Kia Rio. Maximize your positive emotions
The Kia Rio is a B-class front-wheel drive car produced by the South Korean automobile maker, Kia Motors, since 2000. The Sedan and 5-Door Hatchback versions are available. In 2016, the fourth generation of this city car was released. It is currently sold on the Israeli market as a hatchback. In 2020, the model underwent restyling.
The predecessors of the Kia Rio, Kia Pride and Kia Avello, are based on the main components and engines from Mazda. In Indonesia, the Kia Rio is known as the Kia All New Pride. The Hyundai Solaris is the ‘twin brother’ of the modern Rio.
The first generation
The first generation Kia Rio was produced from 2000 to 2005 as a sedan and a 5-door hatchback. However, the five-door version could easily be called a station wagon, despite the fact that the manufacturer claimed that its body type was a hatchback. In the USA, the first generation Kia Rio hatchback was called Cinco, in Canada and South Korea, it was called Kia Rio RX-V. After the restyling in 2003, the Kia Rio boasted an upgraded exterior. The headlights became larger and more expressive, the soundproofing of the hood, roof and rear parcel shelf became significantly better. In addition, the restyled 2003 Kia Rio was equipped with reinforced front brakes.
The second generation
The second generation Kia Rio was released in 2005 and was sold until 2011, while its restyling took place in 2009. And again, for different markets, the 2nd generation Rio had different names: in South Korea, it was the Kia New Pride, and in North America, its name was the Kia Rio 5 hatchback. The second Kia Rio featured a new line of engines and automatic transmissions. Peter Schreyer was in charge of the restyling of the 2009/2010 Kia Rio. As a result, the upgraded Rio was equipped with a new branded radiator grille, new bumpers, and a redesigned steering wheel. The car retained the same size of the interior and the technical equipment.
The third generation
In 2011, the third generation Kia Rio was released. It was produced until 2017 and was restyled in 2015. After the restyling, the previous Rio base was replaced by the Hyundai Solaris base. A new line of Gamma engines appeared. The interior and exterior design underwent some changes. The vehicle comprised new lighting technology. The 3 generation Kia Rio fully met all modern requirements: highly efficient and fuel saving engines, air conditioning or climate control, and a keyswitch operation function were included in the trim versions. The 2011/2012 Kia Rio was already equipped with ABS, ESS, ESC safety systems and an automatic door locking system. Therefore, the 3rd generation Kia Rio received 5 stars out of 5 in the EuroNCAP rating, and the passenger safety rating was 92%.
The city Kia Rio car offers the owners to maximize their positive emotions from driving and owning this advanced modern miracle. The TOP trim versions of the Kia Rio are comparable and even surpass the minimum configurations of the C-class cars.
After the restyling in 2015, the Kia Rio got a new interior and exterior design and new lighting technology.
The fourth generation
The fourth generation Kia Rio, which appeared in 2016, is available on the Israeli market as a 5-door hatchback. The new Rio not only boasts a modern exterior and interior design, but also a bigger size. Passengers of the Kia Rio 2016/2017 now have more space due to the wheelbase increased by 30 mm. The new Rio has a spacious trunk, rear folding seats and an automatic trunk opening system. More than 50% of the body of the 2019/2020 Kia Rio is high-strength AHSS steel, which has significantly increased the impact strength and torsional rigidity of the body and improved interior protection and steering response. Plus, the vehicle is equipped with 6 airbags.
The city Kia Rio car offers the owners to maximize their positive emotions from driving and owning this advanced modern miracle. The TOP trim versions of the Kia Rio are comparable and even surpass the minimum configurations of the C-class cars.
