Motoring Staff
2012-01-26
FOR THE first time in its history, the new Kia Rio is available in 3-door guise. It gives it a proper sporty look, which should make it popular with the young crowd. Include Kia’s tradition of affordability and it could possibly have a winner on its hands.
Two diesel engines are available elsewhere in the world, but SA will most likely receive the two petrol models that are currently available on the Rio 5-door.
The entry level unit is the 1.25-litre Kappa engine which made its début in Kia’s smallest car, the new Picanto. This engine develops 62kW and 121Nm of torque. The new Rio is also available with Kia’s 1.4-litre Gamma engine, developing 80kW and 137Nm of torque. It also offers buyers the convenience of an automatic gearbox as an option to the standard manual.
In terms of convenience, quite a few luxury items are available. At the moment we don’t have the specifications for South Africa, but Kia has always been very generous when it comes to standard kit. We’re expecting the same level of comfort as the 5-door Rio we drove a while back. This includes: air-conditioning, MP3 player, Bluetooth and a trip computer.
At the moment we’ve received no comment on whether it will become available in South Africa, but we’re betting on it. Kia has expanded its range exponentially over the last year or so and there’s no reason why South Africa won’t love this model as well.
