This is the true litmus test of any car. The Premier Rio+ may be aesthetically pleasing and has simple and basic interior. But it needs good drivability within city and on the highway for customers to adopt it. Although the demands may sound simple, it is actually the tallest order for any car.
Has the Rio cracked it? Let’s find out:
What powers the Rio?
The biggest problem (that even management of Premier Auto admits) that the old Rio faced was a lack of BSIV complaint engine. The old Rio only met BSIII norms due to which it could not be sold in major cities which is the actual target market of the Rio.
After much development, Premier has finally managed to plonk a BSIV complaint petrol engine in the Rio and the Rio+. This engine is designed by AVL in India and delivers 75.5bhp @ 5800 rpm of power and 103 NM of torque @ 3500 – 4000 rpm to the rear wheels through a 5 speed manual box.
Crank the petrol engine, and you notice that the motor is quite silent. Put it in gear and you realize that the gear gates are wide. The possibility of mis-shifts and gear grinding is quite high. Even the throw of the gearstick is quite long. Lift the Rio on first gear and you notice that the clutch is light and easy.
The Rio+ does not provide any rapid acceleration in any gear combo. It is a sort of motor that does not like to be revved. It just dawdles along on the potholed and bumpy surfaces. The 205/70 R15 tubeless tyres do their job very well. The suspension is a bit on the stiffer side thus the Rio has less of body roll in the corners.
But the lack of eagerness to turns in the corners and a rather spongy brakes mean that this is not a fun-to-drive car. It is just a regular commuter that will take you from point A to point B.
If you thought that was disappointing, the diesel motor is yet to come.
The Premier Rio diesel is power by a Peugeot TUD5 motor which has a FGT turbo. As the motor is not BSIV compliant, it cannot be sold in major metropolitan markets. It generates 64.8 PS @ 4000 rpm and 152.0 Nm @ 2,250-3,000 rpm. This engine is very archaic. Key the engine and there is terrible shake in the body. It is noisy, lethargic, the vibrations are transferred inside and overall not a pleasant experience to drive.
Is it a good off-roader?
No, not really. City roads is where it belongs.
What about safety?
The only safety feature in the Rio is ABS.
My two biggest problem with the Rio are as follows:
- The diesel cannot be sold in Tier 1 cities. And the petrol can be a bit heavy on the wallet.
- The diesel is not refined or fun to drive. The petrol variant is slightly better in terms of drivability, but its performance leaves a lot to be desired.
Premier Auto is currently testing a Rio with a Multijet engine and I am really looking forward to it. This will solve the major niggle as the Multijet is BSIV complaint, a fuel sipper and rather fun to drive. The modern looking Rio+ certainly deserves a modern engine. Come April, that need will be addressed.
Only then we’re afraid can Rio stand in the line with the big boys.
[...] you have read our review of the Premier Rio, you would be aware of the fact that the diesel variant cannot be sold in BSIV markets because of [...]
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[...] of design, fits the bill of a modern compact SUV. Do tune in tomorrow for the interior review and driving impressions. Entry posted on February 6, 2012 By Kaustubh Shinde; Read More on Car Reviews, PAL-Zotye [...]
I read that cars which qualify to avail of the sub 4 M excise sop, which the rio does, if also seated upto 7 passengers, would qualify for lenient emission norms aswell. If that includes accepting TUD5 emission standards for tier-1 cities then Premier could try squeezing a 3rd row of jump seats on the rio. That way they would be able to continue with the TUD 5 engine for a while longer. Mahindra’s new mini zilo is said to feature a 3rd row of seats.
Ofcourse, if Premier is worried about our Govt accepting the CSE report and wants to include a Petrol motor to its range, the AVL engine may not be such a bad idea. For those of u unaware of the CSE report, it’s about levying a flat Rs 81,000 tax on diesel cars upto 1400 cc and Rs 1,62,000/- for cars with bigger diesel engines. If our Govt buys this report, then the diesel car party in our country might just be over.
Go for it Shridhar … Its a looker and head turner for sure … personal experience in Pune … people chased the car to have a look at it on East Street and some even got down at a signal to have a look … and here is a surprise … the proud owner was a twenty something girl …
there are not many in Pune due to the emission norms but surely there will be more now … with the BS4 petrol engine and the Diesel in the pipeline …
If BS3 norms are okay with you then you can safely go for the current diesel engine as it the the famous TUD5 engine of Peugot … the best diesel engine in the world in the 90s … durable tried and tested …
I have driven the diesel rio and I found it to be quite good in NVH …
I suggest you drive the car yourself … but go for the new look one … i am sure the dealer can take the order for you … the white and the black ones especially the new looks one are a real beauty …
M sure there would be some good discounts on offer too …
http://www.financialexpress.com/old/fe/daily/19990812/fco12019.html
check this …
I am not done with the questions yet..which other car uses petrol engine made by AVL? It is indeed tall but how wide is it? Tall but thin is not a good looker at all. From what I see in the picture, the door doesn’t close perfectly…is there a little gap? Please do reply!
AVL has helped Tata and Mahindra before with their engines.
It’s not very wide and that is pretty evident in the cabin space.
The door is not properly closed
Are you seriously thinking of buying one? Agreed, you get better ground clearance but it comes at a cost. You lose on build quality, reliability, resale value, performance, refinement, snob value and so much more! That’s like losing on everything that attracts one to a car. I suggest you to re-consider, and if you are not willing to spend much, look for something in the used car market. Great car, such as the Ford Fusion are available for a decent amount and it’ll anyday be more reliable than a car that’s manufactured in a tin-shed. Also, consider the Grand Vitara!
Well Sarthak, I am not a Premier supporter or anything like that but FYI, I had the opportunity of visiting Premier Plant in Pune and its certainly not a tin shed but a proper assembly line … and in my opinion MNCs have lost the credibility … look at the recalls of Toyota Etios, Honda City/Civic etc … one can understand an Indian Manufacturer recalling the cars since we are a relatively new industry but these market leaders it seems are taking the lack of consumer awareness in India for granted …
I think one must judge for himself by visiting a showroom and taking a test ride and then take a decision …
N the RIO is a tried and tested platform designed by Dahiatsu … its the Dahiatsu Terios … no changes whatsoever have been done to the basic engineering …
Compact SUV is a very good concept, coz our roads would never change, better change the car.
Interior roads in many parts of Karnataka are very bad. I have driven my Alto in many of these roads constantly swearing at the state government. My alto has helped me in few rash of overtakes and handled curves/climbs at ghats very well. Can you say with confidence that I may be able to the same with Rio? I am not into serious off-roading but my concern is, can Rio survive the bad roads? Will it fall apart? Can it pull up on steep uphills of a ghat?
The acceleration is pretty average. Don’t expect any brisk acceleration.
Bad roads? Rio is pretty much game
I disagree with the engine review … I have driven both the engined vehicles and I have found both to be good, greatly drivable in the city …
I also did not find the vibrations as much as it is mentioned …
Although, yes there are a few loose nuts and bolts that need to be tightened …