Kia Rio

Encyclopedia : K : KI : KIA : Kia Rio

The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a [WikiProject Countering systemic biasworldwide view].
Please improve the article or discuss the issue on the [talk page].

The Kia Rio is a subcompact car made by the South Korean company Kia Motors and introduced in late 2000 (2001 model year). In the company's lineup, it replaced the Kia Pride, whose production ceased in 2000. Other cars occupying a similar market niche as the Rio include the Toyota Vitz (Toyota Yaris or Echo in some markets), Chevrolet Aveo, and the Hyundai Accent. To a lesser extent, the Rio also competes with compact cars such as the Honda Civic and Mazda3.

First generation

The first-generation Rio was available as a five-door wagon in Europe and in most other markets as either a five-door wagon or a four-door sedan.

The wagon version was sold as the Rio Cinco (cinco: five in Spanish) in the USA, Rio RX-V (V: five in Roman numerals) in Canada, Rio Look in Chile, and simply Rio in the United Kingdom (as the sedan version was not offered there).

The first-generation Rio offered only one engine for each year in the USA: a 96 hp 1.5 L DOHC 4-cylinder from 2001 through 2002, then a larger version of the same engine, a 1.6 L DOHC 4-cylinder rated at 105 hp, from 2003 through 2005. All years offered a choice of a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic. An alternative of a 1.3 L SOHC 4-cylinder or a diesel engine was offered in other countries.

The USA version offered a single trim level each for the sedan and the wagon. The wagon came with standard power steering and a tachometer, which were optional on the sedan.

Safety features were basic, consisting of seat belts and airbags for the driver and front-seat passengers. ABS was available as an option for entry-line cars but fitted by default for top of the range models (i.e. Rio LX, in the UK).

Rio received a mild redesign for the 2003 model year including upgrades in engine, suspension, and brakes and other improvements with new styling outside including a different grille and headlights and inside a new instrument panel and console.

Second generation

The first generation was replaced for 2006. The new Rio is based on a redesigned platform shared with the Hyundai Accent. The engine was upgraded to a 110 hp 1.6L DOHC 4 cylinder also shared with the Hyundai Accent. Other changes include a thorough cosmetic update, an increase in exterior size and interior volume, more standard safety features, and replacement of the Rio Cinco with a 5-door hatchback, now called Rio5 in the US. The 2006 sedan offers two trim levels while the Rio5 offers a single trim level equivalent to the better of the two sedan trim levels. New vanity features in the higher trim levels such as a leather-covered steering wheel suggest that Kia intends to move the Rio upmarket. Just as in the first generation, in Europe (including the UK), only the five-door hatchback version is offered.

For the first time, the 2006 Rio received an award from the automotive press, the "Editors' Choice Award for Most Improved New Car" from Autobytel.

A hybrid version is expected for the 2007 model year.

External links

[Kia Rio] — Official site for the US market
[Kia Rio5] — Official site for the US market
[link] — Official site for UK market
[link] — AutoGuideWiki.com page on Kia Rio
[link] — Kia Rio Forum

Kia ([http://encycl.opentopia.com/ edit])

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.