Upgrades breathe new life into this bestseller

THE upgraded and enhanced Kia Rio has arrived in South Africa.

Comprising hatch and sedan body styles, the subtle yet stylish exterior updates and notable interior upgrades have breathed new life into the Rio range, which is set to remain Kia’s bestselling model.

Under the direction of Peter Schreyer, president and chief design officer of Kia Motors Corporation, the Rio design team in Korea has updated the Rio’s “tiger-nose grille” and given the car a newly designed front bumper and fog lights.

As with the original, there are subtle differences between the front-end design of the hatch and sedan, with most notable difference being the design of the grille and bumper.

The hatchback features a sportier design with lower air intakes and front fog lights, while the sedan has a more stylish and integrated design. A new rear bumper on the hatchback completes the exterior makeover.

There are now three new alloy wheel designs that have been added to the line-up to refresh the Rio’s profile, most notably on the range-topping 1.4 TEC. A new paint finish, Urban Blue, has been added to the colour line-up.

Updates to the enhanced Rio’s interior have been limited to upgraded materials and trims.

The cabin is brightened by the addition of chrome accents around the four dashboard air-vents, while a newly designed centre-stack around the audio system now features piano black trim for a stylish and premium look and feel. All other interior dimensions and specification levels remain unchanged.

Both the Rio hatch and sedan will still be available with a choice of two efficient petrol engines, mated to either a five-speed manual transmission, six-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic transmission.

At the entry level is Kia’s well-known 1.2-litre Kappa engine, which generates 65kW at 6 000rpm and 120Nm of torque at 4 000rpm, and is mated to a five-speed manual transmission. Acceleration to 100km/h takes around 13.1 seconds and the top speed is 168km/h.

The popular and well-proven power unit, the 1.4 Gamma engine, delivers a maximum output of 79kW at 6 300rpm and a peak torque of 135Nm at 4 200rpm. The Rio 1.4 six-speed manual accelerates to 100km/h in 11.5 seconds before reaching a top speed of 183km/h. A four-speed automatic transmission is available as an option.

The Kia brand has become renowned for offer vehicles of exceptional design and quality, but above all notable value for money and competitive pricing.

Kia’s five-year or 150 000km warranty remains standard, as does a four-year or 60 000km service plan.

Pricing for the hatch and sedan:

• Rio 1.2 manual – R 176 995.

• Rio 1.4 manual – R 199 995.

• Rio 1.4 auto – R 211 995.

• Rio 1.4 TEC manual – R 212 995.

• Rio 1.4 TEC auto – R 224 995.

An optional sunroof is available on the Rio 1.4 TEC for an additional R7 000.