Whether You are a Gas Miser or a Hot Hatch Driver, Rio is the One For You

Whether You are a Gas Miser or a Hot Hatch Driver, Rio is the One For You

This weekend I took a Rio for the day and experienced this vehicle in a number of situations. First of course was the drive home on Friday night. Everyone who looks at the Rio asks me what they can expect for gas mileage. The energuide ratings for the Rio says that it gets 6.8 l/100km (41.5mpg) city and 4.9 l/100km(57.6mpg) hwy. I drove the vehicle through the city on routes with speed limits varying from 50km/hr to 80 km/hr. I was able to keep moving forward and did not spend an unusual amount of time sitting at red lights or train crossings and with the active eco engaged I had an overall mileage of 6.0L/100km which translates to 47 mpg. Not bad for a city drive! The Rio’s Active Eco works by using the cars computer to alter the shifting pattern to maximize fuel economy. If you are looking for hot performance from your Rio, turn the Active Eco off and slip the car from Drive into the Steptronic 6 speed shifting gate. Your automatic transmission now operates like a manual with a clutchless slap stick shifter. Using this method allows you to control when the gears shift allowing the vehicle to climb in RPMs before shifting to the next gear. The difference is dramatic as the car hits maximum torque at 4850 RPM, an engine speed it never reaches on Active Eco mode. The next morning I drove the Rio the 20km or so back to the dealership. This time I left the Active Eco off and used the steptronic shifter. On each shift I let the RPMs climb a little higher than the vehicle had let it get on Active Eco and noticed a considerable difference in performance. The Rio felt like a sports car compared to the Active Eco version I had driven the night before. How did the mileage compare? For the same drive in reverse, the vehicle clocked a 7.5l/100km average. This translates to a 38mpg city drive. For my 20km drive I used .3l more fuel or 36 cents more fuel at current prices. Overall the Active Eco vs Steptronic debate has already been won as 95% of drivers will never use the manual aspect of the steptronic shifter and therefore save themselves a further $90 per year in fuel. So if the wife/husband/boyfriend/girlfriend/partner etc says they need a vehicle that is top notch in fuel economy vs your desire for a sportscar, Let the Steptronic shifter in the Rio be our little secret.