Hurray for the Kia Rio!

Ever since the Forte, Kia's been on the right design track.

This is evident with the new Kia Rio, which looks stunningly superb for a little hot-hatch/hatchback.

Mated to a mere 1.4L engine, one would think that driving this little dream machine would be boring, but this misconception is quickly put to rest by the Rio's pleasantly surprising torquey engine feel.

And unlike the CBU Forte, the Kia Rio's shocks are suitably stiff for Malaysian roads, especially when hugging corners. So, from the get-go, the Rio does almost everything right.

I say "almost everything" because, well, nothing is perfect. Not even the Rio.

To begin with, the car's bucket-like seats are rather small even for the average-size Malaysian. So, imagine how uncomfortable driving the Rio would be for taller, chunkier Malaysians.

Also, the Rio, while punchy, won't outpace most other hot-hatches/hatchbacks out there in the market due to its 1.4L (only) engine.

So, despite its sporty, contemporary design and punchy feel, this isn't a car that you really want to drive fast most of the time, lest you'd be disappointed by its (under)performance.

Still, if you're in the market for a sporty-looking hot-hatch/hatchback that is not a "national car" and is under the RM89,000 price range, then the Kia Rio is something to seriously consider.