Friday, April 22, 2011

2012 Kia Rio debuts at New York Auto Show

2012 Kia Rio5
I've posted up photos of the 2012 Kia Rio before, but now we've got specifics. Like the '12 Kia Soul and '12 Hyundai Accent, the Rio will get the company's 1.6-liter gasoline direct injection (GDI) powerplant, good for 138 hp and 123 ft./lbs. of torque. Fuel economy will be 30 city, 40 highway. A six-speed manual and automatic will be available.

No curb weight was given, but the wheelbase extends to a lengthy (for a subcompact) 101.2 inches. The overall length is 153.9 inches, which is only one inch longer than the current model. This tells me Kia has pushed the wheels to the corners, which probably helps handling, but typically looks better, too.

The '12 Rio will be available as a sedan and hatchback, just like before. I find both extremely attractive; possibly the best looking '12 subcompact cars I've  seen yet. Really dig the '12 Rio5.

2012 Kia Rio Interior

2012 Kia Rio Sedan

2 comments:

D2M said...

I like Kia's more subdued lines, compared to Hyundai. I've seen Hyundai cars in person, and to me Kia's style always triumphs (even over the new designs).

The new Rio looks good. :)

Anonymous said...

Hey, a Ford Fiesta that would gnaw my head of if I stood in front of it!