Kia The New Ray

Since its launch in 2011, Kia's Ray draws inspiration from Japan's kei minivans like the Daihatsu Tanto and while it looks like a kei minivan, it actually is bigger than a kei minivan and it has a litre of an engine that is efficient enough on the long run. You can think of the Ray as the spiritual successor of the old Towner but that would be nonsense because the Ray is not like the old Towner of the past. It's an MPV for Koreans who want to buy an affordable car that can get the job done anytime. Now, with the 2018MY minor change, let's find out what's changed since its arrival six years ago.

2018 Kia Ray

2018 Kia Ray

It would be misleading to call it "The New Ray" because in truth, this is a minor change to Kia's compact minivan sold only to South Korea and they really do mean South Korea-only unless some smugglers from Southeast Asia trying to sneak one of these and then publicly sell it from their shady dealerships that sell smuggled cars.

Anyway, for the 2018 minor change, the Kia Ray has gained some substantial refreshes to keep this Korea-only minivan running for the next couple of years until they call it quits due to the rise of the crossovers. First off, you will notice that the signature tiger nose grille on the front must have set its transparency rating to a half and in fact, they did so any hint of the grille is almost none and what's left to cool the innards is somewhere below. Apart from that, the exterior gained new headlamps, new taillights, new front bumper design, new wheel designs, and new LED lights on the side mirrors. Of course, the Tanto-esque sliding door on the passenger side remains, just so you know.

On the inside, there has been some minimal changes around here like the steering wheel, the shift knob, and the software on the sat-nav so that now, it integrates MirrorLink and Apple CarPlay connectivity. Still, it can accommodate up to five people and can be folded for some added space for the things you're doing now.

Kia was very honest about the fuel efficiency about the 1.0L petrol engine that engine because it has a combined fuel efficiency of 13km/L and while this isn't as fuel efficient as Japan's kei minivans, it's surprisingly brimming with life and because the Ray's so small, it's surprisingly nippy on the corners as well. As for safety, the new Ray gains a wide array of safety tech such as Emergency Stop Signal, Vehicle Stability Management, Brake Assist System, Hill Assist Control, and six airbags.

The 2018MY Kia Ray starts at 12,100,000 Korean Won (around $13,000 or 610,000 Pesos) and while its a mildly price hike compared to the pre-facelifted Ray, you can still afford one than the Carens or the Carnival, making it a fair start for first-time buyers.

Photo: Kia Motors