2013 Kia Rio 5-Door Adds Six-speed Manual to Premium SX Model

The burgeoning campaign to save one of the auto industry’s endangered species—the manual transmission—appears to be resonating with the folks at Kia. After all, the company just announced it would respond to demand from a particularly disaffected group of drivers by offering a six-speed manual on the range-topping Kia Rio 5-Door SX.

"The Kia Rio 5-door SX M/T is perfect for driving enthusiasts who simply won't compromise when it comes to certain features," said Orth Hedrick, Director of Product Planning at Kia Motors America. "Our customers and the automotive press have been asking for the Rio 5-door SX with a manual transmission, and we've listened. As the Kia brand becomes more and more relevant to enthusiasts, we'll continue to evaluate consumer demand and consider bringing other high-spec manuals to market."

The good news? The racier Rio will cost just $17,900. The bad? The car is currently scheduled for a limited production run of fewer than 500 units.

2013 Kia Rio 5-Door SX: Reading the Manual

Prior to the announcement, the Kia Rio 5-Door hatchback only had offered the manual transmission as part of its entry-level LX model, where its lower cost enabled drivers to own the car for as little as $13,800 (excluding destination charges). And while that model is well equipped as the nameplate’s starting point, with features like standard air conditioning and an AM/FM/CD/MP3/XM sound system, the SX piles on upgrades including:

• LED taillights and front accent lights
• 17-inch alloy wheels
• A sport-tuned suspension
• A nav system with seven-inch touchscreen and SiriusXM Traffic
• Push-button start
• A rearview camera
• Steering-wheel-mounted audio controls
• Bluetooth technology
• Audio enhancements like pillar-mounted tweeters
• Kia’s Super Vision instrument cluster ensconced in a soft-touch dash

True, the transmission remains mated to the Rio’s standard 1.6-liter I4 with direct injection and dual continuously variable valve timing, but that should be just fine, since the powerplant already delivers a best-in-class 138 hp—15 percent more than in the rival Ford Fiesta—to go with EPA grades of 30 mpg city/40 mpg highway/34 mpg combined. Which, again, best the marks provided by a similarly transmissioned Fiesta.

2013 Kia Rio 5-Door: Getting an “A” from the B-Spec Crowd

Offering a six-speed manual transmission on the Kia Rio 5-Door SX also is designed to build some buzz for the brand’s successful B-Spec racing efforts. Created to provide grass-roots racers with an inexpensive way to hit the track, B-Spec competition features essentially stock versions of today’s popular subcompacts on a variety of challenging road courses. There are series being run under the auspices of both Grand Am Road Racing and the SCCA, and the Rio already has scored victories in both.

Getting in on the action is now easier than ever, too, thanks to a new B-Spec performance kit being offered by Kia’s longtime racing partner, Kinetic Motorsports. It provides everything needed to allow the Kia Rio 5-Door to comply with B-Spec guidelines, including:

• A pre-cut roll cage
• Racing seat
• Quick-release steering wheel
• Racing harness
• Racing shocks
• Lightweight performance wheels
• Spec-series tires
• Oil sump pan expansion kit
• Detailed instructions

The price is $14,000, which means potential B-Spec drivers can be ready to roll for about $28,000 when the MSRP of a Rio 5-Door LX is included. And the Kinetic crew can even do the build for you, although it will cost extra. For more info on the kit, check out the Kinetic website at www.kssmotorsports.com.