2017 Kia Rio hatchback revealed

The all-new redesigned 2017 Kia Rio will premiere at the end of this month at the Paris Motor Show.

Design of the new Rio was led by Kia’s design centers in Germany and California, in close collaboration with the company’s global design headquarters in Namyang, Korea. The new Rio grows by 5 mm in width, a 10 mm longer wheelbase (up to 2,580 mm), 15 mm longer overall (now 4,065 mm long), and 5 mm shorter in height (at 1,450 mm). Oddly enough, they say the front overhang is longer while the rear overhang is shorter.

Inside, the dashboard itself is now angled towards the driver, and at its centre is a new infotainment system, a ‘floating’ high-resolution touchscreen to power the Rio’s audio, navigation and new connectivity systems. The new “HMI” has allowed Kia to reduce the number of buttons on the centre console.

The new Rio is available with a choice of black or grey cloth seat upholstery, or with black or grey artificial leather. A ‘Red Pack’ for the Rio gives buyers black with red artificial leather-trimmed seats. The cabin itself features gloss black and metallic trim throughout.

The Kia Rio is the Korean manufacturer’s global best-selling model, with more than 473,000 sold around the world in 2015. The next generation will enter production towards the end of 2016 for Europe, with production timings for other regions to be announced closer to launch. Expect it to reach the UAE and GCC by the middle of next year, possibly labelled as a 2018 model.