2012 Kia Rio

[Kal-El]

Kia has released the first images of its 2012 Rio hatchback ahead of its official Geneva Motor Show debut, and might we say, it's quite a looker. The Korean automaker has been doing some fantastic things with styling in the past few years –thanks in part to strong leadership from design director Peter Schreyer –and now the smaller Rio gets a healthy dose of modernity. It looks fantastic in these photos and we're eager to see the new angles and curves live in the metal. The Rio will be offered with a range of gasoline and diesel powertrains in other markets, including a 1.1-liter diesel that only generates 85 g/km of CO2. We're most curious about the new 1.2-liter turbocharged direct-injected engine –we've heard about this three-cylinder powerplant before –and if it proves to be well-received in Europe, Kia will likely offer it here in the United States after the Rio's initial launch. Look for the Rio to go on sale in the UK starting in September, with a three-door variant expected to launch in early 2012. We don't have any official word as to when we'll see the facelifted Rio here in the United States, but we'd guess that it'll arrive roughly around the same time as the Euro-spec version.

[MadMax]

Looks-wise I may actually like this more than the new Yaris; but underneath it's still a Kia, and I'm not quite convinced they are up to the same standards as Toyota.

But I will agree they are certainly improving the look of their cars considerably!

Cheers! M2

[thebarber]

wow, i like that a lot.

front end is like a fiesta and the rear is like a gti

[Kal-El]

Another great looking small car IMO. Kia, just like its parent company Hyundai, continues to deliver leading designs. Who would ever have thought when just a decade ago they built garbage with cheap derivative designs?

2012 is a great time to be a small car buyer. There's almost going to be too many choices to narrow one down though.

So far off the top of my head we have the following all new for 2012 (US market)...

Yaris
Focus
Accent
Rio
iQ
Fiat 500
Sonic
Civic
Versa?

All new for 2011 was the...

Fiesta
Cruze
Elantra
Mazda2

[brg88tx]

great looking little car imo. i think in america it will share the 1.6L engine in the 2012 hyundai accent. if it delivers over 45 mpg on the highway it'll sell big time.

[kimona]

Got to admit Hyundai/Kia is developing some great looking cars since hiring Audi's Peter Schreyer as design director.

[TickleTimeTim]

^^^second that. i just want those wheels for my yaris

[Kal-El]

[Kal-El]

[Kal-El]

BTW, the US market is likely to see the 1.4 liter, 108 HP powerplant.

[Midnight Drifter]

Wow, that is one optimistic speedometer - LOL!

That aside, if the tri-banger makes it here, and into the 3 door, it will have my attention.

[kimona]

Originally Posted by PK198105

nice outside , inside not a big fan but thats not that important. I would like to know why is Toyota so stuck up on their boring , unimaginative and date looks? they are sleeping at the helm waky waky Toyota

Agree the interior leaves a lot to be desired, but IMHO the exterior looks so much better than the new Vitz!

[derickveliz2]

Hey TOYOTA! what's going on with you!


LOL

[frownonfun]

that's a pretty good looking car. interior is only so so but i could live with it. nice looking car overall.

[Kal-El]

It's no wonder why Kia is on a design roll right now. A few years ago, they hired a former lead designer from Audi, known for their great design. He's now the chief at Kia.

If you said 5 years ago that Kia would now have the car below on the road, people would have laughed at you.

[cali yaris]

^ that looks pretty good, but I'll go against the crowd on the 4-door hatch, that thing is ugly.

[tk1971]

I don't get all the negativity towards the interior. That's a very nice Upscale looking interior. That thing looks better than my EVO IX with SSL. Certainly alot better than my "totally snapped in... not more than 4 screws to assemble the entire interior" of my 08 Yaris LB.

[Kal-El]

Very nice! Amazing the role Hyundai and Kia continue on.

The 2012 Kia Rio debuts at the 2011 New York Auto Show today, sporting brand new bodywork, Kia's new direct-injected four-cylinder and the company's Idle Stop and Go, or stop-start technology. Kia claims the combination of direct fuel injection and stop-start means the 2012 Rio will pull down 30 miles per gallon around town and 40 mpg on the highway.

On top of that, the new Rio should be a peppy little beast, knocking down 138 horsepower from its 1.6-liter four cylinder. Switching the ratios will be either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic. Idle Stop and Go is an all-new feature for any Kia – when the car is stopped and the brake depressed, the computer kills the engine to save gas. When the brake pedal is released, the engine fires back up and away you go.

2012 Kia Rio5Outside, the Rio has been treated to a full re-skinning, taking on the high-shouldered, wedge-shaped look of the rest of the Korean automaker's lineup. Out front, the Rio gets a slightly slimmer version of the company's familiar grille, re-shaped to better integrate with the car's headlights. The 2012 Rio has also grown to 171.9 inches in length and 67.7 inches in width, but sits lower than the outgoing model. Kia claims that, despite its increased dimensions, the widened stance and use of high-tensile steel in the car's construction makes for significantly better ride and handling over the old Rio.

The 2012 Kia Rio will be available in three trim packages, starting with the LX, which gets 15-inch steel wheels, body-color door handles and side mirrors. Above that, the EX model rides on the same wheels as the LX, but gets power mirrors and locks and keyless entry. The top-level trim will be the SX, which sports 17-inch wheels, fog lamps, LED daytime running lights, a dual-tip exhaust and heated mirrors sporting turn signal repeaters. The five-door Rio5 SX, meanwhile, will be upgraded to projector headlights.