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Kia Wants Rio Hot Hatch

Kia brought down its new Picanto and Rio down to the Geneva Motor Show for all to see. We were impressed with the design language for both hatchback models, as it was edgier and more up-market than ever before. Looking at the large wheels and aggressive body on the Rio, we couldn’t help but wonder if a worm or hot hatch version could be on the way.

A recent Autocar posts this might very well be the case, as a more powerful version of the Rio will help the carmaker build a stronger brand image in Europe.

“The quality and design is much greater than the brand image represents,”
says marketing and product planning chief Benny Oeyen. “You can improved this with cars. A helpful car for us would be a hot hatch, cabrio or a coupe.”

Of the three, a hot hatch would be the easiest and most likely option in the short run, given the segment is popular in Europe. “I can imagine a sporty Kia in Europe; we have to develop the brand,” Oeyen says.

The current engine range for the all-new fourth-generation Rio includes the 1.1-liter three-cylinder turbodiesel with stop-start, as well as 1.25-liter and 1.4-liter petrol units.

So what kind of engine can we expect to see in the hot Rio? The most likely candidate is the 1.6-liter GDI Gamma engine that went into the Hyundai Veloster. It produces 138 horsepower at 6,300 rpm. It features Dual Continuously Variable Valve Timing, an electronic throttle control, a roller timing chain, variable induction and innovative anti-friction coatings such as CrN Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) coating and Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) coating. That doesn’t sound like much of a hot hatch though!
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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