New Kia Rio will be the base for new offer?

13 years, 9 months ago - 16 March 2011

According to Autocar, the minds at Kia may be mulling the creation of a hot hatch based on the all-new Rio. The news has sprouted from comments made by Benny Oeyen, Kia marketing and product planning boss in Europe. Oeyen said that the brand's perception in the old country still lags behind the quality and design that the automaker currently has to offer, and that one way to rectify that problem is with a new vehicle that can help sway public opinion.

Exactly what type of vehicle are we talking about here? Oeyen pointed to a hot hatch, cabriolet or coupe as viable options.

Autocar says that a hot hatch version of the Rio is the most likely of those options, thanks largely to the fact that the segment is booming in the UK. Kia just recently unveiled a Rio show car at the Geneva Motor Show that came with a few sportier touches, including a set of large alloy wheels.

Even if Kia does pull the trigger on a hot hatch version of the Rio, chances are that the vehicle would be a Euro-only offering.