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-   -   Premier RiO @ Auto Expo 2012 (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/114053-premier-rio-auto-expo-2012-a.html)

Premier launched the face-lift version of their Mini SUV, the RiO at the Auto Expo

Changes in the New RiO:

• New headlamps
• New grille and spoiler
• The bonnet and bumper have also been changed.
• The RiO now gets beige upholstery

The RiO will have 3 engine options:

• A 1.2 litre petrol engine delivering 77 bhp of power and a claimed fuel efficiency of 15 kms/litre (Engine is based on AVL technology)
• A 1.5 litre turbo diesel engine delivering 65 bhp of power, a claimed fuel efficiency of 16 kms/litre (Engine is based on the Peugeot TUD5)
• A new 1.3 litre CRDI Multijet diesel engine is expected by April 2012. It is currently undergoing integration, testing and homologation.

The RiO is available in four versions, with the base model price starting from Rs. 4.7 lakhs and the top-end model at Rs. 6.35 lakhs, (ex-showroom, Pune).

Standard Equipment includes Power steering, front power windows, electrically operated door mirrors, roof-rails, central locking and CD/MP3 players. The higher models have anti-lock braking system (ABS), keyless entry and alloy wheels.

The Rio is based on a Daihatsu model and is sourced from the Zotye Group (China), which sells close to 1,00,000 units of the same worldwide (per annum) from its plant near Shanghai.

Premier has 50 dealerships as of now and has plans to increase to 100 by end 2012.










The 1.3 L CRDI Diesel Engine:


The 1.2 L Petrol Engine:



Some pictures from the Premier Press Release:

Atleast the facelift gives Rio a breather.

In the last pic [Silver Rio], one can see bare metal in the tyre well.

I can buy a contemporary, crash-tested, high quality modern hatchback (from Maruti, Hyundai, Ford et al) for the same money. Why would anyone even bother with a jugaad Chinese hatch-on-stilts (mini SUV? rubbish) with an outdated hand-me-down platform under the skin.

And importantly, I would rather buy an expensive product from trustworthy brands like Maruti & Hyundai than one with such a shaky history.

That right there is one of the ugliest cars to have donned roads (Thank God I have seen just a couple on roads here in Bombay). This car shouldn't be certified road legal, just because of the way it looks.

And this is what??? A SUV. And this is what???

How can you say the Rio is not crash tested?It must have been,considering it was a daihatsu product.Now how it fared in the crash test is another matter.

It certainly looks better than before,i think build quality has also been upped.With the 1.3 MJD engine,might just make sense as a niche product in some urban tier 2,3 cities.

Now! this is what is called evolution. The face lifted version looks 100 times better and proportionate that the previous model.

If it launches, It will definitely sell.

Our Rio is based on Dihatsu Terious 97 version. The new terious looks much better, i encountered one in hometown, A nepal registered car.

Common dude , its not one of the ugliest cars on the road. There are others in terms of ugliness if you ask me. Wagon-R / Dezire / Reva.
But again this is personal opinion and everyone is entitled to his.

Just playing the devils advocate here.

As regards to the "jugaad" part, agree it might not be on the same league as other cars. But do we have anyone on T-BHP who owns one and has given first hand info of the failures with this car.
Talking about safety, this is not the only one. How safe is a Reva ? yet there are quite a few running around in spite of being priced at 4L +

Very true. If one has enough money and nothing else to do can go and buy one. Some years down the line can post a photograph in a spot the car thread.

Any idea on the base 1.2 petrol engine which was modded by AVL technology?
I remember the day when API introduced the Lamby Polo with a tagline that the engine was developed by AVL Austria. Ultimately it turned out to be the same 150 cc angine and what happened afterwards is history.
Hope the RIP doesn't go the Lamby Polo way.
As posted in another thread getting rid of the juggad tag is going to be a herculean task for Premier and equally wooing customers, with a slew of launches of similar mini suv's just around rhe corner.

I don't understand what's wrong with the car that people here are finding it so offensive. Its a perfectly digestible car any which way you look at it.When bmw does an x6 or a 5 series gt its class breaking this on the other hand is a lost case of old Chinese bolt on parts.It may not be up there in terms of any off the parmeters on which the cars are judged but then so are most of the TATA cars. And TATA is a company a gazzillion times larger than Premier and they still cant sort there fit and finish issues. This product may not fit the conventional buyer and yes maybe its not upto the mark but it cannot be out rightly disqualified.

All the mini SUVs (Duster, Ecosport, Alpha etc) are basically hatch on stilts - chassis is the same as that of the hatches. Only thing going against the Rio is the company history or more importantly the ethical part of it. And that is the critical part!!

There is more to cars than fit and finish alone. At least TATA won't let down its customers so
malevolently.
But look, Premier has taken a lot of innocuous customers for many a ride in the close past. So it is quite natural if suspicions galore.

1.3 CRDI WOW! After Maruti then Tata and now Premier. Fiat is seriously making good money from MJD.

couple of weeks ago they were showcasing the Rio in shopping malls in Mumbai/Thane and that was pre-facelifted version and the fit and finish did not look quite up to mark (remember the old Indica standards?). now i am confused on what version of Rio they are actually going to start selling.

Looks pretty decent considering its price.
However, at more than 5 lakhs, it is still an expensive proposition.
I am quite happy with the 118NE and I see no reason to understate the company's prospects, but Service sectors might be a problem. A good strategy for Premier would be to focus on the taxi market and consolidate it's foothold region wise. The car looks pretty decent, and does manage to attract attention.