New Car: 2012 Kia Rio

The Rio is smartening up its act! These are the first pictures of Kia’s all new small hatchback and they reveal an fresh look for the newcomer including Kia’s trademark bow-tie grille.

The re-design brings the Rio in line with Kia’s current line-up and should also bring with it the same level of quality now associated with the Korean brand.
Insiders have suggested interior quality will be the best yet and we can expect to see organ stop switches for the heater controls and colourful soft-touch inserts on the dash.

There’s more space inside too, with a wheelbase which has been extended by 70mm. Not only does that leave more room for rear passengers but it also allows for 292-litres of boot space – up from 270 litres in the current model.

Two engines have been confirmed for the new Rio, including a 1.1-litre diesel unit which produces 69bhp and emits just 85g/km of CO2. A high performance 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine will also be offered in 2012.

Before then, the Rio will go on sale in September in five-door form, but a three-door model will also be available early in 2012.

Prices for the current car start from £7,995, but it’s likely that the higher quality newcomer – which will include more kit as standard – will be slightly more expensive. Expect a price-tag still under £10,000 though.For more details click here.
Thanks to: Auto Express