Kia Rio brings mild-hybrid tech to supermini class
● Facelift introduces 48v power ● New looks and infotainment
KIA’S new-model offensive enters full swing in the next 18 months, and these are images of one of the first elements of the product blitz: a heavily revised Rio.
The Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa rival will get new engines, a clever transmission that’s claimed to improve efficiency and a number of upgrades to interior equipment, infotainment and safety technology.
The biggest news on the engine front is EcoDynamics+, which pairs Kia’s latest 1.0 T-GDi turbocharged three-cylinder engine with a 48V starter-generator to bring mildhybrid assistance to the model for the first time. The system, which has a lithium-ion battery, harnesses braking energy and then feeds it back to help the engine during stop-start situations and under acceleration. Kia claims that the technology helps to cut up to 10 per cent from the CO2 emissions on the old NEDC test cycle – but the company has yet to reveal any official WLTP figures for the new model.
EcoDynamics+ will be fitted to two versions of the new 1.0-litre motor, called Smartstream, with outputs of 99bhp and 118bhp respectively. The engine will be offered in some European countries without hybrid assistance (and presumably at a lower price), but Kia UK has yet to finalise its model line-up. Either way, the Rio range will start with a revised version of the current car’s 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, producing 83bhp.
The more efficient gearbox, meanwhile, uses an electronic clutch linkage that integrates with the mild-hybrid system so that the engine cuts off earlier when the car is coasting to a halt.
As is usually the case with a mid-life facelift, the changes to the exterior styling are relatively minor. There are wider bumpers and a fresh LED headlight design with a new daytime running light signature that will be standard across the range.
Inside, the Rio will get Kia’s upgraded infotainment system. Called UVO Connect, it features an eight-inch central touchscreen that incorporates satellite navigation on some trim levels, and will also offer wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Elsewhere in the cabin, there are upgraded materials, including a carbon fibreeffect panel on the dashboard in GT-Line versions, and a 4.2-inch digital display between the instrument dials that offers a higher screen resolution than before.
The new Rio is due on sale this autumn. There’s no word yet from Kia UK on prices or specs, but given the additional equipment, we’d expect a modest increase over the outgoing model. That could give the revised Rio a starting figure of around £11,000.
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