~ car market. "| Price as tested (LS) ... OVER the past decade, most Japanese, American, and European automakers have abandoned the subcompact economy Inexpensive cars like the Ford Aspire, Nissan Sentra Classic, Mazda 323, Subaru Justy, Dodge Omni, Plymouth Sundance, and Tovora Tercel have all disappeared, and either not replaced, or replaced with more expensive models. The VW Golf, the only European small car available in “ Canada, went upmarker the Jast time it was redesigned and now starts at close to $19,000. The only Japanese company still pro- - ducing a subcompact at under $13,000 is Suzuki, which offers the Sw Swift. The hollowing-out trend continues tor 2001 when the Chevrolet Metro/Pontiac Firefly and Honda Civic hatchback — will be discontinued, and not replaced. (Honda still offers a more expensive sedan and coupe). This has provided an opportunity for South Korean carmak- ers Hyundai, Daewoo and Kia to fill the entry-level market seg- " ment, a market that is much more important in Canada than it is sin the United States. A few years ago, only Hyundai offered a small subcompact — the Accent — but now Daewoo and Kia each have their own subcompacts, the Daewoo Lanos and Kia Rio. - Who is Kia? Kia may be unfamiliar to many Canadians, but they have been making cars in South Korea since 1974. Kia previously manufactured the Ford Festiva/Ford Aspire . hatchback for Ford from 1987 to 1995. In 1998, they were bought by Hyundai, and in 1999 entered the Canadian market on their own. They now have approximate- ly 90 Kia dealers across Canada, mostly in Ontario and Quebec. In the Lower Mainland, there are three Kia dealers: in : Richmond, Langley, and Port Coquidiam. Rin? 's range from $1 1,995 to $15,895 “~ The Rio is Kia’s smallest and least-expensive model. ott retail Prices for the Rio range from a base price of ‘Technical Dat ann 2081 iia Rio LS sedan Base price (S) ........ass-ssseesessssssssscseecsses suecenaecsssesee es $11,995 * Freight... sesseseeaees 450 seeeeee 16,445 four-door, five-passenger subcompact sedan ~-transverse front. engine/front-wheel-drive _Eng wiaseeee t Selitre four-cylinder, DOHC, 16 vaive _ Horsepower... sessed @ 5,800 p.m. Torque............. 98 ft-lb. @ 4,500 rp.m. Automatic, 4 door. X company car. As new. Factory warranty. Choose from 6. Most colors. SPORTS COUPE Automatic. Factory Warranty. X company car. Choose from 2 MORREY AUTO GROUP _ Willingdon & Lougheed, Burnaby NORTH SHORE NEW for 2001, the Kia Rio subcompact sedan fills a gap in the economy car ‘segment vacated by Japanese, American and. European automakers. Ranging in price from $11,995 to over $16,000, the Rio offers a standard 96-horsepower, 1.5-litre, four-cylinder engine with excellent fuel esonomy, a surprisingly smooth (optional) -four-speed automatic transmission, a five-passenger interior, and popular options like a CD ptayer, air condi- tioning, and power windows. $11,995 to $15,895 (plus freight and Excise tax) for a fully- equipped LS model. Rios come only ina four-door sedan: bodystyle — a hatch- back is not offered. The base Rio S-model doesn’t offer power steering or an optional automatic transmission, but it is otherwise well- equipped. Standard features include a 96-horsepower, 1.5-litre, Transmission..four-speed automatic (standard: five-speed manual) Curb weight... .970 kg (2,134 Ib.) Wheelbase. 2.41 m (949 in.) Length... 4.21 m (165.9 in.) | Width. 67 m (65.9 in.) Height 1,44 m (56,7 in.) Trunk spare 290 litres (9.2 cu. ft.) Fuel consumption City 8.4 100 km (34 m.p.g.) Highway 5.9 1/100 km (48 m.p.g.) Warranty .. Powertrain warranty ” Automatic, SPORTS SEDAN #G105 2.8% lease or X company car. Executive Driven. Factory warranty. Now ... save $6050 42,995 MORREY SATURN SAAB ISUZU 294-1831 _ watch for ou7 new location in the north shore auto mall! D91 31 NEW 2000 ISUZU RODEO NEW ISUZU TROOPER www. morreysaturn.satumncanada.cont _ four-cylinder engine, a five- -speed manual transmission, non power-assisted rack-and- -pinion steering, 175/70R-13 inch tires, dual airbags, AM/FM radio, intermittent wipers, cloth seats and cloth door inserts, centre console, front cupholders, dual vanity mirrors in the visors, rear defroster, dual outside mirrors, tinted glass, and front and rear mudflaps. Dealer-installed air condition- ing is available as an option.:| The Rio RS, which will probably be the most popular trim level, starts at $12, 795. The BS adds the following featuresto the S model: power steering, tit steering column, cassette player, driver's seat height adjustment, right-side folding. armrest for the driver’s seat, wheel covers, body-coloured mirrors, door handles and side mouldings, chrome grille, rear lip spoiler and remote trunk release. A four-speed automatic is 2 $1,000-option on the RS. Dealer-installed air conditioning is also available. Top-of the-line Rio LS models, which begin at $13,695, sub- stitute a CD player for the cassette player, and add power win- dows, power door locks with central locking, and a tachometer. A four-speed automatic transmission is optional and a factory- installed air conditioning system is a $1200 option.” Equipped with optional A/C and automatic transmission, Rio LS models go for $15,895. Add $450 freight and $100 * excise tax, and the total comes to $16,445 plus GST and PST. See Urban page 28 4x4, automatic. Chooose from 4. New Warranty. #348 ’ $28,325"2.9%. “ISUZU'S BEST” . #232 9952. 9.