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Your 2018 Kia Rio Sedan Might Look Like the K2 from China

The all-new Kia Rio hatchback made its debut at the Paris Motor Show a couple of months ago. We remember what the girls were wearing, but not the car, which is never a good sign.
Kia K2 14 photos
Photo: Kia
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Hatchbacks are a European thing, so for the sedan version of the Rio, we need to look elsewhere. A car called K2 has just made its debut in China at the Guangzhou Auto Show. It is, of course, a subcompact sedan and could preview the design of the American model.

There are both similarities and differences between the sedan and hatch, and we aren't just talking about the trunk. The Chinese consumers have a taste for luxury that's reflected in everything the K2 shows, from the grille to the trim.

While the general tiger nose design of the front is there, the Asian car's grille doesn't touch the headlights. Meanwhile, the rest of the bumper mirrors that of the Optima. The hood and headlights appear to be the same on both cars. Meanwhile, the rear features a strip of red plastic that connects both taillights into a single unit. There's no visible exhaust, just a lot of black plastic trim around the taillights.

As for the interior, the 2017 Rio hatch and sedan have the same toggles and buttons for the air conditioning. But the infotainment screen is perched over the dash in Europe and recessed in for the Chinese market.

The 2017 Kia K2 measures 4,400 mm in length, 1,740 mm in width and 1,460 mm in height. Meanwhile, the European Rio hatch is 4,06 5mm long, 1450 mm tall with a 2,580mm wheelbase.

Just like the Rio, its favorite engine is a 1.4-liter unit with 100 horsepower and not that much torque. But it can be matched to a 6-speed automatic. Also available in China is a bigger 1.6-liter engine with 123 hp and the same automatic. Black leather, a sunroof - yeah, this car has a lot of nice stuff.
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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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