2023 Kia Rio 5-door

History/Overview

The Kia Rio is one of the industry’s last remaining offerings in the subcompact car category, a type of car that has largely been replaced by subcompact crossovers.

What’s New/Key Changes From Last Year

Kia has made no changes to the Rio for 2023.

Available Trims

Kia offers the Rio in LX+, LX Premium, and EX Premium trim levels. All are powered by a 1.6L four-cylinder engine; LX+ comes with a six-speed manual transmission that options to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT); the CVT is included in LX Premium and EX Premium trims.

Standard Features

LX+ comes with 15-inch steel wheels with covers, heated side mirrors, heated front seats, air conditioning, an 8.0-inch touchscreen, six-speaker audio, wireless smartphone integration, power windows, and cruise control.

LX Premium adds 15-inch alloy wheels, a sunroof, a heated steering wheel, an upgraded gauge cluster, and blind spot monitoring.

EX Premium brings 17-inch wheels, automatic high beams, automatic A/C, passive keyless entry, lane keep/follow assist, and forward collision mitigation.

Fuel Economy

Kia rates the Rio’s fuel consumption at 7.7/6.1 L/100 km (city/highway) with the standard six-speed manual transmission, and 7.2/6.1 L/100 km with the CVT.

Competition

The Kia Rio competes directly with the Mitsubishi Mirage; you can also cross-shop it against subcompact crossovers like the Hyundai Venue and Nissan Kicks.