Kia’s brand-new Rio small sedan was joined by the hatchback version of the sub compact model named Rio5 at this week’s New York Auto Show. Unlike the four-sedan that received its world premiere in the Big Apple, we got our first taste of the Rio5 at the Geneva Salon in March. The only visible styling changes over the European model, concern the colored turn signals up front and the market-specific trim options inside.

The 2012 Rio5 is available with a 1.6-liter GDI four-cylinder engine with the option of either a six-speed manual transmission or six-speed automatic. The direct-injection four-pot delivers 138 horsepower, and thanks to the addition of Kia’s ISG start-stop technology, it returns 30 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway.

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After rolling out the China market Kia K2 sedan at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show on Tuesday, the South Korean automaker exposed the sub-compact sedan’s North American sibling that will be sold under the Rio nameplate. Even though the K2 and Rio share the same underpinnings being the sedan versions of the all-new Rio hatchback, which was unwrapped in Geneva this past March, the two models get feature unique exterior designs.

The North American Rio sedan keeps the hatchback model’s front end styling with the large, almond-shaped headlights adding a new window line and a different rear end design. Same goes for the interior which is identical to the five-door model we saw in Geneva, sans the different trim and features.

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This pint-sized Optima lookalike is the new Kia K2 and it will make its world premiere at this week’s 2011 Shanghai Motor Show. It is the China market version of the upcoming Rio Sedan that will be revealed at the New York Auto Show on Wednesday. However, it remains to be seen if the two models will share the same look as Kia said the K2 was designed and engineered specifically for the Chinese market. Read more »

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In a move that shows Kia has no intention of letting the momentum it has gained with the launch of seven new products in the past two years fade away, the South Korean automaker confirmed today the world premiere of two new models at the rapidly approaching New York Auto Show (April 22 – May 1).

The first global debut concerns the four-door sedan version of the 2012 Kia Rio, which was unwrapped in hatchback form at the Geneva Salon in March. The 2012 Rio sedan will be joined by the North American debut of the Rio5 hatchback.

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The word on the street is that Kia will lift the covers off a sedan version of its new Rio series in a world premiere at the upcoming 2011 New York International Auto Show in mid-April. The new generation of the Rio was recently unveiled in hatchback form at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show earlier this month.

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Kia insists on not holding back any punches with its new lineup, and its fourth-gen Rio is no different. The new Rio is lower, longer, and wider, and looks all the better for it. With the added dimensions come more passenger space, more comfort, and more storage capacity. Don't worry, as Kia will offer a variety of engines and transmissions to suit your needs. Scroll on down for the all-informative spreadsheet.

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Kia's product assault continues with the presentation of the all-new Rio subcompact, which will receive its world premiere together with the new Picanto at the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show in the beginning of March.

The latest car to be revealed by Kia boasts a far slicker exterior design than the current Rio bringing it in line with the rest of South Korean company's passenger model range. There are no photos of the interior, but Kia says its newcomer "will deliver a high level of quality previously associated with larger models" along with a wider selection of trim options.

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Kia has big plans for this year's edition of the Geneva Salon as along with the 2012 Picanto city car, the South Korean automaker will also host the world premiere of the 2012 Rio supermini, the first official sketches of which were released today.

The company said that its Ford Fiesta rival is "designed to inject emotional appeal into the B-segment, targeting progressive, energetic consumers who want a stand-out design", adding that the new Rio's styling marks “the next big step” in the company’s ongoing design revolution.

But while it's obvious that the new Rio will be a more stylish proposal than the current model, our recent spy shots suggest that Kia's renderings aren't as close to reality as the company would like us to believe.

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Like sister company Hyundai, Kia is in the midst of a new-product blitz that started a little over a year ago. Since the second half of 2009, the South Korean automaker has refreshed its lineup with a slew of new models such as the Forte Koup, Cadenza sedan, Venga mini MPV, Sorento, Sportage and Optima sedan.

Now, following the announcement on the completely redesigned Picanto city car that will break cover at the Geneva Show, our spy photographers snapped the next new model to be added to Kia's range, the 2012 Rio subcompact, while testing in Germany.

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