Kia’s new Rio will go on sale in the UK on September 1 priced from £10,595.

The fourth generation Rio will help Kia’s ambition to have the newest product line-up on offer in the UK by 2012.

Globally, Kia expects B-segment sales to rise from 9.2 million in 2012 to 14 million in 2014.

In Europe the sales growth over the same period is predicted to go from 4.78 million to 5.22 million. Kia expects the new Rio to be a top-ten contender in the supermini market.

The new Kia Rio will be available with four engines – two petrol and two diesel – including a 1.1-litre three-cylinder turbodiesel with CO2 emissions of 85g/km and possible fuel economy of 88.3mpg.

EcoDynamics technologies will be a standard feature with new Rio diesels, including the 1.4-litre models scheduled to be added to the line-up shortly after launch.

The 1.4-litre diesel is a four-cylinder engine from the same U2 family as the 1.1. It develops 89bhp and 220Nm of torque. Economy and emissions figures are 70.6mpg combined and just 105g/km of CO2.

There are also two petrol engines in the new Rio. The entry-level unit is the 1.25-litre Kappa engine which recently made its debut in the new Picanto. This engine develops 83bhp and 121Nm of torque. The Rio is also available with Kia’s 1.4-litre Gamma engine, developing 107bhp and 137Nm of torque. It also offers buyers an automatic gearbox as an option to the standard manual.

Four trims

Customers will be able to choose from four trim levels. Entry level ‘1’, standard features include daytime running lights, body-coloured bumpers, door handles and door mirrors, speed-variable front wipers, headlamp levelling, front electric windows, 15-inch steel wheels, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, two-way steering column adjustment on the petrol model (height-adjustable only on the entry level diesel), a tachometer and trip computer, split folding rear seats, a boot light, a 12-volt power socket and an MP3-compatible RDS radio and CD player with USB and AUX ports. Bluetooth is also standard on the petrol entry model, and on all versions with other trim grades.

The ‘1 Air’ grade is for buyers who want the comfort of air conditioning without upgrading to level ‘2’.

The ‘2’ includes 16-inch alloy wheels, front fog lights and a chrome radiator grille surround. Interior upgrades on the 2 include black cloth upholstery, rear electric windows, a cooling glove box, electrically adjustable heated and folding door mirrors with side repeaters, leather trim on the steering wheel and gearshift and a centre console armrest.

The ‘3’ specification adds 17-inch alloys with low-profile tyres, ultraviolet-reducing solar privacy glass, LED daytime running and rear combination lamps, automatic air conditioning with auto de-fog, rain sensing wipers, cruise control, automatic headlights, heated front seats and six speakers in lieu of four.

In terms of safety all Rio models feature the same standard safety specification. The package includes electronic stability control (ESC), electronic brake force distribution (EBD), emergency brake assist (EBA), twin front, side and curtain airbags, seat belt pre-tensioners with load limiters for front passengers, in addition to emergency stop signalling (ESS).

The Rio also includes Hill-start Assist Control (HAC).

Servicing package

First introduced on the recently launched Picanto, Kia’s Care-3 servicing package will also be available on the Rio.

The Care-3 package is £259, which covers the first three services - either 36 months or 30,000 miles or the Care-3 Plus package is £499 which covers the first five services - either 60 months or 50,000 miles.

The Care-3 and Care-3 Plus package stays with the car, so is fully transferable to another customer. If a second owner would like the five year service package - on a vehicle with a Care-3 package, the new owner can top-up this package to cover the next two years.