Kia Rio – five-door to make European market debut

Kia Rio – five-door to make European market debut

The third-generation Kia Rio is set to make its European market entrance, joining the compact fray in the UK at the beginning of next month. The UB hatch, which made its debut in Geneva earlier this year, arrives in five-door form first, followed by the three-door version towards the end of the year. There’s also of course a sedan form of the vehicle, the Rio Sedan unveiled in New York in April, which is set to begin selling in the US in January next year, as well as the K2 derivative for the Chinese market.

Kia Rio – five-door to make European market debut

Universally, the Rio will have six engine choices in all from a 69 hp 1.1 litre three-cylinder diesel unit up to a 1.6 litre GDI mill producing 138 hp, the last set for North America. Four engine choices will be available for the UK – two petrol and two diesel, among them a 107 hp 1.4 litre petrol and a 89 hp 1.4 litre turbodiesel.

Large gallery of the UK spec’d hatch after the jump.

[zenphotopress number=999 album=2553]

Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.

Certified Pre-Owned - 1 Year Warranty

10% discount when you renew your car insurance

Compare prices between different insurer providers and use the promo code 'PAULTAN10' when you make your payment to save the most on your car insurance renewal compared to other competing services.

Car Insurance

Anthony Lim

Anthony Lim believes that nothing is better than a good smoke and a car with character, with good handling aspects being top of the prize heap. Having spent more than a decade and a half with an English tabloid daily never being able to grasp the meaning of brevity or being succinct, he wags his tail furiously at the idea of waffling - in greater detail - about cars and all their intrinsic peculiarities here.

 

Comments

  • pelams on Aug 22, 2011 at 1:48 pm

    kia’s design is getting better n better

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • looking-good on Aug 22, 2011 at 4:08 pm

      those who thumb down ur post are just simply can not accept the fact…..

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Alpha on Aug 22, 2011 at 7:08 pm

      It’s getting better,but is it just me or is this one looks very much like a Fiat Bravo??Especially the rear.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • 4G63T DSM on Aug 22, 2011 at 11:51 pm

        No not Bravo…. SEAT rear end

        Lets see

        Picanto
        Rio
        Forte
        Optima

        I would think if this comes here…it could start at about 65-70k. Which would undercut the Ford/Mazda twins by 20k. Which incidentally where the Hyundai Accent was positioned previously.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • BeemerFreak on Aug 23, 2011 at 1:00 am

        Agreed. Nice rounded end just like the bravo

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Too late Rio ! Ford Fiesta has already set a too high standard for u to challenge, 7 air bags, 6 speed DSG, Ti engine, much better looks, superb handling.
    Not to mentioned VW Polo & Peugeot 207.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • aquaria on Aug 22, 2011 at 2:18 pm

      But Ford fiesta price is more or less as forte. I dont think rio will sell that high. so still hv bigger market for rio. definitly kia will sell much cheaper.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • OMG…how cheap this Rio can be?Same as new Myvi price? Anyway,i expect this Rio sales will not beat Forte in Msia.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
        • BeemerFreak on Aug 23, 2011 at 1:01 am

          OMG….. Those days people were saying that the forte will never outsell a Honda or a Toyota. Look now it is outselling the Civic and the Corolla Altis.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
          • OMG..really! That because of different price range. So can i say City and Vios outsell Forte (almost same price range)?

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
          • DoDO man on Aug 23, 2011 at 2:31 pm

            i think he is comparing by Segment, Forte is in the same segment with Civic and Altis ( C segment) while City and Vios belong to B segment. Price range might be more or less the same but Forte is meant to complete against both C segments cars, not small compact cars.

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • in case you haven’t heard yet…
      this kia set another high standard for B segment hatch !
      superd ride N handling and top notch soft material all round.
      safety is needless to say as in europe, 7 airbags is basic among ALL B segment vehicle.
      and space is enough to rival C segment vehicle, just see the boots alone, who could win that ?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Indeed Fiesta is a great car but KIA might steal some market share with its killer price

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • DoDO man on Aug 22, 2011 at 3:42 pm

      Jolo the Korean Hater,

      HAHAHA, every time there are article on Kia or Hyundai, there is some negative comments from Jolo, be it their resale value, their handling, their performance…don’t you feel tired? To be honest, what you are doing most of the time is comparing the sales in Malaysia against the T&H and nothing more concrete then that. No matter how great and how well received the car is, you still give some very biased negative remark. Just curious, does someone close to you or related to you die in a car accident and it was cause by a Korean car? Well, at least now you are comparing against continental cars where-else most of the time you are comparing against the T&H. Bravo for having some changes in your remark!

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • M0Faz on Aug 22, 2011 at 3:44 pm

      RM50k? Nope.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • _xXx_ on Aug 22, 2011 at 5:56 pm

      Yeah, but still running on timing belt like my KE30?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Rockmebaby on Aug 22, 2011 at 11:24 pm

      Ford Fiesta dashboard look like a good old Nokia phone…That’s not a compliment lol

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • wolfsburg on Aug 22, 2011 at 1:54 pm

    Wonder if we will get the Rio in Malaysia…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Mask Ryder on Aug 22, 2011 at 2:29 pm

    Here’s the test report from The Telegraph UK.

    The seat r too firm & unsupportive, the door bins r inaccessible & the driving position has an uncomfortable offset.
    The ride seem acceptable on poorly surfaced korean roads, the real is noisy over pothholes.
    All round disc brake r powerful but pad have such a poor initial bite they feel like would outlive the car.
    The mondo supplied electronic power steering is spactacularly nasty, with sporadic weighting unpredictable conering & no self centring action, turn the wheel & that’s how Rio stays, circling like a abandoned jet ski, the KIA never join the premium club if it can’t get such a thing right.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • eddie on Aug 23, 2011 at 12:50 am

      i know the review from The Telegraph UK is obtain from this link

      http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/car-manufacturers/kia/8640049/Kia-Rio-review.html

      but you fail to mention that they actually give a rating of 4 out of 5 stars so that is not too bad

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • Mask Ryder on Aug 23, 2011 at 9:22 pm

        Eddie, u too failed to mentioned Rio cost £500 more than Fiesta & Polo at in UK.

        A little over ambitious for Cheap Korean Brand don’t u think ?

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
        • DoDO Man on Aug 23, 2011 at 11:28 pm

          Mask Ryder,

          Just give it up, people has been giving Rio a respectable rating by giving 4 stars but u r jst trying to discredit it by using a small negative portion of the whole article and try to mislead the readers here into believing what u said ( I believe u r hope none of us check the actual article as well). Every car has some negative comment from the reviewer even if it is a Porsche or Ferrari, so you do not need to point it out but the most important thing is what the conclusion or final rating the reviewer come out with.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • PakAbu on Aug 23, 2011 at 9:24 am

      “The ride seem acceptable on poorly surfaced korean roads, the real is noisy over pothholes.”

      Statements like this, makes me sceptical about the reviewer.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Unforgiven on Aug 22, 2011 at 2:37 pm

    Kia is not a cheap car in M’sia, so it’s not easy to try this out.
    Unlike in US/UK, they can anytime change the car in 5 years time, but we still need to pay for 9 years loan.
    The only cheap car that we dare to gamble on is still the Proton.
    Can we bring down the price for this Kia to have a fair fight with Gen2/Satria?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • BeemerFreak on Aug 23, 2011 at 12:57 am

      Can we abolish protectionism and bring the price of all cars down to have a fair fight with Proton?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Halo…ford fiesta is only equipped with 2 airbags…where got 7 airbags

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Unforgiven on Aug 22, 2011 at 4:07 pm

      Just read the link below to get seven!

      http://paultan.org/2011/06/21/ford-fiesta-1-6-lx-sedan-upgraded-now-with-bluetooth-usb-and-seven-airbags-rm81388/

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • i_swear on Aug 22, 2011 at 4:07 pm

      Brother,
      Actually they updated Fiesta Sedan few months ago to 7 air bags
      http://paultan.org/2011/06/21/ford-fiesta-1-6-lx-sedan-upgraded-now-with-bluetooth-usb-and-seven-airbags-rm81388/

      But this model i just keep my opinion to myself as what is the price when in Malaysia as someone have stated, the price is quite high here.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • buskerhatesTnH on Aug 22, 2011 at 4:12 pm

      errrrr… hello, new models do have 7 airbags….

      r u just coming out from cave?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • bobdbilder on Aug 22, 2011 at 3:23 pm

    This is straight up homage to an Astra. WTH? Did Schreyer did that one too? Like the Forte, people will buy it for looks and numbers of airbags. Not much else. Hatches for North America? Do they mean Canada?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • how nice if the engine is a 1.6 TGDI like the 2.0 TGDI optima which produces 279BHP :D it’ll be a nice comparison with polo GTI :P

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Dr. M on Aug 22, 2011 at 4:57 pm

    When will NAZA bring in this 1.6 GDi Rio?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • hunterhead on Aug 22, 2011 at 5:02 pm

    the rear…..ugly……
    front is good….so for malaysia automaker direct rival would be our proton saga?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Kancildriver on Aug 22, 2011 at 9:08 pm

      Ugly rear? Nobody says that to the similarly styled Polo & Golf rear. Guess it goes back to perception. I’m ok with the rear, minimalist yet good looking. it will age nicely ie. will not look outdated in years to come. Not unique but recognizable.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • confused on Aug 22, 2011 at 6:02 pm

    the front is superb.. but the rear is so-so only…

    why kia oh why..?

    same story goes to Sorento and Koup, ugly butt… Front&Rear design for Forte and Sportage is pretty decent though….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Roffle on Aug 22, 2011 at 8:41 pm

    Kia Rio wants to steal some Fiesta market share?

    Even Forte hardly to beat Fiesta and this far worse than Forte that already worst.

    Just a simple words for Kia fans. IN YOUR DREAM!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • wolfsburg on Aug 23, 2011 at 10:18 am

      Forte has higher sales than Fiesta in Malaysia…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • _xXx_ on Aug 23, 2011 at 10:22 am

      u dun decide the fate of Fiesta. U think u said good means it will be good? Take a look at the backside of the Fiesta sedan. So high that u can roll in a Petronas gas cylinder. So high tech and so safe (7 airbags!) why still using the dinasouric TIMING BELT?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • buskerhatesTnH on Aug 23, 2011 at 10:30 pm

        what’s wrong with timing belt?

        most cars using it…

        and most cars still using ATF while fiesta dont…

        it just a matter of tech…

        but toyota’s 4 speed GB is seriously ancient and low tech and low klass… just like their owners…….

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
        • _xXx_ on Aug 24, 2011 at 11:06 am

          oh yeah?…until you break one. No need to report how painful it is coz everyone knows. Hehe….

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Expatriate VN on Aug 22, 2011 at 10:00 pm

    Nicely touch up small car, when will it market in Malaysia and what is the indicative selling price? Curious to know about it.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Rockmebaby on Aug 22, 2011 at 11:30 pm

    Forget about the exterior design (eventhough It’s still better looking than any Proton model to date), the standout is really the dashboard & steering wheel design. Make u feel like driving a proper European car!!
    Get it here now, Naza!!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • blackrythms on Aug 23, 2011 at 7:42 am

    da back is like mazda 2…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • it will be great if Naza can bring this baby and sell it at price par with fiesta / mazda 2
    then at least Malaysian can have more option to choose
    NAZA RiO ehehhe and also 1.88% with 5 yrs free parts and labour ;)

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Henry on Aug 23, 2011 at 12:39 pm

    The new Korean models are getting better and better.

    The Japanese will have a fight on their hands. Their biggest handicap is the high Yen.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Great share as usual!! We posted this on the facebook fan page (facebook.com/advancedtechKOR) and twitter (twitter.com/advancedtechkr) so stop by when you can :) Hopefully you can browse the auto section of the blog to see tons of related content that I hope you will find fun and insightful! Have a good one and keep it up

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Mask Ryder on Aug 24, 2011 at 8:16 am

    Dodoman, i do advice u to take u a course of proof reading.
    Distinguish the front part which is just a statement by Kia marketing man, i am just extracting the juicy part, how the h@ll u drive a car which can’t centralised it steering automatically ? Even a cheapest car like saga can do it, 4 disc brake but lousy grips ? Worst part how u drive in car that uncomfortable to sit in the first place.
    U r just a blind supporter.
    I not supprised many of those pro korean car article r just another FBC paid to be interviewed case.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • DoDO man on Aug 24, 2011 at 12:37 pm

      Mask Ryder,

      LOL, I am not a blind supporter, just that the way you try to manipulate stuff just like certain politician is something which I always see the senseless basher like you love to do. This is not proof reading, this is a very obvious pathetic sabotaging effort by trying to take a small extract of an article to mislead people. Why don’t you take up other juicy part in the article such as “Lots of love has gone into the cabin, with soft-touch plastics, an attractive three-dial binnacle and sensible 12-volt power sockets, USB port and auxiliary jack half way up the forward stowage bin” , it is obviously you are just trying to get those negative point. End of the day, the reviewer need to provide some weakness to the car but the bottom line is they are still giving a respectable 4 star out of 5. When some one mention that, you come out with comment that said this car is more expensive then Fiesta and VW.but you also fail to mention at that price, Rio offer much better spec in-comparison to Fiesta and VW which is worth the extra 500
      Again these article are just reviews, just some opinion that we can refer but end of the day, you need to test drive it yourself to see if you are comfortable with it, remember that, one man’s meat is another man’s poison.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • DoDO man on Aug 24, 2011 at 12:49 pm

      Btw, Mask Ryder, Just to add up, deny all you want, you are just like that pathetic Jolo, always bash the Korean. I notice that you are very supportive of Toyota though, no matter how bad their stuff is, I wonder who is the blind supporter, huh? And did you ever doubt that those pro Toyota article might be paid to be interview case as well?.Btw, are you a Toyota SA who is earning less commission due to Korean or are you owning a Toyota but when there is a Korean car which is cheaper, better looking and more feature which make you feel stupid for buying the Toyota ?At least I think I can understand why you hate them so much :)

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • The back looks like Ford Focus?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

Add a comment

required

required