The fourth generation of the Kia Rio arrives, a major leap in quality

New Kia Rio

Before it was officially presented at the Paris Motor Show, the fourth generation of the Kia Rio had some of its final details revealed. It arrives with an attractive design, great practicality and comfort, class-leading safety technologies, and new connectivity systems. These qualities will make it a strong rival to its competitors in the B-segment.

For its design, both exterior and interior, the centres in Germany and California worked closely with the company’s design department in Namyang, Korea. The front of the Kia Rio features the latest evolution of the “tiger-nose” grille, slimmer in height and wider across the front, with a gloss black grille cover. The light units feature U-shaped daytime running lights with LED technology and the fog lights have also been moved outwards.

This new model features a 10 mm increase in wheelbase (up to 2,580 mm), a shorter rear overhang, and a slimmer, less inclined C-pillar. Its body is 15 mm longer (now 4,065 mm) and 5 mm lower (down to 1,450 mm). The rear is less sloped and integrates slimmer rear light clusters with the new arrow-shaped LED light signature. Buyers can choose from eight body colours and three designs for the alloy wheels, ranging from 15 to 17 inches. The Rio will be sold in Europe with a five-door body.

New Kia Rio

The interior design stands out for a modern cabin, with more sculpted shapes and a more ergonomic layout than its predecessor. The dashboard, now more driver-oriented, features a new infotainment system, a “floating” HMI (human-machine interface) with a 5-inch high-resolution touchscreen. The centre section of the dashboard is finished in gloss black, and the seats will be upholstered in black fabric.

Thanks to the increase in exterior dimensions and changes to the interior trim, the new Rio offers a more spacious cabin. It offers a boot capacity of 325 litres and features a two-level boot floor, which allows the boot floor height to be adjusted to store items underneath, preventing them from rolling around or keeping them out of sight.

The new Kia Rio is equipped with a range of advanced driver assistance systems: ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems). This extensive passive safety equipment includes systems such as Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, and the Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS).

In addition to all the ADAS technologies, the new Kia Rio features the Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) system with Electronic Stability Control (ESC). The VSM ensures stability during braking and cornering by detecting any possible loss of grip, and uses ESC to help the driver keep the car on track.

Interior of the New Kia Rio

The engine range for the new Rio will consist of three petrol variants and two diesel ones. The 1.0-litre three-cylinder T-GDI engine will be available with outputs of 100 and 120 CV. The former will be paired with a five-speed manual gearbox and the latter with a six-speed manual. A 1.25-litre naturally aspirated MPI (multi-point injection) petrol engine producing 84 CV will also be offered, paired with a five-speed manual gearbox. As for the diesel engines, the new Rio will feature the 1.4-litre unit with outputs of 70 and 90 CV. Both will be paired with a six-speed manual gearbox.

The new infotainment system sits at the centre of the dashboard. It can be fitted with a 5-inch “floating” touchscreen or, as an option, a 7-inch touchscreen and navigation, with Kia Connectivity Services provided by TomTom, as well as Android Auto or Apple CarPlay for smartphone integration. It also has USB ports at both the front and rear of the cabin.

The Android Auto system connects the user’s phone and allows access to its apps and functions through the car’s infotainment system, such as Google Maps voice-guided navigation, hands-free calls and texts, and voice recognition.

The Apple CarPlay system enables voice control via Siri to use various phone functions and apps, such as navigation with Apple Maps, calls and text dictation.

The new Kia Rio will go on sale in Europe in the first quarter of 2017.

Source | Kia