The Kia Rio is dead, long live the Kia K3. Look, the current Kia Rio is a great car, but Kia had changed so much over the past two decades that some of its long-running model names are up for re-branding. After all, nobody really wants to remember the first-generation Rio. As such, Kia’s next-generation entry-level sedan — unveiled Wednesday in Mexico — will be called K3, and it’s just the right size to succeed in America, should Kia dare to bring it here.
Sitting halfway between a Rio and a Forte on footprint, the K3 stands at 178.9 inches long, or roughly the length of a decade-old Honda Civic. Now that’s more like it. In profile, we can see a handful of touches from the K5 midsize sedan, from the backswept quarter panel windows to the fastback-style roof, but there’s enough unique stuff going on that the K3 doesn’t suffer from “same sausage, different length” syndrome. Unusual for a sedan is the unpainted plastic trim around the wheel arches and on the sills, which should do a solid job of shrugging of rock chips.
On the inside, the K3 looks functional but not basic. Sure, I’m not crazy about the capacitive touch radio and climate panel, but everything else has an actual button, knob, or separate display. Interior temperature isn’t buried in the infotainment system, separate volume and tuning knobs are on deck, all your cold-weather controls from heated seats to the windshield defroster are operated using physical buttons, and there’s even an honest-to-god old-school handbrake in the center console.
Speaking of old-school touches, Kia’s managed to build a full-scale digital instrument cluster with just a 4.2-inch multi-function display. That’s because speed and revs are displayed on massive alarm clock-style displays, a nifty cost-saving throwback that nostalgic consumers and the farsighted are sure to love. Oh, and did we mention that the K3 has a positively huge trunk? Kia claims 19.2 cubic feet of capacity, which is bigger than in any current midsize sedan. Now how’d the engineers manage that?
Under the hood of the new Kia K3 sits a standard 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine pumping out 121 horsepower and 114 lb.-ft. of torque. That sounds like a perfectly economical powertrain, but it’s not the only option. Some markets will get a 1.4-liter four-banger making double-digit power, but the headlining act here is an available two-liter, 150-horsepower four-cylinder engine, which sounds a lot like the two-liter Nu engine standard in America’s current Forte. Transmission choices include a six-speed manual and a six-speed automatic, although the big motor will launch in an automatic-only configuration.
Now I know what you’re thinking — is this thing a deathtrap? After all, small cars launching in developing markets aren’t known for their safety. Well, Mexico has recently stepped its safety standards up substantially, and the new K3 gets six airbags, electronic stability control, and an available advanced driver assistance suite including every nanny currently available on a U.S.-spec Forte.
The Forte is currently called the K3 in Korea, which makes us wonder what will happen to Kia’s next-generation compact sedan. Could this new K3 be replacing both cars with one right-sized product? Will the next-generation Ceed European Golf-sized hatchback be a global car? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Until then, production of the new Kia K3 starts up in Mexico this December, and we can only cross our fingers and see if it makes it to the United States. With the Rio’s run in multiple markets wrapping up, a proper successor only seems fitting.
(Photo credits: Kia)
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I like it…but that just means I’m going to keep getting stuck with Mitsubishis at the rental counter.
It looks decent… actually not hard on the eyes at all, and the last Rio wasn’t a bad car at all, so this will hopefully be even better. For the sake of nostalgia, if nothing else, I hope there’s a usably-equipped entry-level trim short of $20K.
I’ve never hated getting a Rio as a rental; they are competent, spirited transportation that does what it’s supposed to without being a punishment. The K3 looks like something I may WANT to get the next time I’m at the rental booth.
“The Rio is too affordable. Let’s fix that.”
-Kia, probably
It gives me Polestar vibes from the side.
It looks like a crossover. That is not a compliment…
I forgot to mention, I really like this interpretation of the tiger face, which I’ve always found pretty unattractive rendered in chrome
I had no problem with it in chrome, but this is a great evolution—I noticed and admired it right away.
I agree with some others that it seems a little chunky, but I think that’s just how cars are these days, given the constraints, and I still think it’s attractive.
While I like the interior, the exterior proportions are just… off. Something about the back haunch is just too big, and the distance from the wheel to the top of the hood looks too crossover-y, and not sedan-y enough. It looks like a knockoff Polestar 2, and manages to lose whatever charm that car has.
Also, I recently had a Soul rental car with that dashboard, and I hated it. The tach was useless, as there was no indication of scale, and the whole thing was slow to update and had a ton of wasted space. Would not recommend.
Fastback without a real hatch is my new favorite thing to hate on. GIVE IT A REAL HATCH.
Generally I agree, but on an entry level car like this I can understand the cost savings to keep MSRP down while giving it a big bump in trunk space. Ultimately its a practical little car that seems awfully nice for the price, so I can’t really fault it for that
We need more liftbacks in this world.
I don’t know why America has a disdain for hatches unless it’s bolted to the back of an SUV.
Is it just me, or does it look like a baby Toyota Crown in profile?
This name will never fail to make me laugh aloud. K3 is a famous music band for little girls in Belgium/a bit of the Netherlands. Zing mee met de hit “K3 – De wereld van K3” (20jaark3.com)
“Famous”
Take about an inch out of the ride height and lose the plastic cladding and it would look like a nice car.
At the moment it looks like an incredibly half-assed, non-committal attempt at a crossover, but ooooh let’s not be too much of a crossover, just a little bit.
It seems to have just ended up in some sort of no man’s land in the middle between crossover and standard car.
A lot sedans in developing countries, even more expensive ones, tend to have crossover like ride-heights and sometimes crossover like styling elements. It’s done to compensate for worse road quality. A 2016 US-Market Corolla, for example, would have sold from the factory with a ground clearance of 5.5 Inches, and come standard with 16 Inch Wheels. The Indian Market Corolla of the same year, despite being a more high-end car, had a ground clearance of 6.9 Inches and rode on 15s (although 16s were a reasonably priced option).
How much did you get paid to pretend this is a good thing? I’m serious, this car is gross and the RIO is a great car right now that they can’t keep on the lots. It also is one less cheap car, because this new gross thing is sure as hell going to cost more than the rio.
I think this is a bad move.
I really hate that busy front end and the plastic cladding on the lower portions of the sides and the crease. Those headlights look expensive to fix if the car gets in a fender bender.
As it is, it will not age well.
I’d make it look a lot more plain and focus on aero. The front would be more Tesla Model 3 and I’d add rear wheel skirts. I’d choose a headlamp that didn’t go down so low so that it would be less likely to suffer damage in a minor collision.
It’s handsome inside and out, it’s modern looking without being over the top, it has a 19 cubic foot trunk, and it’s blue. I have zero complaints.
I have 2, and they are relatively minor actually. No manual with the “Hot” engine, and ride height/black plastic make it seem a little to tall and have weird proportions.
I don’t think size / dimensions matter anymore for new cars, we all know it is going to grow bigger and heavier.. but most important question is the MSRP will bloat too?
yes. they are replacing a cheap car that sells like hotcakes to try to get a little more $$ out of this gross looking thing.
Market it as an “outdoors vehicle” with a giant lockable space where other people can’t see your stuff. It already has the cladding. It just needs some orange trim and some underbody shields to shrug off gravel. Emphasize how the small engine lets people go for longer before needing to refuel. Remind people that sedans have a place too, darn it!
If it’s a form of hatchback, I could see it — especially at a length of 178.9 inches. That or the trunk area is a hollowed-out shell.
It looks a lot like a smaller version of the Chinese-market Ford Evos. Which we will likewise never see here in the states sadly (I’ve always suspected it’s actually the “Ford Fusion Active” that was promised but that was then made unfeasible by tariffs).
https://fordauthority.com/2023/02/ford-evos-spotted-in-michigan-with-covered-badges/
It’s not another look alike 2 or 3 box truck like appliance. No one would buy it here.
Kia Rio owner here. The exterior is nice looking, and the interior is pretty lux for what has been an entry level car. This is a weird fact-starved reveal.
The devil is in the details. My Rio has almost no insulation to the point that people can’t hear me on the phone at highway speeds when I use my low-end earbuds. Insulation adds weight and cost. Shoe-horning a 2 liter engine as an option into a Rio-class vehicle seems an odd choice. The 1.6-liter and ~120 HP in my Rio is enough — it’s supposed to be an economy car. (Make a hatch version and then 2 liters makes sense.) Crucial missing details are the MSRP and when the K3 starts showing up at dealers.
I agree with Toecutter in that this should have been an entry-level EV. Dumping money into the development of a new ICE car seems short-sighted, unless the K3 is destined for second- and third-world markets where EV adoption will lag the US, Europe and China.
Will there be a K4 Forte? How about a smaller K1 and K2?
Also, teh Kia Rio Cinco is fucking awesome, and don;t forget that Kia actually made this Rio Sports Pac. Yes, it is a real car that they actually made, though it may not have been sold here.
https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fbown27ihjvv51.jpg
It sure looks like a real car in a way that econo/penalty boxes often don’t. I think that’s the element often missing from the endless “why no small cars/no one wants small cars” debate we always see in the comments. I like it.
Hold up. The new Kia Rio is being introduced in Mexico and they’re not gonna call it the Rio any more?
I think Duran Duran would like to have a word with the executives at Kia.
Then they could make a hotted up version and call it the KN Rio Night Version.
What’s the MSRP?
How about an electric one with 200 miles range for under $25k?
It looks like aero efficiency will be substantially improved over the previous model, although that front end would not help anything with this regard.
Agree, this would be a perfect opportunity for Kia to jump into the electric game and make a splash.
Also, this is a descent looking car.
They’re not there yet. Very few of the Chinese EV we do get in Oz get under that mark. They don’t miss by much but…still. These are the 12 cheapest EV we have in Oz. All the pricing is MSRP in Australian dollars.
BYD Dolphin (a) $38,890
MG 4 (a) $38,990
GWM Ora (a) $39,990
BYD e6 (a) $39,999
MG ZS EV (a) $44,990
BYD Atto 3 (a) $48,011
Renault Kangoo ZE (a) $50,390
Nissan Leaf (a) $50,990
Tesla Model 3 (a) $57,400
Cupra Born (a) $59,990
Peugeot e-Partner (a) $59,990
Volvo EX30 (a) $59,990
All of them are Chinese made except the Renault, Nissan, Cupra and Peugeot.
The exchange rate of US dollar versus Australian dollar is currently about 1.53. The BYD Dolphin and MG4, in US dollars, are just above $25,000US. Plus isn’t there an import tariff for these cars?
None of them have an extensive focus on aerodynamics that could increase their range 50% or more on the same battery pack, for very little added cost.
None of these EVs are basic and are all laden with features, except perhaps the Dolphin and e6. The BYD Seagull sells in China starting out at $11,000US, about $14,000US for a version claimed to have 250 miles range on the Chinese driving cycle.
I’d argue that the US could have done $20,000 EVs with 200 miles range in the late 1990s, at least in late 1990s dollars. I’ve read a lot of publications on the subject 2 decades ago when the technology was not nearly as good as it is today.
Sadly I think it will be too much car for too little money to be sold in the US.