the LX and the EX. They are priced at P920,000 and P985,000 respectively.

Here are some alternatives for those on the market for something more sporty, but are working on the same budget.

Toyota Yaris (1.3 E CVT)

The Toyota Yaris is the Japanese carmaker’s entry to the local compact hatch category. Outside are four-bulb halogen headlamps, power side mirrors, fender-mounted turn signals, and a body-colored front grille.

Inside, it offers analog instrument clusters, a 6.75-inch display audio screen, and a decent multi-functional steering wheel.

Under the hood is a 1.3-liter gasoline mill mated to a CVT.

In terms of safety, the Toyota Yaris comes with its own set of seatbelts and airbags along with ABS with brake assist and EBD, vehicle stability control (VSC), and hill-start assist control (HSA).

The 1.3 E CVT variant is priced at P973,000.

Honda Jazz (1.5 V CVT)

The Honda Jazz features a similarly sporty design like the aforementioned Toyota. At the front are multi-reflector halogen headlights, fender-mounted signal lights, LED tail lamps, and a standard front grille.

Customers will get a standard instrument cluster, a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and a multi-functional steering wheel.

It is powered by Honda’s 1.5-liter gasoline powerplant mated to a CVT.

Safety features include seatbelts, airbags, ABS, and EBD.

Those in the market for a Honda Jazz can get the 1.5 V CVT variant for P918,000.

Photos from Kia, Toyota, and Honda

Also read: 

Dashing duo: The two variants of the Kia Rio