The All-New Rio Sedan Makes Its Malaysian Debut From Naza Kia For RM72,888

Naza Kia Malaysia, the official distributor of Kia vehicles here in Malaysia, has brought in the Kia Rio in an all-new sedan body style. The Rio in this guise was first seen locally at last year’s edition of the ASEAN Auto Show, and with it due to hit showrooms very soon, will offer prospective buyers more practicality if they’re on the fence about the Kia hatch. 

On looks, the Rio Sedan’s exterior is pretty much identical to that of the hatch, with the obvious exception of the longer boot and smaller wheels. It does retains the hatch’s tiger nose front grille and fascia, taillamp design and two-dimensional proportions (rear facing), but it’s only from walking up to it that the extra length becomes apparent. 

Even the angle of the rear windscreen looks shared from the hatch, but is actually more squared off at the lower edges and is missing the the hatch’s subtle roof spoiler - obviously, the sedan is meant to appeal to the pragmatist, those who aren’t interested in such superficialities. 

Powering the Rio Sedan is the same 1.4-litre MPI DOHC CVVT engine found in the Rio hatch, producing 109PS and 137Nm of torque, mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. Also like the hatch, the suspension setup uses Macpherson struts (front) and a coupled rear torsion beam (rear). 

For passenger and driver comfort and convenience, the Rio Sedan has a six speaker audio system  that accepts auxiliary, USB with a 800mb jukebox, and Bluetooth inputs in addition to the usual FM radio and CD player functions. 

In terms of safety, the Rio Sedan has been fitted with six airbags, anti-lock brakes (ABS), tyre-pressure monitoring system, electronic stability control (ESC), vehicle stability management (VSM), hill-start assist control (HAC). 

Dato’ Samson Anand George, Group Chief Operating Officer, Automotive Group, Naza Corporation Holdings, said: “The Rio has consistently been the world’s number one bestselling Kia having sold over 2,000,000 vehicles sold since its global introduction and it is no different here in Malaysia. Its striking modern design, impressive levels of safety and intelligent use of spacehas made it critical and commercial success locally. With a sales target of 1,403 units, we expect the Rio Sedan to contribute significantly to Naza Kia Malaysia’s sales performance in 2016 of 6,107 units total sales,”

“For a closer look at the Rio Sedan, customers may visit the Karnival CNY Kia at Kia PJ Red Cube this 15th to 17th January for exciting deals on new models and genuine parts,” added Dato’ Samson. 

As with other Kia models, the Rio Sedan comes with a five year warranty that includes unlimited mileage and is available for booking now. Available colours include Bright Silver, Signal Red, Deep Blue, and Clear White.