New Premier Rio SUV launched at Rs 5.25 lakh

Premier Automobiles has launched the Rio compact SUV, in a bid to reclaim its place as a player in the Indian automotive scene. The comeback vehicle for Premier Automobiles has been launched between Rs 5.25 lakh and Rs 5.95 lakh!

Launched in Mumbai, the Rio is targeted as a luxury mini-SUV which will act as an alternative to premium B-segment hatchbacks and is expected to rival not only entry level SUVs but also some of the larger hatchbacks in the market such as the Maruti Suzuki Gypsy, Mahindra Bolero Invader and Scorpio M2Di with its space, presence and a diesel engine as its USPs.

The Premier Rio will be offered initially at 20 dealerships and will be different from those that sell Premier commercial vehicles - the Roadstar and the Sigma. Premier’s new-SUV is developed using kits supplied by Zotye in China, and is based on the first-generation Daihatsu Terios.  All variants of the Rio feature the Peugeot TUD5 engine with the addition of a turbocharger, now at 1489 cc producing 65 bhp at 4000 rpm, and 152 Nm of torque at 2250-3000 rpm.

Unlike what we thought earlier, the Premier Rio does not meet BS IV emission standards BS III is what you get. Premier Auto claims a fuel efficiency of 16 kilometers to the litre for the Rio, five gears and manual transmission.

Colors Available

Red, blue, white, silver and black are the colors to choose. The Rio will be offered in three trims. The EX which is priced at Rs 5.25 lakh, the DX at Rs 5.50 lakh and LX at Rs 5.95 lakh all ex-showroom, Pune. There is no difference between the engines of the three versions.

Rio EX
The base model Rio is priced at Rs 5.25 lakh. Add another Rs 50,000 or so to that and you get the on-road price. Rs 5.75 lakh is not cheap, but then that is the price of a medium sized hatch in India. What do you get for that? Power steering, front power windows and central locking are there, plus an MP3 enabled audio system. No mention of air conditioning for the EX, sadly.

Rio DX
This is the mid-level variant and it is priced at Rs 5.50 lakh. We are not sure about ABS or airbags would be available in this model. Alloy wheels are likely.
Rio LX

This is the top end variant. Priced at Rs 5.95 lakh, the Rio DX gets ABS, front airbags and alloy wheels. The original Daihatsu Terios and the Zotye Rio have an AWD option but here it is not provided. Four wheel drive would be fantastic for such a small SUV. While Premier Auto could not offer Bharat Stage IV emission compliance at the time of the launch, they are aiming for that, says the company.

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