New Kia Rio sets sights high

Australian chief operating officer Tony Barlow says the new Rio, coming in September, will be good value with sleek design, new engine technologies and six airbags standard. “We know what we have to for to put it in the market,” he says.

“We will not enter into bargain basement pricing. Some models are around $10,000-$11,000 and we are not playing that game.”

The new Rio was released at the Melbourne Motor Show in a carnivale atmosphere with Dancing with the Stars judge Tom McKenny giving a 10 out of 10 performance of Peter Allen’s I Go To Rio with a dance troupe. The performance reflects the sleek new look of the Peter Shreyer design.

For the first time, the car will come with a choice of three, four and five doors, with the latter the first to be launched here. The others will follow next year.

Barlow says the car is not only an improvement in design, but also technology, featuring new diesel and direct-injection petrol engines. The top-of-the-range model is available with such luxury car fittings as LED daytime running lights, Bluetooth and cornering headlights.

The new Rio is 55mm longer, 25mm wider and 15mm lower with a 70mm longer wheelbase to improve passenger space and cargo capacity. It will arrive with a choice of 10 body colours.

Barlow says the car is the next step in their commitment to optimisied handling for local conditions. “We have spent hundreds of hours and thousands of kilometers in testing,” he says. “It’s a development program championed for Australia in Australia.”