Some love an iPhone and others prefer a Blackberry. People want choice. That’s why Kia introduced two body styles for the all-new 2012 Rio, a four-door sedan and a five-door hatch. If you count yourself in the sedan camp, then the 2012 Kia has you covered with high style, fuel economy, fun and value.

 

With a starting MSRP of $13,400, you won’t pay a lot for a 2012 Kia Rio sedan, but you will get style, performance and features that you’d be convinced would cost more. Actually, those features do cost more when they’re in other cars. You also get something that the Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit don’t give you at any price – a sharp-looking sedan body style. The 2012 Kia Rio sedan shares everything that makes the five-door model great to drive and own wrapped in a sleek and sophisticated sedan body.

 

The 2012 Kia Rio sedan, therefore, offers the same three trim levels as the five-door model: LX, EX and top-of-the-line sporty SX. All hit the road with serious power for a compact, thanks to an advanced, class-leading 138 hp Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) four-cylinder engine that combines spirited performance with 40 mpg highway fuel economy. This engine was just named to Ward’s “2012 10 Best Engines” list.

 

The best part of that 40 mpg rating is that you don’t have to buy an optional “economy package” to get it, as you do with the Ford Fiesta and Chevrolet Cruze. You get 40 mpg highway whether you choose the six-speed manual (LX only) or the six-speed automatic transmission (standard on the 2012 EX and SX models. That goes for the 30 mpg city rating, too.

 

A six-speed transmission – manual or automatic – helps boost performance and economy. But you won’t find a six-speed of any kind in the Toyota Yaris or Honda Fit, and not even in the Honda Civic. The 2012 Rio models also provide the stopping power of four-wheel disc brakes while many other compacts use drum rear brakes.

 

In some cars, when you combine technologies like GDI, a six-speed transmission and four-wheel disc brakes – plus sport-tuned suspension and 17-inch alloy wheels with low-profile tires on the Rio SX model – you end up with the term “sports sedan.” Somehow, though, the term “sport” always seems to add to the car’s price, so Kia is content to just stick with “sedan” and keep the price super-reasonable. You, however, are free to say “sports sedan” at no extra cost, if you wish.

 

Getting such high fuel economy is not only good for your budget, it’s also good for the environment. The 2012 Kia Rio sedan goes a few steps further in that regard, since it’s the first non-hybrid or non-luxury vehicle to offer Idle Stop and Go (ISG). Widely used in Europe, this technology shuts off the engine at stoplights and other instances when the car is idling for a specified time. The engine instantly and seamlessly restarts as soon as you release the brake pedal, and you’re good to go. You save a little fuel each time ISG operates, and that’s good for everybody except the oil companies.

 

Meanwhile, when you drive a 2012 Kia Rio, you’re literally sitting on another boon to the environment. The seat foam that makes the car so comfortable to drive is made from 100 percent biodegradable, non-toxic castor oil, which is made from plants, not petroleum.

 

The flipside to the 2012 Kia Rio sedan’s frugality with fuel is its generosity with standard features and available options you won’t find on competitors’ vehicles. For example, even the lowest price 2012 Kia Rio model comes standard with a six-way adjustable driver's seat, tilt steering column, steering wheel audio controls, a versatile trip computer and 60/40-split/folding rear seats to expand the room offered in the 13.7 cubic foot trunk. The EX trim line adds more amenities including a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel with switches for the standard cruise control and Bluetooth® wireless connectivity with voice activation.

 

The sporty Rio SX comes with the UVO powered by Microsoft® voice-activated communication and entertainment system. This model also comes with a standard rear camera display, which can help make parking in tight places easier and safer.

 

There’s a lot more to the 2012 Kia Rio Sedan, so come in for a closer look. And don’t worry if the hot looking five-door tries to steal your attention.