For years, Kia offered decent cars at a great price, only to get lost in the market thanks to larger competitors such as Honda, Toyota, Chevrolet and Ford. The cars Kia built were a bit too angled toward price and functionality - made to serve as appliances, they lacked imagination and the kinds of features people like to see in cars, no matter what the sticker price. Lately, however, the Korean carmaker has been emerging from these giant shadows by offering stylish vehicles with features such as standard side curtain airbags. The 2005 Kia Spectra and Spectra5 brought more appeal to the brand, as did the recent re-launch of a longtime favorite, the Kia Sportage.
Things are going well for Kia. But, as it turns out, now that Kia is on the verge of discovering its identity in North America, along comes Hyundai with new vehicles that have stolen the spotlight once again. Instead of being that other car company, Kia is in danger of becoming that other Korean car company - and the new, 2006 Kia Rio5 hatchback will do nothing to keep the shadows from encroaching once more. At the 2005 New York International Auto Show, for example, Kia didn't really have a press conference - just a get-together for journalists to come by and see this latest creation.
With a youthful new style, more room and more horsepower, the 2006 Kia Rio5 should make for stiff competition in the sub-compact set. Add in six airbags, including side curtain airbags as standard, and it is a car that should be on any young person's test drive list.
