The Rio, a mini SUV by Premier has off late been launched. The company has quite a few expectations attached to this mini SUV of attaining good stand on the popularity chart of cars in India. What has to be waited and seen is that how well a mini SUV is accepted in India. The chances of it being received fairly well are more in the smaller cities where users want to own a SUV style car which also paves its way through narrow lanes of a small city. The bigger cities have bigger roads, more access to beautiful highways and expressways that need big mean machine to race through them. So here chances seem a little lesser for the Premier Rio to be received well. Though only time will decide that but let’s go through the Premier Rio Review to know more about this car.
Engine and technical specifications
The Premier Rio sports a 4 cylinder in-line 1173 cc petrol engine that develops 75.5 Bhp at 5800 rpm and 10.5 kgm torques at 3500-4200 rpm. The displacement of the engine is definitely nowhere as compared to an SUV and you can get the same cc engine in a hatchback too! So nothing exciting can be found here. The 5 speed manual gearbox is standard. The front brakes are disc type and the rear ones drum which are again no different from a usual hatchback. The tyre size is 205/70 R15. The tank size of the Rio is 46 litres, good enough. This mini SUV measures 3970 mm in length, 1570 mm in width and 1730 mm in height, definitely a mini SUV. This AVL designed engine is manufactured in China and imported in the country to be assembled and installed. The gear knob is tall and easy to handle and the clutch is light.
Exterior design
What could we say about it looks, the very first thing that you can see is its compact size. This mini SUV definitely looks very awkward and outdated due its super compact size for an SUV. The headlamps are curvy in design and the bumper is fairly well designed. The good parts here are its newly integrated grille and the spoiler with silver chin giving the Rio that touch of sophistication it badly demands. The side panels, hood and the bumper have been given a fresh look to try making this car more appealing and that definitely serves the purpose. The wheel covers are body coloured giving a very unique factor to the Premier Rio. The turn indicators are mirror integrated giving a modern look to the car. The tail gate has got a spare wheel hung on to it giving the Rio an adventurous look.
Interiors
As you head on to see the interiors of the Premier Rio, the beige upholstery will bring great relief. If you were disappointed with its exteriors the beige colour in the interiors will lift your spirits. This colour also helps the Rio appear more spacious. The steering wheel is seen to be chunky and well cushioned making it a delight for the driver to drive the Rio. The chrome garnish on the steering wheel further adds to the look of the car. The seat positioning in the car is something that can put you off as it seems awkward and off beat. The power window buttons are also not well placed making the system appear unfriendly and unpleasant.
Performance
The great ground clearance of 200 mm makes Rio comfortable in worse road conditions. The low displacement of the engine and a disappointing performance can upset you as you drive the car. The displacement of the engine is something that should have been worked upon by the company to at least give it the benefit of doubt to be called a mini SUV! But its plain Jane engine resembles any hatchback in the market. Low power output and low efficiency during drive transferring to the rear wheels makes the driver really lose his interest in the Premier Rio. There is no punch in driving and the responsiveness is lacking big-time. Dull and lethargic drive with vague response to the throttling is a big distractor. If you hit on to a high speed as 140 kmph, you will feel the engine drained out and make some considerable sound too there. The gear acceleration will irritate you as it is very slow. The suspensions are also found to be not doing a good job there. The Rio takes a comfortable 19.39 seconds to go from 0-100 kmph; pretty slow indeed! And if you move from 0-120 kmph it will take leisurely 30.14 seconds! Yes, Premier Rio is that slow!
Pros
- Fresh addition of chrome grille
- Beige upholstery makes the interior spacious and better looking
- Low price
Cons
- Lacklustre performance
- Very low displacement engine performing poorly
- Awkward design and styling
Verdict
If you really want to buy an SUV badly and a mini version will do, you can go for the Premier Rio which is priced aptly but lacks in power that an SUV has.
