Premier has been testing the Premier Rio with the popular 1.3 Litre Fiat Multi-jet Diesel engine for last few months and the car is finally in the showrooms and deliveries begin on 2nd August 2012. The same engine does the duty in many popular cars in India including the Maruti Swift, Swift Dzire, Fiat Punto, Tata Vista etc. to name a few. It is an internationally acclaimed engines with superb torque and high fuel economy and has sold in millions of numbers in various countries. With the new 1.3 litre multijet engine the called the Rio CRDi4 diesel model costs Rs. 6.7 Lakhs ex-showroom Pune.
Premier Rio CRDi4 Features And Specifications
Rio 1.3 Litre diesel model churns out 71 BHP of peak power at 4000 RPM and 183 Nm of torque between 1800 to 2400 RPM with a fixed geometry turbocharger doing duty in the engine. With its compact form factor, the Rio seats 5 adults and weighs about 1145 Kg (Kerb weight) and rides on 205/70 R15 tubeless radial tyres. It has disk brakes at front and drum at rear.
With all its diesel engine options, the Rio comes in two trim levels, Dx and Lx and comes with many useful features like:
- Internally adjustable outside rear view mirrors
- Rear wiper and washer as standard
- Rear defogger
- Tinted glass window
- Front and rear fog lamps
- Blackened B pillars
- Rear Spoiler as standard
- Alloy wheels on Lx model
- split seats at rear
- Door ajar warning
- Tachometer
- Digital clock
- 3 spoke sporty steering wheel design
- Power steering
- Air conditioner with heating
- Collapsible steering column for safety
- ABS and EBD as standard on all variants
- Brake assist
- Keyless entry and central locking etc.
Rio comes in 4 colour options which include:
- Paradise White
- Sterling Silver
- Mystic Black
- Cherry Red
Premier Rio Value Proposition
Talking in terms of design, styling and value, Rio is one of the most affordable upgrades from a hatchback and it costs much less than most diesel sedans in the Indian car markets. It offers decent styling, high ride height, good dynamics and impressive exterior looks as a compact SUV.
Premier Rio Vs Competition
The not so impressive areas include the fit and finish and the interior quality, but in the price segment where the Rio is placed, the deal still looks good. The nearest alternative to Rio is the Renault Duster which is a much more premium looking compact SUV and is also larger than 4 meters in length. The price of Duster diesel base model is Rs. 8.31 Lakhs ex-showroom Mumbai which is much higher than the Rio prices, so they belong to a different segment. But if you have no problems in shelling that extra amount, you must test drive these two cars before making up your mind.
Other interesting alternatives include Tata Safari, Mahindra Scorpio etc. but these are much larger in size and price and will deliver you less mileage when compared to Rio.
Our Take On Rio
We think Rio CRDi4 is a technically capable compact and delivers impressive performance as well as mileage. If you are on a strict budget and yet want an SUV, Rio is a good choice, however do check for the availability of Rio sales and service network near your area. Also don’t forget to test drive before you book the car.
