Kia Motors released official sketches of the next generation Rio hatchback, which is scheduled for debut at 2011 Geneva Motor Show in March. And our first impression is crikey! Is this really a Rio?! Kia themselves describe it as the “the next big step” in the company’s ongoing design revolution.

We can notice some Optima in the front-end of the car, specially the headlights. The interior on the other hand seems to a downsized version of the new Sportage, which seems to the new interior design trend for all new Kias. The good news is that the production version will be very similar to this renderings.

The new Kia Rio will be wider, lower and longer than the current model and all that makes it sportier as well. According to Kia it is designed to inject emotional appeal into the B-segment, targeting progressive, energetic consumers in the 25-to-49 age range.

Described by Kia’s Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer, as ‘sporty and elegant’, the B-segment newcomer has a swept-back profile and a character line rising out of the front wheel which gives it a sense of movement and fluidity, even when stationary.  Inside, new Rio will offer a feeling of quality typically associated with larger, more expensive models.

“Downsizing is becoming more and more of a trend these days and a B-segment car as attractive as all-new Rio, with its driver-oriented cabin and interior trim options, will no doubt help consumers to be more comfortable making that switch.  New Rio is the ‘next big step’ in Kia’s design revolution and we anticipate this model becoming even more popular than the current vehicle,” comments Soon-Nam Lee, Director of Overseas Marketing, Kia Motors Corporation.