Photo: Guido Ten Brink/SB-Medien
In addition to the all-new Ceed, Kia used the 2018 Geneva Motor Show to take the veils off two new models. In the mid-size segment, the facelifted Optima SW will have a hard time convincing customers to resist the likes of the Ford Mondeo Estate. In the subcompact class, the Rio GT-Line looks like but isn’t a hot hatch.
First things first, the Optima SW is the roomier alternative to the sedan, with seating for five and 552 liters of luggage space. That’s more than the Mazda6 Tourer (522 liters), but less than segment rival Skoda Superb (660 liters). Dropping the rear seats with the one-touch lever in the trunk sweetens the deal to 1,686 liters.
The practicality doesn’t end here, with the facelift for the Optima offering sliding rails and built-in harnesses for greater versatility on your shopping spree. The refreshed design, both inside and out, is complemented by the all-new turbo diesel engine called U3 and the addition of the 1.6 T-GDi turbo four-cylinder powerplant.
In the case of the 1.6-liter CRDi, you’re looking at 136 PS and 320 Nm of torque, coupled with Selective Catalytic Reduction for the engine to meet the strict limits laid down by the Euro 6d TEMP emissions standard. The gasoline-fed 1.6, on the other hand, has 180 PS and comes with shift paddles for the double-clutch gearbox.
Arriving in showrooms this spring, the Rio GT-Line ticks all the right boxes for those in the market for a sporty-looking hatchback. The gloss-black and chrome detailing, 17-inch alloy wheels and ice-cube LED fog lamps, twin exhaust tips and black roof spoiler, just about everything is designed to make the Rio look fast.
The thing is, the GT-Line tops with the 1.0-liter T-GDi, a three-cylinder turbo with 120 PS and 171 Nm of torque. There’s a case to be made for a sense of urgency from the engine, with peak torque delivered from as low as 1,500 to 4,000 rpm. But at the end of the day, full-on hot hatchbacks in this segment have crossed the 200-horsepower mark. Come on, Kia, give us that sizzling hot Rio already!
The practicality doesn’t end here, with the facelift for the Optima offering sliding rails and built-in harnesses for greater versatility on your shopping spree. The refreshed design, both inside and out, is complemented by the all-new turbo diesel engine called U3 and the addition of the 1.6 T-GDi turbo four-cylinder powerplant.
In the case of the 1.6-liter CRDi, you’re looking at 136 PS and 320 Nm of torque, coupled with Selective Catalytic Reduction for the engine to meet the strict limits laid down by the Euro 6d TEMP emissions standard. The gasoline-fed 1.6, on the other hand, has 180 PS and comes with shift paddles for the double-clutch gearbox.
Arriving in showrooms this spring, the Rio GT-Line ticks all the right boxes for those in the market for a sporty-looking hatchback. The gloss-black and chrome detailing, 17-inch alloy wheels and ice-cube LED fog lamps, twin exhaust tips and black roof spoiler, just about everything is designed to make the Rio look fast.
The thing is, the GT-Line tops with the 1.0-liter T-GDi, a three-cylinder turbo with 120 PS and 171 Nm of torque. There’s a case to be made for a sense of urgency from the engine, with peak torque delivered from as low as 1,500 to 4,000 rpm. But at the end of the day, full-on hot hatchbacks in this segment have crossed the 200-horsepower mark. Come on, Kia, give us that sizzling hot Rio already!
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