Glove Box Cooling
Arkamys Audio System with 6-speakers
6 Airbag System 
Haha! I was at the launch of the All-New Rio at The Curve just before I came back for the holidays. I booked my flight tickets the day after so I could be there. It seems like a very promising car, with a rather lofty tagline that got me intrigued.
There were performers using nothing but traffic cones and other day-to-day percussion instruments to do a choreographed intro which I liked a lot.
…and like a scene from West Side Story, a couple of menacing looking dudes armed with iron pipes came out – and started a hard charging dance of sorts.
Everything ties back to driving or automobiles so it’s good to see opening gambits that really makes sense instead of stuff that leaves you stretching you head and thinking “So what was that all about?”.
Datuk Syed Abdul Hafiz Syed Abu Bakar also came on-stage before the launch of the all new Rio. He’s the COO of Naza Kia Malaysia and I bumped into him later at the press conference at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Restaurant.
/cue dramatic music
The launch gambit was also impressive in its own right. Having been to more than a few of these, I was expecting the usual and looked for when the car would be driven it. Watch the video! The cars are already there, and there were 3 Kia Rio vehicles that were unveiled to the hiss of smoke and the sound of revving engines.
The all new Kia Rio has a lot of features that you wouldn’t expect to see in a car of this price range (OTR Prices: Rio 1.4 EX (RM73,888), SX (RM79,888)). It really is revolutionary. Or Riovolutionary.
It’s basically a 1.4 cc compact 5-door hatchback that comes in two variants. However that would be a bit like saying caviar is just fish roe.
Speaking of caviar, have you ever wanted a mini-fridge in your car? At least something that would cool down your drinks? The Kia Rio has it – the glove box is cooled! I think this would be the #1 selling point for me. Perfect for road trips in our weather.
Other awesome features:
- LED Daytime Running Light
- Static Bending Light (provides light where the steering wheel turns)
- Safety Window (you won’t get your hand nipped when you accidentally wind up before you have your hand in after using Touch N Go)
- Electric Folding Mirror with LED Side Repeater
- Tiger Nose Radiator Grill Design (won a lot of design awards, this car)
- Stylish Sunroof (woot!)
- Full Air Conditioner with Cluster Ionizer (so you won’t get depressed during traffic jams)
There’s also:
- Arkamys Audio System with 6 speakers
- AUX/USB/iPod port
- Bluetooth (for your phone calls)
- Tilt & Telescopic Steering wheel (so you can adjust to your optimal driving position)
- Push Start Button & Smart Key
Some of the features are for the Kia Rio 1.4SX variant. You also get a 4-speed automatic transmission with a manual shift gate for those who wants to a degree of manual driving.
The all new Kia Rio 1.4L also got a EURO NCAP rating of 5 stars during safety certification. That’s widely considered as the toughest safety standard to pass.
Of course, there’s also auto defogging and rain sensors for the wipers, which surprised me even more at this price range. The Kia Rio not only looks great – winning the reddot Design Award, Good Design Award and was the abc Design Award Winner in 2011 for the Exterior – but performs well too!
Best of all, it wouldn’t break the bank. It comes in several colors for the 1.4EX version while the 1.4 SX Rio comes in Electric Blue.
Oh ya, you remember that Rio Roundabout Contest I was talking about last time? Turns out the prize giving ceremony was held there too.
The dude sure loves his all new Rio! 🙂
