You’ve heard the stories: garaged classics still wearing their plastic sheet covers; supercars slumbering in climate-controlled basements, awoken only for a trip to the auction house. But here’s one for the Petrolblog connoisseur: a 2009 Kia Rio Chill with 644 miles on the clock. Yes, six hundred and forty-four. Hold us back.
How times have changed. Back in 2010, when this little blog first poked its head above the automotive parapet, a showroom-fresh Kia Rio would have been the antichrist: a soulless new car with few redeeming features, bought by people who wanted to get from A to B without so much as glancing at C. Why buy a new Kia when you could own something used and infinitely more interesting for the same money?
And it’s not even the curiously appealing, faintly oddball first-generation Rio, with its muddled blend of hatchback and estate styling.
No, this is the second-generation Rio, launched in 2005 when Kia found itself at a UK crossroads – saying goodbye to the ‘I bought it because it was cheap’ era and hello to the ‘actually, Kia builds some great cars’ reputation it enjoys today. Heck, this 2009 Rio didn’t even get a seven-year warranty, depriving online motoring outlets of an easy bullet point under ‘pros’.
I’ve been admiring the second-generation Rio for a while. No, really. Just last Saturday, a 2009 model sauntered past me at the feed store, giving me time to savour the pre-Peter Schreyer ‘Korean Vauxhall Astra’ styling and the gloriously basic black rubbing strips and bumper inserts. No car-park dings or trolley scars here, thank you very much.
That one was powered by the 1.4-litre petrol engine – a unit so limp and lacklustre that Car Keys’ Stephen Latham was tempted to end his review after the opening paragraph. ‘The 1.4-litre petrol engine is an adequate little unit, but why would you choose it when the diesel engine is quite exceptional?’ he asked, presumably while eyeing the exit.
Two decades on, Mr Latham would almost certainly approve of the 644-mile example going under the hammer at the forthcoming Anglia Car Auctions classic sale. That’s because it’s powered by the ‘excellent value’ 1.5-litre CRDi diesel, officially capable of around 60mpg but, according to Honest John, more likely to deliver a still-impressive 50mpg.
There’s not a lot to get excited about, which might explain why it’s so appealing. The wheels are silver, the paint is blue, and the whole thing radiates an unassuming charm that makes modern SUVs look like they’re trying far too hard.
Inside, it’s fifty shades of grey – a blend of elephant hide and John Major’s Spitting Image puppet, with plastics guaranteed to fail those meaningless ‘soft-touch’ tests beloved of new-car reviewers. Air conditioning, electric windows and central locking are present and correct, along with the slightly smug knowledge that your annual VED bill is £35. Still want that electric car?
It has been maintained by the same Lincolnshire dealer that sold it new, but has been in storage since 2018, when its last MOT expired. Needless to say, there are no advisories to report – but you’ll need to stick a fresh ticket on it before driving it back from King’s Lynn.
Or maybe you’re tempted to trailer it home and park it alongside an ’80s hot hatch or ’90s supercar in your climate-controlled basement. Leave it there long enough and it’ll be a prime candidate for the Festival of Unexceptional in 2035.
Personally, I’d like to see it snapped up by Kia UK for the heritage fleet, so it can be loaned out to motoring writers determined to avoid any references to that Duran Duran song.
If you’re hungry like the wolf for this slice of Korean anonymity, it goes under the hammer on the weekend of 30-31 August. Play your cards right and you could have a new Rio on Monday.
All images via Anglia Car Auctions, who clearly appreciate a well-preserved rubbing strip.
