With the new Rio Hatch, and now the Sedan, Kia has created a car that answers consumer demand for more quality, more choice, and an attractive, exciting design, without having to compromise on interior space. The bold and distinctive personality of the new Rio represents a complete departure from its predecessor and fits perfectly into the revitalised new family of Kia products.
Viewed head on, new Rio has its own unique interpretation of the Kia corporate grille, which is integrated beautifully with the front lamps to create a new twist on the Kia family look. In this latest form, the Kia logo now sits above the grille. Below the grille, the treatment of front bumper and spoiler again shows signs of the Kia design DNA, with its distinctive on-road presence.
In profile, the sedan model’s shorter front overhangs (reduced by 35 mm), lowered roofline and increased ratio of body-to-glass, combined with the car’s strong wedge form (the beltline angle is increased from 2.5 to 4.9 degrees), to give this new model a dynamic and sporty stance.
From the rear, new Rio shows its connection with the Sportage, too, through its strong and stable design, flowing C-pillar, dominant high shoulder and fast rear screen angle. The coupe-like roofline contrasts dramatically with the strong and static rear bumper and gives a power and solidity to the rear view.
Longer (by 115 mm), wider (by 25 mm), and lower (by -15 mm) and featuring a wheelbase extended by 70 mm (to 2,570 mm) – the new Rio sedan has greatly enhanced passenger space and cargo capacity. New Rio’s aerodynamics is extremely efficient, resulting in a drag figure of Cd 0.31.
This bold but elegant appearance is strengthened by the distinctive feature line, which adds tension to the flanks and accentuates the dynamic stance of the car. The careful balance of the window graphic, wheelbase and overall proportion give Rio a refinement and premium presence, which is rare in the B-segment.
With the introduction of the new Rio, the Kia product portfolio has just taken the next important step towards becoming a family of vehicles, which has an attractive, and coherent brand style but still manages to retain individual product character.
The new Rio sedan is manufactured in Korea in a range of 10 exterior colours. To maximise the impact of Rio´s striking appearance, Kia’s colour and trim team have developed a fresh new palette of exclusive colours for Rio which underline its refined and stylish character. These colours include one Solid – Clean White, and nine Metallics – Bright Silver, Graphite Grey, Black, Fresh Beige, Caramel Yellow and Electronic Blue, Signal Red, Formal Deep Blue and Wendy Brown.
Kia’s four-door sedans compared (dimensions in mm)
Model Length Wheelbase Width Height
Kia Rio 4365 2570 1720 1455
Kia Cerato/Forte 4530 2650 1775 1460
Kia Optima 4845 2795 1830 1455
More about the KIA RIO
– Revolutionary new Rio family sedan to power Kia sales boom
– A sporty and stylish new sedan
– Bespoke feel for sophisticated and spacious interior
KIA RIO Engines & Transmissions
– Two highly efficient petrol engines with 65 and 79 kW outputs
– Improved stability, smoother ride and enhanced refinement
– Comprehensive active and passive safety systems
KIA RIO Standard Equipment and Technical Specifications
– Technical details for the complete model line-up