Kia's product assault continues with the presentation of the all-new Rio subcompact, which will receive its world premiere together with the new Picanto at the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show in the beginning of March.
The latest car to be revealed by Kia boasts a far slicker exterior design than the current Rio bringing it in line with the rest of South Korean company's passenger model range. There are no photos of the interior, but Kia says its newcomer "will deliver a high level of quality previously associated with larger models" along with a wider selection of trim options.
The Korean firm's Ford Fiesta-sized vehicle features a wheelbase extended by 70 mm (to 2,570 mm) compared to the outgoing Rio thus promising to offer improved passenger space together with an increased cargo capacity to 292 liters for the hatchback body style. Exterior dimensions changes include: +55 mm (overall length), -15 mm (height) and +25 mm (overall width).
In Europe, the firm's B-Segment contender will be offered with a comprehensive range of petrol and diesel engines including a 1.1-liter diesel unit delivering 70-horsepower and CO2 emissions from as low as 85 g/km.
But the big surprise is the announcement of an all-new 1.2-liter Turbo Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) that will be available from 2012, and which will offer the Koreans a significant advantage over its Japanese rivals.
Soon-Nam Lee, Director of Overseas Marketing for Kia, commented: “This new model is a big step forward. The Rio has always been successful, and with this new incarnation we have a car that people will want to buy for its looks.”
The new Rio will go on sale in Europe as a 5-door model this fall, with a 3-door to be introduced into the range in early 2012. Pricing and full range details will be announced nearer the on-sale date.
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34 Comments:
That looks great! I'm really impressed with Kia's lineup now. If they make that interior upscale I'll seriously consider it.
nice rims!
and im pretty shure this thing will look sweet in flesh.
Simply awesome. Kia, please listen to this: Please send Honda some design style, they need it desperately and you have all you need. Once again, we see how you can make an affordable car that isn't bland and boring.
I would spend on this cheap and cheerful car that look good rather than a Corsa, Polo, Swift or Yaris!
Seat leon butt...
Thea rear looks a little bit boring, but the rest of the car looks just great. It's not an spectacular italian design or a chic french one but it does the trick on making this car a head-turner.
Good day !
A great surprise considering how totally dire the current Rio is... Agreed with anonymous #4 above; something this attractive backed with a 7 year warranty, proven dealer service and driving dynamics which will be class-competitive (if Kia's recent offerings are anything to go by) will be a real contender!
it's a disappointment!! The concept looks awesome but this one looks sheeeeet!!
the only thing I still find weird is their naming conventions for the petrol engines.... GDI???? sounds like diesel to me... I thought everyone else around the world or at least most countries call gasoline, petrol in english?
Good replacement for the current diar-rio.
If Kia keeps this up, Top Gear will have to turn to the Chinese for their next "Reasonably Priced Car". They're getting too good. The whole point of the TG segment is the car is supposed to be a POS.
front: Opel Corsa 2011 model
rear: Renault Megane
Kia's on a styling roll - way to go! Hopefully it'll come to the States in full Euro-spec, with the DIESEL engine please! Otherwise, if the new Rio doesn't get significantly better mileage than the Elantra, what's the point? Ford failed miserably by not offering the super-efficient diesel engine in the Fiesta, it's a perfect time for Kia to show them up and take even more of their market share here.
"front: Opel Corsa 2011 model
rear: Renault Megane"
I'm sending you a new pair of glasses.
Opel corsa coypy
Great looking car, I hope and do assume this will be the replacement Rio for the states too. It looks like a vw golf from the back and that is fine too by me and I really don't care if KIA does make their cars look similar to other makes. Name one brand who has cars that look like no other? Nissan , Toyota , Honda , ford, Gm all have similar themes as well so I will never under stand the logic of the THEY COPY IT comments , other then their haters. last year i read a review of a 2010 hyundai accent hatchback and a few people wrote in the comment box that it look like the new 2011 ford fieasta..That style accent was last redesigned in 2006 so the comments showed the hate.Oh well any ways I would buy this.
"I will never under stand the logic of the THEY COPY IT comments"
Me too! It is ok, that the Koreans steal from the Americans. This "Rio" was "developed" by Hyundai-Kia in Germany in a city called Rüsselsheim, where Opel has it's headquarter.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%BCsselsheim#Local_companies
And Opel is a General Motors branch. And GM is subsidised by the American taxpayer.
But, you know, it is much better than the other way around: Germans and Americans stealing their designs from the Koreans. That would be bitter!
"Opel Corsa"?? Get over yourself, you're not doing yourself any favours...
OK fine... This Kia Rio is an Opel Corsa, as Mazda3 is a Peugeo 207, VW Tiguan is a Honda Tiguan, Holden Commodore is a Nissan Skyline R34, the Ford Focus is a '06 Hyundai HED-2 concept (which came out much before the Focus)...
Again, you're not doing yourself any favours. This Rio's brilliant looking, like the new Kia lineup.
ugly. period.
The rear looks good, but the rest of the car totally disappoints.
Horrifying lines. Looks totally off balance.
horrible grille. odd rear hatchback latch. unflattering sideview.
PUKE
Looking cheap, predictable... Nothing exciting, like the Elantra (same family)...
A lot of visual interest for a utilitarian 4-dr. hatch.
Kudos to the design crew at KIA.
A visual mess, actually. The front droop is hideous and the odd lines of the side are out of place and visually distracting. The car is too small to sport so many ill-designed shapes pointing in every direction. Another example of overkill, like on the Chrysler Sebring sedan (since corrected with the 200). Kia got it all wrong. FMC designs are far better, i.e., their 4dr. utility offerings out and forthcoming.
i agree with many here. it is all wrong. and i like some kia's, but not this foul looking model.
A miss-mash of many cars. A mess? Agreed! Fugly.
For Hacedeca and the bad press information:
The new Rio was designed at the North America Kia Design Center in Irvine, only the interior was developed in Frankfurt.
Same studio that created, Soul, Forte/Koup, Sorento and Sportage.
Schreyer is based in germany, but that doesn't mean EVERYTHING is done over there.
nice looking car. i don't see how people think it is ugly. it is well proportion from every angle. hell you can't win haters with nothing but being gone and the haters should get used to Superior quality and design from Hyundai and KIA because they have set otherworld on fire, be it the haters who can't seem to type their hate quick enough when they know it is a great product. all you have to do is read here and you will see the haters really hate them for being better. they call them ugly and say their brands like Opel gm Honda Toyota ford etc is better yet at the same time in the same breath say the copy is ugly ..lol get real you looses because any one can see though your fuax comments except the few haters you breed with your stupidity in your comments
Ok this is a good looking car. Please kia tell me when I can buy one here in the united states. please also make it do 45 on the highway because if the elantra can get 40 then a smaller car from hyundai kia should be getting 45 easy........................you can do it kia..
great looks and priced under 15 k and over 45 mpg = hit for kia
"The whole point of the TG segment is the car is supposed to be a POS."
And that's why TG choose Kia.
SIMPLY GREAT DESIGNED!!!
It's different from mainstream and on my shortlist :)
Oh and 2011 Opel Corsa = 2010/11 Mazda 2 Copy (I can spell)but not as good...Mazda 2 TS2 owner.
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