Kia has announced that they will be cutting the price of their 2012 Rio compared to the 2011 model, while also offering drivers start-stop technology.
The new version of the Kia Rio 5-door will come with a $13,600 price tag for the manual version, while the automatic will be priced at $14,700. Both of those figures represent price cuts compared to the previous models.
While that's obviously good news for drivers looking for an affordable new car, it's the vehicle's start-stop technology that will likely be turning heads. The South Korean automaker says that the Rio will be the first car in the segment to come with the technology, which was previously reserved for more upscale models.
When a car is idling, the start-stop feature shuts off the engine, helping the car preserve fuel. The engine instantly restarts as soon as the driver touches the gas pedal, with no noticeable delay. The feature helps the Rio attain 31 city/40 highway MPGs, according to the EPA.
Drivers don't necessarily have to invest in cutting-edge features in order to increase their fuel economy. The Department of Energy says that tune-ups increase fuel efficiency by about 4 percent on average. Likewise, keeping your tires properly inflated can increase fuel economy by about 3.3 percent.