Abarth 595 vs Kia Rio
What's the difference?

Abarth 595

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2018 price

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Kia Rio

$15,990 - $24,977

2022 price

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Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Summary

2018 Abarth 595

2022 Kia Rio

By Tim Robson

By Tom White

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Turbo 4, 1.4L

Inline 4, 1.4L

Fuel Type

Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

5.8L/100km (combined)

6.0L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Good engine/chassis combo
Surprising grip levels
Unusual

Ace multimedia
Affordability
Big interior

Dislikes

Terrible driving position
Ride not great around town
No reversing camera

Uninspiring drivetrain
Lacks active safety features
Hard, noisy ride

2018 Abarth 595 Summary

Since 1949, Abarth has been giving the venerable Italian brand, Fiat, a patina of performance, based largely on giant-killing feats in small modified cars like the Fiat 600 of the 1960s.

More recently, the brand has been revived to boost the fortunes of the smallest Fiat on sale in Australia. Known formally as the Abarth 595, the tiny hatch packs a bit of a surprise under its distinctive snout.

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2022 Kia Rio Summary

Australia is experiencing a mass extinction event.

Like the dinosaurs before them, and hopefully not the bees in the near future, the sub-$20,000 car is nearing the bitter end.

An evolutionary dead-end, as higher emissions and safety regulations relegate older models (read Mitsubishi Mirage) to the great scrap-heap in the sky and prevent newer ones (read Honda Jazz) from leaving their local markets.

For you, this means there are quite literally a handful of brand-new vehicles left in Australia which wear before-on-road price-tags under the magic $20,000 number.

One of them is the car we’re looking at for this review: The Kia Rio S, with the catch being you’ll have to be happy changing gears yourself.

So, is this most basic Rio worth your while, or is it best left as a puzzling fossil for future generations to study? Let’s have a look.

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Deep dive comparison

2018 Abarth 595 2022 Kia Rio

Verdict

It’s tough to be kind to the Abarth 595. Based on a platform that’s more than a decade old, the car has been left behind by its rivals in many ways, including basic ergonomics and its value equation.

The larger engine does work well in this smaller package, and its road-holding ability belies its size. However, only die-hard fans of the Abarth brand will be able to cope with the uncomfortable seating position and a complete lack of even the most perfunctory features that cars costing $10,000 less are able to offer.

Verdict

The Rio S Manual is a fun-to-drive little car with a big practicality and multimedia offering in a segment rapidly heading towards extinction.

While some elements of the drive experience are reminiscent of budget cars from 10-20 years ago, Kia makes up for it by wrapping the Rio in a contemporary looking and feeling package, ready for the buyer who needs no frills and demands no nonsense. Until the manual transmission goes the way of the dodo, there is almost no better option.

Abarth 595 vs Kia Rio What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Abarth 595 vs Kia Rio
What's the difference?