Kia’s fourth-generation Rio, to be revealed to the Australian public at the 2011 Melbourne Motor Show, boasts a bold and distinctive personality, bringing the latest model into line with the rest of Kia’s striking design-led product range.
Tasked with the difficult job of improving upon the remarkable international sales success of the previous generation model, Kia’s engineers and designers have created a new Rio, which combines European flair, Australian drivability with Korean spice.
“The Kia Rio has always been successful, and with this new incarnation we have a car which is extremely attractive with a fresh feeling of sportiness – a car that people will want to buy for its looks, as well as its environmental credentials,” said Kia Motors Australia CEO MK Kim.
“The new Rio also sets a packaging benchmark in the light passenger vehicle category with the availability of LED daytime running lights and 17 inch alloy wheels fitted with a low profile, Continental.”
The new Rio model is longer (by 55mm), wider (by 25mm), and lower (by15 mm) and features a wheelbase extended by 70mm (to 2570 mm) – greatly enhancing passenger space and cargo capacity. With an overall height of 1455mm, new Rio is one of the sleekest cars in Kia’s product range.
Manufactured for the first time with a choice of 3-, 4- and 5-door bodystyles, new Rio is set to completely redefine its position as a serious member in one of the most competitive sectors – the light passenger vehicle segment.
The 5-door Hatchback is the first body shape to be launched in Australia late in the 3rd quarter of 2011. The 3- & 4-door variants will hit Australian roads in early 2012.
In addition to appealing to consumers’ aesthetic tastes, the new Kia Rio will spearhead the company’s efforts to significantly grow its market share by offering potential owners industry-leading environmental credentials.
The 5-door Hatch will be mated to either a 1.4-litre MPI 4-cylinder petrol powerplant with DOHC and CVVT that produces 79kW of power at 6300rpm and 135Nm of torque at 4200rpm or a larger 1.6-litre Gamma GDi petrol engine. The GDi is the smallest Kia engine yet to benefit from the application of Gasoline Direct Injection technology.
With the help of GDi, this four-cylinder powermill develops 103kW at 6300rpm and 167Nm at 4850rpm, a 13 percent improvement over a conventional Gamma 1.6-litre fed by MPI (Multi-Point Injection). GDi technology doesn’t only boost power output, it also improves fuel economy while lowering emissions.
The new Gamma also features Dual Continuously Variable Valve Timing, a Variable Induction System and exotic anti-friction coatings such as CrN Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) coating and Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating.
Target CO2 emissions for the model range start at just 133 g/km making it a top-15 contender in the government’s Green Vehicle Guide.
This new car is no evolution of its predecessor, it is a revolution. The bold and distinctive personality of the new Rio represents a complete departure from its predecessor and fits perfectly into the revitalized new family of Kia products.
The Rio shows its connection with the Sportage, too, through strong and stable rear, coupe-like roof-line and dominant high shoulder. The careful balance of glass-house, wheelbase and overall proportion give Rio a refined and premium presence.
Rio´s striking appearance is maximised by a fresh new palette of 10 exterior body colours. Kia’s colour and trim team have developed a spectrum of exclusive colours for Rio which underline its refined and stylish character.
These include Latte, Rich Caramel and Graphite Grey, all with a classic premium flavour.
To complement the striking exterior, Rio’s interior design has also been transformed, with a clean sophisticated theme. The concept follows the corporate Kia interior philosophy with the characteristic horizontal instrument panel, accentuating the feeling of width and space.
As in other recently-launched Kia models, the signature interior architecture – with its ‘three cylinder’ instrument cluster, precise instrument graphics and clear functionality – have been retained. New for Rio, however, are the centrally-located toggle switches, which are neatly integrated into the central heater unit, and control some of the secondary functions.
Features available on new Rio cars include, radio CD player with MP3 compatibility plus AUX, iPod and USB connections, Bluetooth® handsfree, cruise-control and climate-control air-conditioning.
Like the Sorento, Cerato, Sportage and Optima before it, the New Rio’s suspension and running gear has benefited from a stringent program of local optimisation. The Ride and Handling Dynamic Program included comprehensive local testing and fine-tuning to ensure responsive handling while maintaining stability, ride quality and refinement – in line with the discerning Australian customer’s expectations.
The electric power-assisted rack and pinion steering, MacPherson strut front suspension and the CTBA (coupled torsion beam axle) at the rear combine to deliver a more commanding ride.
An all-disc braking system is optimised by the addition of the latest VSM (Vehicle Stability Management) system, which combines ESC (electronic stability control), ABS anti-lock brakes, electronic brake force distribution and emergency ‘brake assist’ systems with HAC (hillstart assist control), to ensure owners of the all new Rio have the latest in vehicle control systems.
If required, six airbags (front, side and curtain) offer protection to occupants in the event of an accident while night time driving is made safer by the availability of projection headlamps, new front ‘cornering’ lamps.
The all-new Rio 5-Door Hatch will go on-sale late 3rd quarter 2011 in three specification levels.
FEATURES LIST
Standard Equipment
15-inch steel wheel with 185/65 R15 tyre
Full size spare
MDPS (Electric Power Steering)
Tilt & telescopic steering wheel adjustment
6 airbags (dual front , front side & curtain)
ESC with 4-wheel disc brake
Vehicle Stability Management with Hill-start Assist Control
Seatbelt reminders (all positions)
Body colour outside mirrors and door handles
Rear spoiler
Chrome signature grille
Electric heated outside mirrors
Driver and passenger vanity mirrors
60:40 split rear folding seat
Trip computer (4 function)
Front wiper – variable intermittent, with aero blade wiper
Manual air conditioning
Front power & rear windows
Audio unit (CD, radio & USB/AUX/iPod connectivity) with 4 speakers
Audio remote controls
Bluetooth (remote steering wheel controls)
Available Equipment
16-inch alloy wheel with 195/55 R16 Tyre
17-inch alloy wheel with 205/45 R17 Tyre (Continental)
Front fog lamps
Supervision cluster with dot-matrix display
Auto cruise control with steering wheel remote controls
LED Day-time Running Lights
LED rear combination lamps