Kia has revealed the first official sketches of its new Rio that will make its debut at the Geneva motor show in March.
The new Fiesta rival is the latest Kia to be penned by design chief Peter Schreyer, and the sketches reveal it has the now familiar ‘tiger eye’ front grille seen on all recent Kias.
See the official sketches of the new Kia Rio
Kia wants its new Rio to “inject some emotional appeal into the B-segment” and is targeting the model at “progressive, energetic customers who want a stand-out design”.
Schreyer describes the Rio as being “sporty and elegant”. It has a sleek, almost coupe-like profile, with a narrow sculpted glasshouse and detailing in the side doors that is reminiscent of Vauxhall’s ‘blade’ design from its Astra and Insignia models.
Kia says the Rio’s “character line rising out of the front wheel gives it a sense of movement and fluidity, even when stationary”.
Read the full story on the new Kia Picanto
An interior sketch reveals a more premium offering than the current Rio, with a more angular design and extensive use of coloured trim.
Kia’s director of overseas marketing Soon-Nam Lee said the Rio is the “next big step” in Kia’s design revolution.
The current Rio was Kia’s third biggest seller outside Korea in 2010, with sales topping 205,000 units. The new Rio will be launched at Geneva alongside the new Picanto city car.
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