2020 Kia Rio

The 2020 Kia Rio features an attractive and well-built cabin. This Kia offers a decent amount of passenger and cargo room, and it comes standard with a user-friendly infotainment system that includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

• There is plenty of hard plastic, but it's nicely textured, and the overall interior appearance is mature and sophisticated for a subcompact." -- Car and Driver
• "Kia does interiors well, and the Rio's is no exception. It's roomier and more upscale inside than you might expect, and even the base LX model has several appealing convenience and tech features." -- Kelley Blue Book
• There is still a lot of hard plastic inside the … Rio, but it's not cheap or poorly constructed. The steering wheel feels substantial in your hands." -- Edmunds (2018)

Seating

The Rio's cabin is fairly spacious for a subcompact car. There's plenty of room and solid seat support for front-row occupants, though the tilt-only steering wheel may make it difficult for taller drivers to find a comfortable seating position. Rear-seat space is in short supply.

Cloth upholstery is standard. The top S trim comes with 60/40-split-folding rear seats. For installing child safety seats, there are two complete sets of LATCH connectors for the rear outboard seats.

• Space in the Kia's front seats is more than adequate, but rear-seat passengers won't be nearly as happy due to restricted legroom." -- Car and Driver
• The front seat offers good head- and kneeroom, and it feels pretty open. The rear seat is tight in almost every dimension, with less kneeroom and toe room behind taller drivers than something like the Honda Fit. Rear headroom is similarly tight." -- Edmunds (2019)
• "And the cabin is relatively roomy for a subcompact car." -- Kelley Blue Book (2018)

Interior Features

The 2020 Rio comes standard with an upgraded infotainment system that sits near the top of the control panel for easy access. It has well-arranged physical and touch controls and benefits from quick and intuitive menu options.

Standard features include a 7-inch touch screen, six speakers, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Siri Eyes Free, a USB port, Bluetooth, a rearview camera, power windows, and air conditioning. Remote keyless entry, cruise control, a rear USB port, forward collision warning, and automatic emergency braking are optional.

See 2020 Kia Rio specs »

• "Simplicity is the name of the game inside the Rio, and that's not a slight. In fact, it presents a clean, easy-to-use dashboard with climate and audio controls." -- Car and Driver
• "The infotainment screen is well placed near the top of the dash, and the controls for the stereo and air conditioning are logically placed and easy to reach. The LX and S share a 7-inch touch screen that is easy to read and quick to respond." -- Kelley Blue Book
• The Kia's technology is well-thought-out, with an excellent touchscreen infotainment system, a surprisingly good stereo and competent voice controls. Still, competitors offer more active safety features and driver aids across more of their range." -- Edmunds (2019)

Cargo

The Rio has a solid amount of cargo room for a subcompact car. Sedan models have 13.7 cubic feet of space, and the optional 60/40-split-folding rear seats create some additional room. Hatchback models have 17.4 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats and 32.8 cubic feet when the standard 60/40-split-folding rear seats are down. Larger items may rub against the trunk hinges, though.

• "There's plenty of room inside the 5-passenger cabin, and the 5-door with its large hatchback opening and folding rear seats, can carry a surprisingly large amount of stuff." -- Kelley Blue Book
• The 13.7-cubic-foot sedan trunk is average, but Kia worked hard to create a wide, flat load floor so it's very usable. The seats fold down for longer items. The hatchback's 32.8 cubic feet (with the seats folded) can't touch space in the Honda Fit, but in practice it's quite accommodating." -- Edmunds (2019)
• The Rio remains a subcompact car, which means cargo capacity is limited. However, the cargo area features a flat load floor with a wide liftgate opening and a low liftover height." -- Forbes (2018)