Kia reportedly is considering a high-performance version of the new Rio, introduced recently at the Geneva Motor Show, to enter the world of hot hatchbacks with. Such car could also improve the brand’s image.
If Kia was to make a hotted-up version of the last Rio we would have been rolling about laughing by now because it didn’t look like it could be taken seriously. But this new Rio is something different and actually has a lot of potential. In fact all new successive Kia models are better and more interesting than their predecessors.They also keep their winning card which is incredible value for money.
So the Rio Hot Hatch would have no problem in terms of style as the 2012 car is up to the job. Specially as it comes in both three and five-door formats. But what about performance?
It will have to rival cars like Golf GTI and Focus ST. Kia Rio might have a bit of an issue in terms of powetrains since all of the engines offered for the 2012 model are perfectly engineered for fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions but they’re all low on power as well! So Kia might develop a new engine or use a bigger one from Forte range for instance, and then make up for efficiency with things like start/stop system.
