Premier has showcased the 2012 Rio at the Auto Expo. The Premier Rio gets a facelift for the current year and also receives one of the best diesel engines in the country. Yes, the Rio diesel is now powered by Fiat’s 1.3-liter Multijet engine, producing 75 PS of power at 4000 RPM and 190 Nm of torque 1750 RPM. The Rio is available in 3 variants – 1.2-liter petrol producing 77 BHP of power and delivering 15 kmpl, 1.5 TUD5 diesel producing 65 BHP of power and returning 16 kmpl and the 1.3-liter Multijet which is currently under homologation with the ARAI.
The 2012 Premier Rio now gets curvy headlamps, integrated front grille, new hood, new side panels, new bumper, rear spoiler and beige upholstery. All the variants of the Premier Rio come with Power Steering, Front Power Windows, Electrically Operated ORVMs, Central Locking, CD/MP3 Audio System and Roof-rails as standard. Higher end models also feature ABS, Alloy Wheels and Keyless entry. The 1.2-liter petrol and 1.5-liter diesel engined Rio CUVs will go on sale immediately, while the Multijet Rio will only be available in April 2012. The Premier Rio range starts at Rs. 4.7 lakhs and goes all the way upto Rs. 6.35 lakhs (ex-showroom, Pune). The company claims the price of the Rio is atleast Rs. 1.5 lakhs cheaper than any other SUV available in the country. The Rio is available in 4 colours nameld white, silver, red and black.
2012 Premier Rio Variants and Features
| DIMENSIONS | PETROL | Diesel | Diesel CRDI |
| Overall Length | 3970mm | 3970mm | 3970mm |
| Overall width | 1570mm | 1570mm | 1570mm |
| Overall Height | 1730mm | 1730mm | 1730mm |
| Wheelbase | 2420mm | 2420mm | 2420mm |
| Track front | 1305mm | 1305mm | 1305mm |
| Track rear | 1310mm | 1310mm | 1310mm |
| Turning circle Radius |
4.7mtrs |
4.7mtrs |
4.7mtrs |
| Ground Clearance | 200mm (≈8”) | 200mm (≈8”) | 200mm (≈8”) |
| ENGINE | PETROL | DIESEL | DIESEL |
| No. Of Cylinders | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Engine CC | 1173 | 1489 | 1248 |
| Max.Power | 76.6 ps (56.3kw)@ 5800 rpm | 64.8 ps (47.6 kw) @ 4000 rpm | 75 ps (55 kw) @ 4000 rpm |
| Max.Torque | 103.9 Nm @ 3500-4250rpm | 152 Nm @ 2250 – 3000 rpm | 190 Nm @ 1750 rpm |
| Emission | BSIV | BSIII | BSIV |
| Air charging System | Naturally aspirated | Fixed geometry Turbo Charger without intercooler | Fixed geometry Turbo Charger with intercooler |
| CAPACITY | |||
| Seating | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 46 ltrs | 46 ltrs | 46 ltrs |
| Trunk capacity | 454/1158 ltrs (with rear seat folded) | 454/1158 ltrs ( with rear seat folded) | 454/1158 ltrs ( with rear seat folded) |
| WEIGHT | |||
| kerb weights | 1080 kgs | 1145 kgs | 1145 kgs |
| GVW | 1530kgs | 1530kgs | 1530kgs |
| TRANSMISSION | 5 Speed manual, | 5 Speed manual, | 5 Speed manual, |
| BRAKES | (Front) Disc | (Front) Disc | (Front) Disc |
| (Rear) Drum | (Rear) Drum | (Rear) Drum | |
| SUSPENSION | (Front) Mcpherson strut & coil spring | (Front) Mcpherson strut & coil spring | (Front) Mcpherson strut & coil spring |
| (Rear) 5 rods system | (Rear) 5 rods system | (Rear) 5 rods system | |
| TYRES | 205/70R15 (Tubeless Radial) | 205/70R15 (Tubeless Radial) | 205/70R15 (Tubeless Radial) |