Following last week’s official renderings Kia Motors now unveils the first proper photos of the fourth-generation Kia Rio hatchback. This fairly uninteresting but hugely important car is set for global debut at the upcoming Paris Motor Show, with production scheduled to begin towards the end of the year.

We have already discussed the visual features of the new Kia Rio is our previous coverage of the car, so here let’s just go quickly over the key highlights. At the front the signature Kia ‘tiger-nose’ grille is now thinner and wider, there are new U-shaped LED lights, the bumper have a more sculpted look, and the whole thing is 5mm wider than before.

The new Rio is also considerably longer than its predecessor (15mm) and round the back it comes with near-vertical rear windscreen and a shorter overhang, sculpted bumper, new arrow-shaped LED light signature, and dynamic looking pillars.

As for the interior, the 2017 Kia Rio boasts an upgraded cabin with the main features being a wider appearance for the dashboard, a new infotainment system, a ‘floating’ HMI (human-machine interface), with a high-resolution touchscreen to power the Rio’s audio, navigation and new connectivity systems, as well as new upholstery options (black or grey cloth seat upholstery, or with black or grey faux leather) and new trim options including gloss black and metallic elements and a Red package.