Kia‘s Tiger Nose grille on the front of the new Rio is one of a number of a improvements made to the 2010 model year Rio, which is just arriving in New Zealand showrooms. The five-door Rio hatchback is the first to appear and will be joined within weeks by the four-door Rio sedan.
The Kia Rio has received a completely restyled front end, including a bolder front bumper that incorporates a larger, sculptured air intake, twin-light headlamps and bolder fog lights.
The rear of the Rio has a new bumper complete with a plastic diffuser and exposed chromed tail pipe. New eight-spoke alloy wheels, body-coloured mouldings and re-designed side mirrors with LED turn signals built into the housing round off the exterior changes.
Inside, the 2010 has a brand new dashboard featuring a textured surface, plus new grey colours and upholstery materials. A revised centre stack with new audio system, redesigned instrument clusters with new orange-red lighting (including a trip computer) and new climate control knobs are key changes.
The 1.6-litre CVVT (Constantly Variable Valve Timing) petrol engine produces 82kW of power and 145Nm of torque with an average 6.5L/100km fuel consumption for the 5-speed manual model. An automatic transmission is optional.
The 1.5-litre Common Rail Diesel (CRD) engine with an overall economy figure of 4.5L/100km, continues to be available in the new 2010 Kia Rio and comes with a 5-speed manual gearbox as standard.
“Collectively, the changes have made a substantial difference to the Rio and will appeal to buyers looking for a stylish small car,” says Todd McDonald, General Manager of Kia Motors New Zealand Ltd.
McDonald says the arrival of the new Rio means that Kia has now replaced and updated 60% of its entire model range in less than a year and more excitement is planned for 2010.
