Premier Rio Diesel LX (2010)

Expert Review by Maxabout

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Overview of Premier Rio

Premier Rio is based on Zotye Nomada which was once sold as Daihatsu Terios in late 1990s. Rights to the Daihatsu Terios were sold to Chinese car maker Zotye Auto and now Premier has done a deal whereby the entire car sans the drivetrain would be brought into India as a CKD unit.  Premier Rio is available in both petrol and diesel, in four variants with option of five attractive shades.

Looks and Styling of Premier Rio

- Front grille chrome garnish
- Alloy wheels
- Tail-gate mounted spare tyre
- Front fog lamps
- Side cladding

In terms of looks Rio looks very familiar and plain jane, there is nothing unique about the design. At the front it features twin parabola headlamps with wire mesh grille having chrome strip on top of it. The turn indicators are integrated into grey finished front bumpers which gives it a bold SUV type looks. At the rear end it features ford fusion type vertical tail lamps in D-pillar. Also the spare wheel is mounted on the tail gate like we have seen in safari and endeavour. With its significantly higher headroom, the Rio also offers more storage space than the large hatchbacks without enlarging its exterior dimensions.

Interiors and Comfort Features of Premier Rio

- Power windows, power steering and central locking
- ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) with EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution)
- Music system with factory-fitted four speakers
- Air conditioner with heater

Rio is going to be choice of a customer who wants SUV looks in a 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 & CD Player with AM/FM and premium fabric in different shade. The front and rear seats of Premier Rio are firm and well bolstered but the overall quality of upholstery is inferior, As seen in pictures the quality of plastics used in dashboard, steering wheel and centre console is also not up to the mark. But still it is very good in comparison to some Maruti & Tata products including the 800, Alto, Indica V2 and Tata Sumo.

Variants of Premier Rio

- Premier Rio Diesel DX
- Premier Rio Diesel LX
- Premier Rio Petrol GX
- Premier Rio Petrol GLX

Premier Rio is available in four variants - Premier Rio DX, Premier Rio LX, Premier Rio GX and Premier Rio GLX. These variants also have option of grey or beige interiors.

Engine of Premier Rio

- 1489cc Diesel - 64 bhp - 152 nm
- 1173cc Petrol, 56 bhp - 104 nm

Powered by Premier's own engine that is essentially a downsized Peugeot TUD5 diesel engine, the Rio's engine capacity now measures in at 1489cc and develops 64 bhp of peak power. But the engine feels underpowered in comparison to the weight of vehicle and 64 Bhp is very less for a SUV - as Premier India is promoting Rio. Though ARAI has not announced any mileage figures for Premier Rio but the company is claiming around 15-16 kmpl on highway and 11-12 in city driving conditions which is quite ok for a utility vehicle. Premier Rio is also available in petrol, it is powered by 1173cc engine which generates maximum power of 56 bhp with maximum torque of 104 Nm

Shades Available in Premier Rio

- Cherry Red
- Paradize White
- Sterling Silver
- Mystic Black
- Topaz Blue

Premier Rio is available in five shades - Cherry Red, Paradize White, Sterling Silver, Mystic Black and Topaz Blue. 

What To Expect from Premier Rio....??

With this price it is for sure that it will sell in very good numbers but the only sore point in the deal is overall design and styling of Rio which seems to be very outdated. Also the quality of interiors and paint finish is doubtful as Rio is a chinese product. Premier Auto hopes to sell 1,000 units of the product initially which seems to be very less but maybe they dont want to take any chances. The Premier Rio will be offered initially at 20 dealerships across the country and it plans to ramp that number up in the coming months. These dealerships will be different from those that sell Premier commercial vehicles - the Roadstar and the Sigma. The investment in this project is just a couple of crores as of now as the company would be using its existing assembly line in Pune.