Quietly tucked away in corner of the New York Motor show, Kia’s latest offering of the 2018 Rio made its grand debut even though it may have been overshadowed by the beastly Dodge Challenger Demon and others.
Redesigned for its fourth generation, styling cues from the Optima are evident to create a desirable compact car. Newly designed headlights adorn the front end on either side of the brand’s signature tiger nose” front grille.
Riding on 15-inch rims, 2018 Rio models measure in longer than the previous iterations resulting in a larger boot and more rear leg room.
Inside, the 2018 Rio follows the current Kia Optima models with improvements over the previous generation. In top trim, customers can equip their Rio’s with a touchscreen multimedia system complete with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto along with media inputs and Bluetooth.
There is also the option to add a rear-view camera, six-speaker setup and UVO3 voice recognition.
Standard safety features across the board include six airbags, hill start assist, four-wheel ABS, vehicle stability assist and side impact door beams.
Power is drawn from a single four cylinder 1.6-litre petrol motor rated at a respectable 130 horsepower. Drivers can choose between a six-speed manual box or a six-speed automatic transmission to control the front wheels.
Both sedan and hatchback versions of the 2018 Rio are scheduled to go on sale later this year in various markets including the GCC. No price point has been revealed by the South Korean brand.
Until we get an official from Kia, we’ve got new Kia Rio for sale in Dubai and used Kia Rio for sale in Sharjah.
