New Premier RIO

Premier Auto, the erstwhile Premier Automobile Limited, has launched the first compact SUV RiO.The company began as Premier Automobile Limited in 1944 and manufactured Chrysler Corporation vehicles. It manufactured cars under different names like Dodge, Plymouth and DeSoto. Premier Padmini, which is a reincarnation Fiat 1100 was one the most famous models of the erstwhile Premier Automobile Limited in India during the 1990s.
Now, the company is making a comeback in the passenger car segment with the RiO after a period of nine years. The Premier RiO is basically the Zotye Nomada which is a mini crossover and is manufactured by leading Chinese auto manufacturer, Zotye Autos.
The Premier RiO is a compact city SUV which has been developed on basis of advanced technology from domestic and international autos. The car is brought to India in the CKD version and will be assembled at Premier Auto's Chinchwad facility in Pune. 

The Premier RiO is available only in diesel option. The compact SUV comes in three variants, the Ex, Dx and Lx. The RiO is powered by a 1.5L I-4 Turbo Diesel Engine. The engine is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox for a relaxed driving experience and can generate a decent power of 65 bhp and a torque 152 Nm@2250 rpm. The engine feels underpowered in comparison to the weight of the RiO and 65 bhp is too less for an SUV, even for a compact SUV.This engine is basically Premier Auto's own engine that is essentially a downsized Peugeot TUD5 diesel engine. The engine is Euro-III ready and the company is taking adequate steps to meet the latest Euro-IV emission norms. 

• Fuel Economy 13/17 km/l (city/highway), Diesel  
• Available Engines 1.5L I-4, 64 bhp, Diesel 
• Available Transmissions 5-speed Manual Transmission (MT)
•  On Road Price Rs. 7,17,000

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