PARIS - Kia has the world premiere of the new Rio, and upgrades to teh SOUL and Carens at the French event.

• World premiere for the all-new Rio
• Upgrades to the Soul range include design and technology enhancements
• Kia launches powerful new 204 ps Soul SX
• New exterior and interior design for Carens with new technologies

The new Kia Rio makes its world debut in Paris today at the 2016 Mondial de l’Automobile. Alongside the Rio, Kia is also introducing the latest upgraded versions of two of its cars, the Carens and Soul, as well as a new high-powered ‘T-GDI’ version of the Soul.

World premiere for all-new Kia Rio

The Rio is the Korean manufacturer’s global best-selling model, with more than 473,000 sold around the world in 2015, accounting for 16 per cent of Kia’s annual sales. Now entering its fourth generation, the new Rio will offer B-segment buyers a compelling package – designed and engineered to appeal to more people than ever before. 

The new Rio will build on the outgoing model’s key strengths – design, low running costs and a practical nature – with higher desirability, a more enjoyable drive and some of the most advanced safety features in its class.

The Rio’s progressive new exterior and interior design was led by Kia’s design centres in Germany and California, in close collaboration with the company’s domestic design base in Namyang, Korea. The exterior appearance of the new Rio is defined by straight lines and smooth surfacing, giving the car a distinctive new look and more mature character than its predecessor. Its driver-oriented cabin is also the most spacious in its class, and – with larger, 325-litre cargo capacity (VDA) – it is more practical than ever before.

The new model will be the most technologically-advanced Rio ever produced, and is equipped with new cabin technologies, safety systems, and connectivity features. The Rio will offer both Android Auto™ and Apple CarPlay™ integration, and will be the first car in its class to offer Autonomous Emergency Braking with pedestrian recognition.

It will be powered by a range of petrol and diesel engines. In particular, the Rio features Kia’s latest three-cylinder 1.0-litre T-GDI (turbo gasoline direct injection) engines, offering high efficiency and low emissions. The lightweight nature of the new downsized T-GDI engines means the Rio benefits from keen front-end handling, with less mass and inertia for the car to work against under cornering.

The new Rio will be manufactured at Kia’s Sohari manufacturing facility in Korea. The fourth-generation Rio will go on sale globally during the first quarter of 2017.

Kia upgrades the Soul range

Kia has introduced a series of upgrades to the Soul compact SUV to further enhance its appeal to global buyers, with a modernised exterior and interior design, and new safety and infotainment technologies.

The upgraded Soul boasts remodelled front and rear bumpers with a metallic skid plate for a more robust appearance, optional bi-function HID (high-intensity discharge) headlights with LED daytime running lights, and an updated finish to Kia’s signature ‘tiger-nose’ grille. Three new metallic exterior paint finishes are available – Mysterious Blue, Russet Brown, and Wild Orange – with white contrast roof and door mirror caps available with Mysterious Blue and Russet Brown. Buyers can specify optional new 10-spoke 16- and 17-inch aluminium alloy wheel designs.

In the cabin, the upgraded Soul receives unique new cloth upholstery, available with a single or two-tone colour scheme (black, black and grey, black and brown). New gloss black and metallic highlights and switchgear add to the interior’s quality ambience. More customisable than ever, the Soul is available with a new Orange design pack, with orange-and-grey upholstery, grey stitching and orange highlights throughout the cabin. Existing design packs have been enhanced, with Urban Active emphasising the car’s compact SUV credentials, with a series of cosmetic enhancements including a gloss black finish to front and rear wheel arches, and a body kit for front and rear bumpers and side sills. The Red Zone pack provides owners with a set of red highlights to the grille, front and rear bumpers and sills, a red roof, and a small red rear spoiler.

Buyers can choose from Kia’s latest 5.0-, 7.0- or 8.0-inch colour touchscreen infotainment HMI (human-machine interface). The new HMI systems provide smartphone-style touchscreen control over the audio-visual navigation system, and is available with Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™ for full smartphone integration. A new USB port has been added to the rear of the cabin, allowing back-seat passengers to charge mobile devices, and drivers can benefit from new rain-sensing windscreen wipers. In models equipped with 7DCT, a new Drive Mode Selector provides varying levels of steering assistance depending on driver preference. The Soul adopts Blind Spot Detection (BSD) with Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), for better all-round visibility and safety.

The upgraded Soul is now available to order worldwide.

Kia launches new 204 ps Soul T-GDI

Alongside the updates to the Soul Range, Kia has launched a powerful new Soul T-GDI variant, with a 204 ps 1.6-litre T-GDI (turbo gasoline direct injection) engine – making it the most powerful Soul ever engineered by the Korean brand.

With the new T-GDI engine, the car will accelerate from 0-to-100 kph in 7.8 seconds, on to a top speed of 200kph. The engine transmits its power to the front wheels through Kia’s advanced new seven-speed double-clutch transmission (7DCT), only available on the T-GDI model, providing instant gear changes and decisive acceleration at all speeds.

The Soul T-GDI features a unique new design, with bolder front bumper and air intake grille design, twin exhaust pipes at the rear, wider side sills and its own 10-spoke 18-inch aluminium alloy wheel design. The model features the T-GDI engine badge on the tailgate, as well as a unique red Soul model logo and red highlights to the front bumper and side sills.

The T-GDI model features its own distinctive cabin colour scheme, with black cloth and leather upholstery paired with orange stitching, a D-shaped steering wheel and orange highlights throughout the cabin. The Soul T-GDI is now available to order worldwide.

Enhanced design and technology for 2017 Kia Carens

Kia has announced details of a range of upgrades to the Carens MPV, to refresh the appearance and functionality of the Carens, improve in-cabin ambience, and update the safety and connectivity features on offer to buyers.

Kia’s designers have introduced a series of changes to the upgraded Carens, including revised front and rear bumpers, new rear light signature, and an updated ‘tiger-nose’ grille. Buyers can specify a new exterior paint colour, Mysterious Blue, as well as three new designs for 16-, 17- and 18-inch aluminium alloy wheels. Inside, the Carens’ seven-seat cabin adopts new seat upholstery and new metallic and gloss-black accents for a more high-quality interior environment.

The latest version of the Carens is available with Kia’s 7.0- or 8.0-inch touchscreen HMI (human-machine interface) with navigation, as well asApple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™ for full smartphone integration. The Carens adopts a pair of new DRiVE WISE advanced driver assistance systems: Blind Spot Detection with Rear Cross Traffic Alert; and a Speed Limit Information Function. Buyers can also specify a new JBL® Premium Sound system for greater audio quality throughout the cabin.

The upgraded Kia Carens is now available to order from Kia dealers worldwide.