New Kia Rio 2021 pricing and specs detailed: Tech-led facelift for Toyota Yaris rival drives up cost

Ahead of its imminent arrival, Kia Australia has released pricing for the facelifted version of the current-generation Rio light hatchback.

The Rio’s entry-level S grade now starts from $18,090 plus on-road costs, up $600, for the six-speed manual, while the torque-converter automatic is up $800, to $20,390, partly due to its new six-speed unit (two more gears than before).

The mid-range Sport grade has copped the largest price rise, up $1300 across the board, with the manual and automatic variants now priced from $19,590 and $21,890 respectively.

As before, the S and Sport are motivated by the same 74kW/133Nm 1.4-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine and share their transmission options.

The GT-Line now kicks off from $23,990, up $400, with its carryover 1.0-litre turbo-petrol three-cylinder engine detuned from 88kW to 74kW of power. Torque is unchanged, though, at 172Nm, and it remains exclusively mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.

While full specification is yet to be released, we already know the Rio now has a redesigned front bumper, tweaked headlight and tail-light clusters, a refreshed ‘tiger nose’ grille and fresh sets of alloy wheels.

Inside, all grades get an 8.0-inch touchscreen, which is powered by a new multimedia system that supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The Sport and GT-Line add a 4.2-inch multifunction display, autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, and high-beam assist.

The former also picks up lane-keep assist and driver attention alert, while the latter gets climate control.

Two new paintwork options are available, with Perennial Grey available in all grades, while Sporty Blue is exclusive to the GT-Line.

Stay tuned for more details on the Toyota Yaris rival, which should be confirmed by Kia Australia in the coming weeks. For reference, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control and speed limit recognition are available in other markets.

2021 Kia Rio pricing before on-road costs

Variant	Transmission	Cost
S	manual	$18,090 (+$600)
S	automatic	$20,390 (+$800)
Sport	manual	$19,590 (+$1300)
Sport	automatic	$21,890 (+$1300)
GT-Line	automatic	$23,990 (+$400)