New Car Review of the 2005 Kia Rio Compact Sedan and 2005 Kia Cinco

Description: Compact Sedan and Hatchback Sedan
Base MSRP Range: $9,850 - $12,390
Invoice Price Range: $9,460 - $11,715
Where built: South Korea

Best-selling sub-compacts from Kia are promoted as bottom-dollar cars with feisty power and too-cool styling, inside and out. Rio is a four-door sedan, while the hatchback version is called Cinco -- a word in Spanish that translates into English as the number five, which happens to be the count for all doors.

Both models share the same 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine, which delivers 105-hp and links to a manual 5-speed or optional automatic 4-speed transmission.

Alloy wheels go to Cinco, along with body-colored exterior trim. For both cars the cabin structure is tall so driver and passenger ride high in front buckets, followed by a rear bench with indentions for two. Optional gear loads the bottom line, but not severely. The extra items include an automatic transmission, air conditioning, upgrade package and ABS.