THE FACELIFTED KIA RIO - featuring the new family grille created by chief designer Peter Schreyer - will land in Australian showrooms in the fourth quarter of this year.
Sold in Korea as the Pride, the Rio is the company’s volume-selling entry-level model, and the refreshed styling of the update will bring the little Kia in line with the all-new Cerato, Soul, and the upcoming next-gen Sorento.
Apart from the new grille, the refreshed Rio features new front bumper styling and a larger front lower air intake, flanked by new fog lights.
Side indicators have been relocated to the mirrors, and alloy sports wheels are expected to be added as an option.
Owners will be greeted by higher quality materials in the cabin, while an updated centre console and Bluetooth connectivity round out the updates inside. Instruments are also lit in red rather than the green of the current model.
Jonathan Fletcher, Public Relations Manager for Kia in Australia, confirmed to TMR that sedan production for the Korean market begins in early August, and the hatch - the higher selling of the two body types in Australia - will follow.
“Production of the sedan begins in August, so that will be on sale in Korea next month. Hatch production doesn’t begin until September, and the hatch is most important of the two body styles in Australia, so we won’t be doing anything with the facelift until the hatch arrives,” Mr Fletcher told TMR.
Some time in the fourth quarter, whether it’s October or November, depending on production, is when we’ll see the facelifted Rio in Australia.”
The refreshed Rio will offer the same 1.4 litre four-cylinder engine of the current model, and while an updated version of the 1.6 litre engine has been suggested overseas, Fletcher was unable to confirm whether any updates to the larger of the two available engines would be available in Australia.
Price is also unexpected to remain the same: “Unless it’s part of a general revision of pricing across the range, the price for the 2010 Kia Rio is not expected to change dramatically, if at all,” Mr Fletcher said.
