KEY POINTS:
Kia has launched what it claims is the best-priced diesel-powered vehicle in New Zealand.
The Rio diesel costs $24,495 as a five-door hatchback or four-door sedan.
It is substantially cheaper than hybrid cars, and the Rio also betters the petrol-electric Honda Civic in Combined fuel economy - 4.5 litres per 100km in official tests compared to 4.6 for the Japanese car.
Some Kia dealers are issuing a $10 challenge to see how far buyers can drive the Rio on $10 worth of diesel as part of its upcoming promotional campaign.
Kia also pays for the first 1000km of road-user charges under its driveaway pricing scheme, and includes a five-year/100,000km warranty programme and all on-road costs in the purchase price.
The Rio diesel is powered by a 1.5-litre common-rail diesel engine that produces 81kW, a fraction less than the 82kW 1.6-litre petrol engine.
Naturally, it wins on torque, delivering 235Nm at 2000rpm but the diesel is manual transmission-only. It comes with six airbags and stability control.
