This sporty Kia Rio alternative is not for Australia

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Kia has revealed the successor to the current-generation Rio in Mexico, however don’t get your hopes up about it coming Down Beneath.

The brand new Kia K3 sedan is ready to launch in “choose markets” within the fourth quarter of 2023 and adopts the identify that was beforehand reserved for the South Korean-market model of the Cerato sedan and hatch.

It’s unclear what this implies for the naming conference of the next-generation Cerato, which was not too long ago spied throughout testing.

The brand new Kia K3 will probably be produced completely in left-hand drive in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, which mechanically guidelines it out from launching in Australia.

At launch the K3 will probably be obtainable with a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine producing 90kW that may be mated to a six-speed guide or computerized. Different engine choices embody a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing 112kW and a 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine producing an undisclosed quantity of energy.

On the skin the K3 has a fastback-like silhouette and a daring appears to be like and LED lighting signatures that harking back to the EV9 and Seltos. There’s a GT-Line model that has bigger air intakes, 17-inch alloy wheels and twin exhaust shops.

The K3 measures in at 4545mm lengthy, 1765mm huge, and 1475mm tall with a 2670mm wheelbase. This makes it barely bigger than the outgoing North American Rio sedan, and barely smaller than the present Cerato sedan.

It additionally has a boot capability of 544 litres; round 40 litres greater than what’s supplied within the bigger Cerato sedan.

Contained in the K3 has a two-spoke steering wheel just like the unit within the EV6, digital instrument cluster, a ten.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, USB-C ports for entrance and rear passengers, dual-zone local weather management, 64-colour inside ambient lighting, in addition to rear air vents.

The Kia K3 comes customary with the next security gear:

  • Six airbags
  • Autonomous emergency braking
  • Blind-spot monitoring
  • Rear cross-traffic alert
  • Lane-keep help
  • Driver consideration warning

Though Kia has axed the Rio hatchback domestically, Kia Australia has dedicated to sticking round within the extra inexpensive finish of the passenger automobile market.

Kia Australia CEO Damien Meredith not too long ago advised CarExpert the small passenger automobile section has historically saved the corporate rolling.

“I believe our small passenger vehicles – Picanto, Rio, Cerato – shaped the muse for our development,” stated Mr Meredith.

“[The small passenger car segment has] been actually vital to us, and particularly Picanto and Cerato will proceed to be vital to us.”

“We’re fairly assured that the Cerato and Picanto will proceed to promote moderately nicely over a protracted time frame,” added Mr Meredith.

“They’re considered one of our nice strengths. The place different producers abandoned [the small car] section, we saved on stepping into these areas.”

That gained’t save the Rio, however primarily confirms a brand new Cerato is due Down Beneath.

MORE: Subsequent-gen Kia Rio teased, reveal date set




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