All About Japan Autos

The Kia Rio isn’t an impressive car – it doesn’t come standard with air conditioning, and reviewers say it’s not fun to drive. With these character flaws in mind, Kia headed back to the drawing board. “Much like its sister company Hyundai, Kia is in the midst of a major product overhaul, spearheaded by the launches of the Soul, Forte, Sorento, Sportage and Optima all within the past few years,” says Autoblog. “The next major up-do within the Kia line is the B-segment Rio, and Kia has just released these sketches of the new subcompact that will debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March.&rdquo.

Kia only released preliminary sketches of the new model, but the automaker says the new Rio will be “sporty and elegant,” and that “Inside, new Rio will offer a feeling of quality typically associated with larger, more expensive models.”

Car and Driver says the Rio’s facelift looks promising. “The sketches portend a rakish hatchback design with steeply sloped rear glass. The Rio seen here wears the same headlight and grille layout seen on new products like the Sportage and Optima, along with bulging air intakes and big, showy wheels. Subtly flared wheel arches, a roof spoiler, and scalloped doors lend the car a sporty appearance. If the production model stays true to this design, it will be a huge improvement over the current car.”

So far, reviewers think the Rio will be much better than the current model, especially if it adopts the Kia Sportage and Kia Optima’s looks. If fuel economy and interior quality are high, Kia might have a winner that can compete with the best models in the class like the Honda Fit, Kia Forte and Ford Fiesta.

The new Kia Rio debuts at the Geneva International Auto show this March, but Kia has not said when they will begin production.

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