Premier Rio

Expert Review by Maxabout

It has been four months since Premier brought the diesel variant of Rio to the market. This BSIV compliant of the diesel version was brought under a price tag of INR 6.7 Lakhs (approx., may vary) and the launch took place in Pune. Premier Rio is usually known to be one of the cheapest SUVs running in India at the moment and is presently available primarily in tier 2 cities. The makers of Rio have long-term plans for the car and thus they have released multiple variants of Rio in the market. Now let us move towards the features that Rio boasts of.

Premier Rio Exterior

The exterior designing of Premier Rio is pretty elementary and this is the reason why most people go for this car. Though, it does not give the mean appeal that SUVs usually tend to give as per the stereotype, but then the price is something that strikes a chord with most of the buyers as there are hardly any SUVs in India which come with the same price tag as any normal hatchback. Rio is loaded with ORVMs which are adjustable internally and tubeless radial alloy wheels have been put up in order to give a better look to the car altogether. If we consider the side profile of the car, we would notice that it seems a bit more elongated as the placement of the indicator lights has been made underneath the impact line. Towards the sides, we may be able to see tinted glass windows but the door handles do not bear the same colour as that of the body of the car even if side-view mirrors bear the same colour as the car body. The rear consists of simply designed tail lamps alongside fog lamps.

Premier Rio Interior

Even if the size of Rio is not as big as other SUVs in general, yet the designers have intelligently designed the interior cabin in order to make sure that there is enough space for passengers. Thus, the seating layout has been made accordingly. The fabric upholstery and grey interiors give a good insight of the car and at least 5 people can be accommodated easily. A colour theme has been set inside the cabin which increases the style quotient altogether and the steering wheel along with beige interiors give a fresh and elegant feeling inside the cabin. ORVMs in the car have been adjusted electrically.

Comfort & Convenience

The rear seats in Premier Rio can be folder in order to add more boot space to the cabin for luggage. As it had been mentioned in the previous section, Rio can easily accommodate 5 passengers comfortably. The DX variant of Premier Rio offers leather seats and both the front as well as rear seats come with head restraints in order to provide superior level of comfort during a long drive. Additional features such as cup holder, removable ashtray and trim pockets for front door add to the convenience factor. There are switches provided on the front door panel for power windows and these are more convenient than having the buttons on the armrest.

Music System of Premier Rio

Premier Rio has a music system that has been factory-fitted and comes with AM/FM radio. A total of four speakers have been installed in the cabin and CD-playing provision is also there. However, the new Rio Plus comes equipped with Nippon aftermarket stereo that comes with USB as well as AUX connectivity provision.

Acceleration & Pick-up

The petrol variant of Premier Rio takes 18 seconds to shoot up from 0-100 Km/hr thus giving a top speed of 145 Km/hr. On the contrary, the diesel variant takes 19 seconds to go from 0-100 km/hr giving the same top speed as that of the petrol variant.

Premier Rio Mileage

Usually SUVs are not expected to give a good mileage but since Premier Rio is powered by a BSIV engine, thus it gives a remarkably better mileage than most of its contenders in the market. The petrol variant of Premier Rio gives out a mileage of 16 Km/L whereas the diesel variant gives a total mileage of 12 Km/L. The petrol variant of engine is as per the BSIV compliant whereas the diesel variant engine is as per the BSIII compliant.

Safety Features

Even if the price of Premier Rio is low, yet no compromises have been made in case of safety of the car. The suspension makes sure that the car treads comfortably over rough paths and power steering makes the level of handling even more efficient. Premier Rio comes equipped with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) and Anti-lock braking system (ABS). Seat belts have been provided not only for the front seats but for the rear seats as well. 3-point ELR has been added to the front part of Rio and this comes with pre-tension regulators. These features are common to both the petrol and the diesel variants of the car.

Variants of Premier Rio

Premier Rio is available in five variants: DX, LX, GX, GLX and Multijet CRDI4 (Now Available). New Premier Rio is going to be choice of a customer who wants SUV looks in an affordable 5 seater vehicle and for a price of premium hatchback. The base model of Rio comes with front power windows, rear defogger, rear wiper/washer and electric adjustment for outside rear view mirrors. In addition to all these comfort features the top model of Rio comes with AC, Central Locking, ABS, EBD and CD player with AM/FM and premium fabric in different shade. Premier India has launched New Rio in five variants - New Premier Rio DX, New Premier Rio LX, New Premier Rio GX, New Premier Rio GLX and New Premier Rio Multijet.

All variants of New Premier Rio comes equipped with these styling, comfort & safety features: Headlamp levelling device which is now mandatory as per law, Electrically operated Outside Rear View Mirrors, Side cladding which gives Rio a rugged and muscular look, Rear wiper + washer with Rear window demister, Rear fog lamps, Day-Night rear-view mirror, Cup holder in console with Cigarette lighter, Remote fuel lid opener, Power steering, Front Electric windows, Side impact beams and Brake assist. In Addition to all the these features the DX/GX model and top model of Premier Rio LX/GLX/Multijet comes with - Central door locking, Manual air-conditioning, 15" Alloy wheels, CD player with AM/FM radio, 4 Speakers, ABS with EBD and Key-less entry.

Engine of Premier Rio

The 1489cc Turbo Diesel engine generates maximum power of 64.8 Bhp at 4000 rpm with maximum torque of 152 Nm at 2250 rpm. New Premier Rio is also available in petrol (1.2 litre) and diesel Multijet (Fiat's 1.3 litre). The Multijet engine CRDi4 generates maximum power of 72 bhp at 4000 rpm with maximum torque of 183 nm at 1800 rpm. The company claimed mileage of CRDI4 engine is 19 kmpl. The petrol engine develops maximum power of 76.6 bhp with maximum torque of 103.9 nm.

Shades Available in Premier Rio

New Premier Rio is available in five shades: Brick Red, Tafeta White, Sleek Silver, Royal Black and Sea Blue.

Verdict

Compact size for better handling is a boon. However, there might be problems with maintenance. The price of Rio is the most attractive aspect of the car.