2011 Kia Rio Sedan Photos, engines & full specs

Kia introduced the third generation of the Rio lineup in 2011 at the Geneva Motor Show, and the lineup consisted of a hatchback with three or five doors and a sedan.

The world financial crisis made more people cut their expenses when it came to purchasing a new car, and instead of going for expensive brands, they stormed the doors of Kia’s showrooms spread across the world. As a result, the Korean automaker was happy to provide vehicles with up to seven years of warranty and a tasteful new design imagined by the European designer Peter Schreyer, who led the styling department for the Korean automaker. Sales went through the roof, and a new line of products emerged. Some of them were built specifically for certain markets, such as the Rio Sedan, which was not available everywhere. But the Europeans had it.

Kia continued the production of a sedan version for the small-sized lineup Rio since there were still many customers who considered a three-box-shaped vehicle to be more appropriate for families than a hatchback. But, as expected, the Korean automaker made this version of the Rio based on the same platform as the rest of the hatchback-styled one. As a result, the front fascia of the 2011 Rio Sedan featured the same angular-looking headlights, slightly swept back towards the sides. The pinched grille suggested the “tiger-nose” design language imagined by Schreyer. From its profile, the main difference compared with the five-door hatchback was at the back, where the Sedan featured a trunk instead of a tailgate. Finally, the rear fascia revealed a set of corner-mounted taillights extended over the trunk lid.

The car’s interior was spacious enough for a small-sized sedan, and Kia tried to convince customers that the Rio Sedan was suitable for five adults. While the front seats could accommodate two full-grown adults, the bench seat placed in the rear could hardly get more than two adults due to the limited headroom and legroom. In front of the driver, the automaker installed the binocular-styled instrument cluster where the speedometer took center stage, and it was flanked by the tachometer on its left and by the fuel and temperature gauges on the right. Kia placed the CD-Radio on the center stack on the upper side, followed by the HVAC control panel underneath it. Behind the cabin, in the trunk, the automaker made room for up to 500 liters (17.7 cu-ft) of luggage.

Surprisingly, Kia offered the Rio Sedan with a very wide range of engines, from a 1.1-liter turbodiesel to a 1.6-liter gasoline powerplant. While the former was built mainly for fuel efficiency, the latter provided more performance. Still, it wasn’t possible to call the Rio a sports sedan. It was a small-sized family sedan that could provide mid-range features at a lower price.