The Matrix combines the design prowess of renowned Italian carmaker Pininfarina (yes, they of Ferrari fame) with Hyundais own fondness for providing smart interiors. Despite its lack of length (4,025 mm), the Matrixs high roof design (1,635 mm) makes it easy for it to fit the vertically-gifted amongst us. Its small body belies a truly spacious interior thats packed to the brim with storage options that put many an SUV to shame. The Matrix has cupholders galore (six in all), fold-up seat back trays, various storage trays and boxes (from center console trays to under the seat trays to hidden storage boxes beneath the steering wheel and within the luggage compartment) and even an extra power outlet at the back of the vehicle. It presents itself as the ultimate utility vehicle (hence the "MPV" moniker) thats perfect for long drives for small groups. It provided enough room and comfort for a certified shopaholic and her husband (yours truly), who both gave the cars roomy interiors the thumbs up.
Chevrolets Aveo, meanwhile, looks very much like a stylized mini-Euro that has touches of a retro-Mini Cooper to boot. The "circle" motif prevalent in the interiors gives a certain cute-yet-classy feel to the car. Though much shorter than the Matrix (3,880 mm), it catches up in the height department (1,495), which again makes for spacious headroom. And though equipped with only (well, when compared to the Matrix, anyway) four cupholders, it still gives other, much bigger vehicles a run for their money in the comforts department. Still, it didnt give as much mobility and flexibility as the Matrix. One thing this baby has that other vehicles in its class dont is a built-in keyless entry system which is often taken for granted by manufacturers but means a whole lot to buyers. It also has a decent sound system (S/DIN, single in-dash CD) thats slightly better than its competitors.
The Kia Rio, meanwhile, is easily the longest of the three (4,240 mm) as such, it also gives up on the height department (1,420). All this however, translates to versality on a level neither of the two can obviously compete in trunk space. A whopping 449 liters can fit in the Rio hatchbacks trunk and an even more impressive 1,227 liters with the rear seat folded flat. Which brings us to the Rios reason for being. With that kind of versatility for cargo instead of people, the practicality for such a car could be best maximized by home-makers on the go, which by the way seems to be where the exterior design is also focused. Its a picture perfect car for moms as it hides under the moniker of a hatchback but can actually function as a station wagon.
The Aveo, on the other hand, does not carry numbers as impressive as that of the Matrix with a 1.5 liter single overhead cam powertrain that generates 83ps@5600rpm, but it does have better insulation that keeps outside noise from disturbing the cabin. We drove the 4-speed transaxle automatic version of the Matrix up the mountains of Antipolo and found the Matrix able and willing but also a bit noisy. The 5-speed manual version of the Aveo made its way to the traffic-infested North Expressway, carried four passengers and a gazillion Hormel hotdog stuffed grocery bags but still managed to accelerate all the way up to 120kph without much noise or rattling before we decided it was getting a bit too speedy for comfort especially in a vehicle as small as the Aveo.
Kias Rio is also a big surprise, perhaps because of the Korean carmakers repuatation as the provider of the most affordable of entry-level cars in the country. A private joke back in college had us belittling those who allowed themselves to be overtaken by a Kia Pride as, well, without "pride". The Rios 1.5 DOCH water-cooled four cylinder with twin camshafts effectively puts an end to that misnomer. The Rio is proof that Kia has gone far in the development of engines better suited to the needs of a more stringent market. Still, like the Matrix, its weakness lies in poor sound insulation. The noisier the car from the inside, the more people tend to mistake it for a "weak" automobile. Perhaps this is one area of development that the Korean engineers can develop further in future projects.
The Matrix is perfect for the more adventurous yet practical occasional out-of-towner. The Aveo is more for the economy conscious city dweller. And the Rio is perfect for the busy working mom whos major concerns revolve around versatility for cargo.
The bottom line here is that the vehicles are not of the traditional mold, even if the Aveo and the Rio look the part. The Matrix is full of surprises on the inside and is quite unique on the outside, while the Aveos size camouflages a bundle of energy wrapped in deceptive clothing and the Rios hatchback design hides a functional wagon inside. Oh, and all three are pretty fuel-efficient, too. The Hyundai Matrix retails at P625,000 for the manual transmission and P680,000 for the automatic. The Chevrolet Aveo goes for P575,000 for the manual transmission and P615,000 for the automatic transmission. The Kia Rio hatchback manual transmission goes for P539,000 while the automatic version sells for P619,000. They are all "fun" drives built on basic platforms no nano-technology fit for Star Trek and all that brouhaha which make them exciting new additions to the local automotive scene, but not revolutionary ones that will change the market forever.