Kia Rio: history, nicknames and how to spot one

At a glance

74–138 hpPower

8.5–9.5 s0–60 mph

195 km/hTop speed

117–220 N·mTorque

1,019–1,341 kgWeight

The coral arc spans the family, from its mildest version to its wildest.^2,5,6,11,12

Engine: 1.0–1.6 L gasoline; 1.1–1.5 L diesel; Mk4 48V mild hybrid^2,3,6
Layout: Front-engine, front-wheel drive²
Gearbox: 5/6-speed manuals; 4/6-speed autos; CVT; 7DCT; EcoDynamics+ iMT^2,3,10
Built at: DC/JB/UB: Sohari Plant, Gwangmyeong, South Korea²

The story

The Rio took over from the Pride and Avella, spanning four generations from 1999 to 2023. Its 2012 1.6 L GDI made 138 hp; the fourth generation introduced Kia's first 48V gasoline mild hybrid in 2020.^2,3,5

GenerationsBefore and afterMilestones^2,4,21

Show the numbers

Year	What happened
1987–2000	Kia Pride (Y)
1993–2000	Kia Avella
1999–2005 (South Korea)	Kia Rio, first generation (DC)
2005–2011	Kia Rio / Pride, second generation (JB)
2011–2017 (global UB)	Kia Rio / Pride, third generation (UB/QB)
From 2023	Kia K3 (BL7)
1999	Rio production starts in November
2005	Accent platform and 110 hp
2011	Geneva hatch, New York sedan
2011	1.1 CRDi claims 85 g/km
2012	2013 SX manual: under 500 initially
2017	Fourth generation gets a turbo triple
2020	1.6 L switches to 120 hp and CVT
2020	Kia's first gasoline mild hybrid
2023	K3 succession; production ends

1999
Rio production starts in November
The first generation begins production, offering a four-door sedan and a five-door station wagon.²
2005
Accent platform and 110 hp
The second generation reaches Europe in 2005 and North America for 2006, gaining cabin space and a 1.6 L engine with variable intake-valve timing.^1,2
2011
Geneva hatch, New York sedan
The Irvine-designed third generation debuts at Geneva; the 2012 sedan bows in New York with 138-hp GDI power, six-speed gearboxes and ISG.^2,5
2011
1.1 CRDi claims 85 g/km
The UK's 1.1 L EcoDynamics diesel claims 88.3 mpg and 85 g/km CO2, using three cylinders, Intelligent Stop & Go and low rolling resistance tires.⁶
2012
2013 SX manual: under 500 initially
The 2013 5-door SX gains a six-speed manual. Initial allocation is below 500; its advertised 40-mpg highway figure is later corrected to 37 mpg.^7,8
2017
Fourth generation gets a turbo triple
After its 2016 Paris debut, the fourth generation reaches Europe in early 2017 with a new 1.0 L turbo triple and a 325 L cargo hold.⁹
2020
1.6 L switches to 120 hp and CVT
The 2020 1.6 L drops from 130 to 120 hp, and a CVT replaces the six-speed automatic. EPA estimates climb to 33 mpg city and 41 mpg highway.¹⁰
2020
Kia's first gasoline mild hybrid
Europe's refreshed fourth generation adds 48V assistance to the 1.0 L T-GDi and replaces the manual's mechanical clutch linkage with electronic control.³
2023
K3 succession; production ends
The K3 arrives in August as the Rio's successor in Mexico and GCC markets; Rio production ends in December 2023.²

Every generation

Y1987–2000
Kia Avella1993–2000
DC1999–2005 (South Korea)
JB2005–2011
UB/QB2011–2017 (global UB)
BL7From 2023

Power over the years

From 96 hp to 138 hp in 11 years.

^{1,2,3,5,6,9,10,11}

Show the numbers

Year	Horsepower	Model
2001	96	US 2001–02 1.5 L
2003	104	US 2003–05 1.6 L
2006	110	2006 1.6 L, variable valve timing
2011	74	UK 1.1 L CRDi diesel
2011	83	UK 1.25 L gasoline
2011	89	UK 1.4 L diesel
2011	107	UK 1.4 L gasoline
2012	138	2012 1.6 L GDI
2017	118	EU 1.0 T-GDI high output
2018	130	US 1.6 L GDI
2020	118	EU EcoDynamics+ 1.0 L T-GDi
2020	120	2020 1.6 L CVT

Versions

12 versions worth knowing, with their power.

Standard

Rio sedan / Cinco wagon (first generation, US)

2001–2005
Standard

Rio base / LX sedan (second generation, US)

2006

110 hp
Standard

Rio5 SX (second generation, US)

2006–2011

110 hp
Standard

Rio 3-door (third generation, Europe)
Standard

Rio LX / EX / SX (third generation)

2012

138 hp
Standard

Rio LX / S (fourth generation, US)

2018

130 hp
Special

Rio VR7 / SR7 (third generation, UK)
Special

Rio GT-Line / GT-Line S
Special

Rio Sports-Pac (first generation)
Limited

Rio First Edition 1.0 T-GDi (UK)

2017
Limited

Rio Pulse (UK)

2017

82 hp
Limited

Rio 5-door SX M/T

2013

138 hp

How to spot one

Look for

Second-generation launch cars: angular headlights flank a black trapezoidal mesh grille.¹
Global third generation: a wedge-shaped profile and a slim tiger-nose grille meeting the headlights.²
Fourth-generation launch cars: a thin, wide grille and U-shaped LED daytime running lights.⁹
Fourth-generation launch cars: near-vertical rear glass and slim, arrow-pattern LED taillights.⁹

Year by year

2003 (US)
First generation: revised exterior and cabin styling; fog lights and a rear spoiler become options on the Cinco wagon.^2,13
2004
The first-generation wagon gains alloy wheels as standard.^2,13
2010
Second generation gains a tiger-nose grille, darker headlights and narrower, body-color side moldings.²
2015
UK third generation: Urban Blue replaces Electric Blue; the SR7 alone offers Yellow Zest.²
2017 (Europe)
The new fourth generation has more upright rear glass, arrow-pattern LED taillights and U-shaped LED running lights.⁹
2020 (Europe)
Fourth-generation facelift: narrower grille, lower and wider front bumper, full LED headlights and a larger 8.0-inch cabin screen.³

Don’t confuse it with

Rio
Volkswagen Golf
Volkswagen Golf
Fourth-generation Rio rear pillars echo the Golf. Look for the Rio's thin tiger-nose grille and arrow-pattern LED taillights.^9,11
Rio
Toyota Auris (first generation)
Toyota Auris (first generation)
Rear-quarter styling can resemble the first Auris. The fourth-generation Rio has a thin tiger-nose grille flowing into its headlights.^9,20

Against its rivals

Rio vs Chevrolet Sonic LTZ Turbo (2012)

Quarter-mile lower is better

Rio17.2 s

Chevrolet Sonic LTZ Turbo (2012)16.5 s
¹²
Rio vs Hyundai Accent SE (2012)

Quarter-mile lower is better

Rio17.2 s

Hyundai Accent SE (2012)16.4 s
¹²
Rio vs Toyota Yaris SE (2012)

Quarter-mile lower is better

Rio17.2 s

Toyota Yaris SE (2012)17 s
¹²

Prices

Value today $1.4K–$3.7K^2,13

Price when newAuction saleValue today

^{1,2,7,11,13,28,29,30}

Show the numbers

Year	Price	Amount	Detail
2001	Launch price	$8,585	US base price, 2001 model year
2001	Price when new	$8,585	US base sedan
2006	Price when new	$11,110	US base sedan
2006	Price when new	$14,040	US Rio5 base
2013	Price when new	$17,900	US 5-door SX manual MSRP
2018	Price when new	$16,185	US hatch automatic base
2018	Price when new	$20,225	US hatch EX automatic, as tested
2025	Auction sale	$10,300	2022 Kia Rio, mileage 64,271, Bidbus
2026	Auction sale	$13,000	2023 Rio, reported mileage 46,000, Bidbus
2026	Auction sale	$13,300	2023 Kia Rio, mileage 44,667, Bidbus
2026	Value today	$1,400–$3,700

The rest of the story is in the app

The full file tells why each version matters, the legend behind the car and what to check before buying one.

Versions
- Why each of the 12 versions matters
Legend
- 13 stories from its legend
- “Galli's Rio joined Block and Loeb at Estering”
- “Top Gear's Rio was still only a candidate”
Generations
- The story of each of the 6 generations
Market
- 6 things to check before buying one
- Where prices are heading, and why

Read the full file in SPOT

SPOT is free on iPhone. Full car files come with SPOT Plus.

Sources

Every fact on this page links to the source it rests on.

See all 30 sources

Kia Rio/Rio5 caranddriver.com
Kia Rio - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
Electrified power, ‘big car’ technology, and refreshed design for upgraded Kia Rio prod2-press.kia.com
Kia Pride – Wikipedia de.wikipedia.org
All-New 2012 Kia Rio Sedan Makes World Debut at the New York International Auto Show prnewswire.com
Kia Rio Specifications & Performance | GreenCarGuide greencarguide.co.uk
Special-Edition 2013 Rio 5-Door SX M/T Arrives In Limited Quantity prnewswire.com
Fuel Economy Label Updates | US EPA epa.gov
All-new Kia Rio raises the bar for design, space and dynamics preprod2-press.kia.com
2020 Kia Rio Review, Pricing, and Specs caranddriver.com
Tested: 2018 Kia Rio Hatchback Automatic caranddriver.com
2012 Econocar Comparison: Sonic vs Five Others caranddriver.com
2001-05 Kia Rio | Consumer Guide Auto consumerguide.com
2006-11 Kia Rio | Consumer Guide Auto consumerguide.com
2012 Kia Rio 5-Door EX First Test - Motor Trend motortrend.com
First Kia Rio GT-Line images and information revealed preprod2-press.kia.com
Used Kia Rio Mk4 (2017-date) review | Auto Express autoexpress.co.uk
New Kia Rio Price & Specs - 2017 Rio costs from £11,995 in UK | Cars UK carsuk.net
New Kia Limited Edition Pulses Its Way Into The Rio Family | Carscoops carscoops.com
Kia Rio 4 (2017). Elle se dévoile en avant-première avant le Mondial - L'argus largus.fr
Ford Festiva - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
Classifications | Federation Internationale de l'Automobile fia.com
Top Gear USA's Reasonably-Priced Car Is... The Kia Rio jalopnik.com
La Kia Rio et DC Comics, une affaire qui ne tombe pas à l'eau autoplus.fr
IGCD.net - Internet Game Cars Database igcd.net
Kia TSB CS2307_TSB_R7 — 2021 Rio | CarComplaints.com carcomplaints.com
Used Kia Rio (Mk3, 2011-2016) review | Auto Express autoexpress.co.uk
2023 Kia Rio Auction Result #8547 - Bidbus bidbus.com
2023 Kia Rio Auction Result #11047 - Bidbus bidbus.com
2022 Kia Rio Auction Result #844 - Bidbus bidbus.com

caranddriver.com
en.wikipedia.org
prod2-press.kia.com
de.wikipedia.org
prnewswire.com
greencarguide.co.uk
epa.gov
preprod2-press.kia.com
consumerguide.com
motortrend.com
autoexpress.co.uk
carsuk.net
carscoops.com
largus.fr

At a glance

The story

Rio production starts in November

Accent platform and 110 hp

Geneva hatch, New York sedan

1.1 CRDi claims 85 g/km

2013 SX manual: under 500 initially

Fourth generation gets a turbo triple

1.6 L switches to 120 hp and CVT

Kia's first gasoline mild hybrid

K3 succession; production ends

Every generation

Power over the years

Versions

Rio sedan / Cinco wagon (first generation, US)

Rio base / LX sedan (second generation, US)

Rio5 SX (second generation, US)

Rio 3-door (third generation, Europe)

Rio LX / EX / SX (third generation)

Rio LX / S (fourth generation, US)

Rio VR7 / SR7 (third generation, UK)

Rio GT-Line / GT-Line S

Rio Sports-Pac (first generation)

Rio First Edition 1.0 T-GDi (UK)

Rio Pulse (UK)

Rio 5-door SX M/T

How to spot one

Look for

Year by year

Don’t confuse it with

Volkswagen Golf

Toyota Auris (first generation)

Against its rivals

Prices

The rest of the story is in the app

Versions

Legend

Generations

Market

Sources

Photo credits

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