Indian Autos blog

The Premier Rio+ now looks chic and stylish from the outside. But is it the same story on the inside? Is the build quality right for the Indian conditions? How good is the quality of plastics? Is it spacious enough to accommodate an average family with luggage?

Let’s find out:

The number of changes made to the interior of the refreshed Premier Rio are certainly less than those made to the exterior. The 2 main changes are – beige interiors and a new steering wheel and that’s about it.

Over the years, the Indian automotive market has matured from small hatchbacks to entry sedans to C+ sedans. This year, the focus of the manufacturers will be on two key segments –Compact Sedans and Compact SUVs.

Maruti Suzuki recently launched their contender for the CS market – Swift Dzire and rest of the manufacturers such as Tata and Mahindra are expected to follow suit.

Coming to the Compact SUV market; now this is going to be extremely interesting. Ford, Renault and Mahindra are honing their challengers as we speak. But little known rival is already present in the market from a long forgotten company called ‘Premier Auto’. Does it ring a bell?

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Premier showcased their next generation Rio at the 2012 Auto Expo. The Rio is a compact SUV that the company launched in 2011 to tap the entry level SUV segment. The product did not work due to number of factors and the company has taken a lesson from all them. The ‘New Look’ Rio is essentially a Nomad II from Zotye with changes such as:

• Curvy Headlamps
• An integrated Grill
• A rear spoiler
• Beige upholstery

Currently the Rio is available with a 1.2L petrol engine with 77 bhp. Premier promises 15 km/l of fuel efficiency. It is also available with a 1.5L diesel engine delivering 65bhp and 16 km/L.

The diesel engine that is available on the Rio is a very old technology hence the company is testing a 1.3L Multijet engine for more refinement. Premier said the Multijet Rio will be available by April 2012.

It is available in Red, White, Silver and Black. All models come with:

• Power steering
• Front power windows
• Electrically operated mirrors
• Central locking
• CD/MP3 Player

Higher models come with ABS, keyless entry and alloy wheels

Prices of the Rio start from 4.7 lakhs right up to 6.35 lakhs (ex-showroom Pune)

The company well know for its Padmini Taxis running on all streets of India, launched a mini SUV in India much before Ford, Mahindra and Renault dreamed creating the segment. Although, the Rio didn’t send the competition running for shelter, it taught the company many lessons for introducing its successor.

Premier plans to launch the successor of the Rio at the Delhi Auto Expo. The old Rio was the Nomad and the successor quite conveniently is the Nomad II. It is powered by a 1173cc engine, delivering 77BHP and offers 15 kmpl.

Premier may also showcase the diesel version of the Rio with a multijet Fiat Engine developing 66PS of power and 150Nm of torque. It will be available in four versions with additional features such as anti-lock breaking system (ABS), keyless entry and alloy wheels.

When Premier launched the Rio in late 2009, they had the idea bang on – A small cheap SUV to tackle potholes and provide good cargo space for daily commutes.

Unfortunately, they failed to capitalize on the idea because the product was not-so bang on. They basically rebadged the Zotye Nomad and brought it to India. This did not go very well with the Indian customers. So Premier has gone back to drawing board to rethink their strategy.

Our good buddies at Motorbeam have snapped a few pictures of the Facelifted Rio in Pune. They report that there were a few changes to the Rio such as:

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Do you know about a little known compact SUV called the Premier Rio? If you don’t, no need to worry as many people are yet to see a sRio on the road. Basically the Rio is a rebadged Zotye Nomad which is imported in form of CKD from China and sold in India as a Premier Rio. The idea of a compact SUV in under 5 lakhs was (and still is) a very interesting one, but Premier failed to capitalize on it and have only sold 2000 units so far.

With an outdated diesel engine, Premier chose not to enter the BS4 cities and played its game in smaller towns and cities. Premier Automobiles have rung their long lost partner Fiat to plonk the most popular diesel engine – Fiat Multijet in the Rio. This is the same engine that powers most diesel cars in India.

Maitreya Doshi, Chairman and Managing Director of Premier told EconomicTimes -

We have been in talks with Fiat for quite some time. There are a couple of vehicles in Italy right now which are being tested; once the technical integration is ready, we will enter into a component supply agreement with Fiat.

Of course, just an engine change will not work for the Rio and Premier knows it. So the company is also focusing on few improvements like better NVH and improved interiors. The company is gunning for a very conservative volume of 8,000 to 9,000 units in a year.

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Back in late 2009, Premier launched its mini SUV Rio in India and with limited dealers, lack of a BS4 variant and brand visibility, its no surprise that Rio has not found too many homes. To pep things up, Premier is working on a facelifted edition of the Rio fitted with a Multi-jet diesel engine.

The petrol will be a 1.2 L engine producing 77PS and 104nm of torque while the existing diesel displacing 1.5 L engine producing 65PS and 152 Nm of torque is expected to carry on.

Note – Image used in the Zotye EV using the Rio as the donor model.

When we asked Premier about the Rio’s BS4 plan, this is what they had replied -

Mumbai-based Premier Automotive spokeswoman to Indian Autos Blog -

At this moment, we are in discussions with various engine manufacturers, including FIAT, for a Euro IV engine for the RiO. The outcome of these will be known shortly. Preliminary tests are currently being conducted to determine engine compatibility for the RiO. The current situation is that we are in a pre-production mode and a few vehicles have been seeded in the market to gauge initial market response. The feedback has been very positive, and based on this the product has now been fine tuned to meet customer expectations.

The Multi-jet Rio could give Premier access to crucial BS4 markets where a compact SUV concept is unheard of. If priced right, the Rio could experience a surge in sales. Premier has to work out a marketing campaign pulling into the frame factors like lack of parking space, high fuel cost, advantages of a high seating position, the Rio’s looks, features and the fuel efficiency of the award-winning Multi-jet diesel engine.

Goa On Wheels has carried photographs and details of the refreshed Premier Rio with beige interiors from a showroom. There’s no change to the mechanical setup, the 1.3-liter Multi-jet BS4 engine transplant has not yet taken place suggesting that a festive season or Auto Expo debut is likely.

Goa On Wheels states that the beige stimulates the interiors. The headliner is also bathed in beige giving the interiors an airy feel. Quality has been stepped up and the new gear knob looks snazzy. The interior quality is marginally better and the door panels are beige treated too.

Premier is working out plans for a new Rio. A cosmetically overhauled Rio is in the testing phase and the 1.3L Multi-jet motor will land up under its hood. This will make the Rio a silent, refined and more drivable vehicle. There are still no sports utility vehicles under 7 lakh rupees in India. The Rio continues to be this segment’s torchbearer.

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