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Kia Rio
The Kia Rio is a subcompact
car made by the South Korean company Kia Motors
and introduced in late 2000 (2001 model year).
In the company's lineup, it replaced the Kia
Pride, whose production ceased in 2000. Other
cars occupying a similar market niche as the
Rio include the Toyota Vitz (Toyota Yaris
or Echo in some markets), Chevrolet Aveo,
and the Hyundai Accent. To a lesser extent,
the Rio also competes with compact cars such
as the Honda Civic and Mazda3.
The
first generation Rio was one of the most
inexpensive new cars available in the United
States and was available as a four-door
sedan or station wagon. The wagon version
was sold as the Rio Cinco (cinco: five in
Spanish) in the USA, Rio RX-V in Canada,
and Rio Look in Chile.
The Rio has had only
one engine for each year; a 96 hp 1.5 L 4-cylinder
from 2001 through 2002, then a 1.6 L 4-cylinder
rated at 105 hp shared with the Hyundai Accent
from 2003 through 2005. All years have offered
a choice of a five-speed manual transmission
or a four-speed automatic. The
first generation was replaced for 2006. Changes
include cosmetic updates, more standard safety
features, and replacement of the Rio Cinco
with a 5-door hatchback, now called Rio5.
New standard vanity features such as a leather-covered
steering wheel suggest that Kia intends to
move the Rio upmarket. A hybrid version is
expected for the 2007 model year.
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