They are Renault Clio from France and the Korean Kia Rio introduced in 1990.
The Renault Clio was first introduced in 1990 and now it is the third generation and received a facelift in mid 2009 to make it fit the current Renault design line including 3-door and 5-door versions and a selection of 5 gasoline and 3 diesel motors between 55 and 146 kilowatts. The top speed of Clio is 188 km/h. From 0 – 100 km/h, it takes 11.0 seconds. The fuel consumption is 5.4 litres (prem.). The CO2 – emission is 125 g/km. The price is 16,800 Euros.
The Kia Rio has been available in Germany in its third generation since 2000. The new Rio model came onto the market in 2011 and so it looks more dynamic than its French competitor Where the Kia looks aggressive, the Renault looks friendly. The Kia’s appearance is a creation of designer Peter Schreyer, who switched from VW to Kia in 2006. He is a man behind Kia’s new styling.
The tail lights are divided in the Kia Rio. The Clio has a single bank of lights in the rear. The Rio has a sloping hatchback for better use of space. The Renault’s interior is a plastic landscape. Some better materials are also used, but overall, the quality and design leave something to be desired. The stubby controls seem odd. The GPS system has an SD card memory, but its remote-control operation is unwieldy. The interior of the Kia is typically Asian: lots of buttons, but the design is more attractive and the materials are more crafted and the controls have a sportier and zestier feel than the Clio.
The Rio in the Spirit variant with a 1.4 – litre gasoline engine was tested. Its top speed is 183 km/h. From 0 – 100 km/h, it takes 11.5 seconds. The fuel consumption is 5.5 litres (prem.) The CO2 – emission is 128 g/km. The price is 18,390 Euros.
From the test, the Rio has the advantage in the driving experience. The steering responds well and conveys a pleasant feeling. The Clio’s typically-French loose steering is not as much fun as with the Korean car. Ultimately, the Korean challenger beats the French car in the test!
1 comment:
We had bought a Korean car which the workmanship was not good but it seems the tide has turned now.
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