*Specs and most information were taken from a press release by Kia Motors South Africa.
Late last year KIA Motors South Africa introduced a refreshed and revised KIA Rio range.
Featuring enhancements to its exterior design and increased standard specs across the range, the refreshed KIA Rio also offers a notably improved value proposition. Originally launched on local shores in 2017, the updates to the Rio range were designed to reposition KIA’s evergreen hatchback in the highly competitive B-segment of the local market.
The focus of the redesign was on a refreshed design aesthetic and better infotainment and connectivity features to “…build on the Rio’s key strengths and augment the inherent practicality and quality of the model.”
2020 Kia Rio Features
- Bolder, more attractive exterior thanks to design updates
- Alloy wheels now standard across the range
- Two new colour options add sophisticated appeal to the Rio range
- Infotainment, 8-inch colour touchscreen standard across the range
- 1.4 LS derivative offers exceptional value for money
A clean and classy exterior
When launched in 2017, the new Rio was widely lauded for its distinctive styling and underlying sportiness, as defined by the straight lines and smooth surfacing from nose to tail. Within a year of launch, Rio received a GOOD DESIGN award (presented annually by The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design and run in cooperation with the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies).
Exterior design updates for Rio’s mid-life refresh has been kept to a minimum, with the bulk of the design enhancements concentrated at the front of the car. Rio retains its iconic ‘tiger-nose’ grille, narrowed for a more focused appearance. The grille redesign is matched by a lower, wider front bumper and distinctive new fog lamp housing.
These exterior changes were done to give the Rio a smoother, more purposeful and sportier appearance. Two new colours are also available for the 2020 range: “Perennial Grey metallic” and “Sporty Blue metallic”.
The intelligent design extends further than just aesthetics, which includes the inherent safety design of its body shell, which comprises 51% Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS) to give Rio the structural integrity required to keep occupants safe in case of an accident. AHSS is used to reinforce the A- and B-pillars, side sills, the roof structure, engine bay and floor pan in order to also aid the more effective distribution of impact forces.
2020 Kia Rio Specs and Models
2020 Kia Rio Interior Specs
Interior enhancements have been kept to the minimum, and the Rio’s user-friendly interior ergonomics remain intact, making intuitive use of all major functions a cinch. The main update is an upgrade of the colour touchscreen interface from 7-inches to 8-inches – which is now also standard across the Rio range.
Front passengers also benefit from the standard USB and auxiliary-in ports, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability – as much convenience as a safety feature in the mobile-first reality. An additional 12V power socket is also available for additional charging devices. All models feature steering-wheel-mounted audio controls and Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free telephony.
2020 Kia Rio Engine Specs
KIA Motors South Africa has opted to retain the familiar and popular powerplants that have done duty in the Rio since its launch in 2017. As such, Rio is still available with a choice between 1.25-litre and 1.4-litre MPI (multi-point injection) petrol engines.
The 1.25-litre engine produces peak power of 61 kW at 6,000 r/min and 120 Nm torque at 4,000 r/min. The 1.4-litre engine produces 73 kW at 6,300 r/min and 135 Nm torque at 4,200 r/min. Both engines apply power to the front wheels, either through a five-speed manual transmission (on the Rio 1.2) or a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission (on the Rio 1.4-litre).
2020 Kia Rio Specification Grades
The refreshed Rio range also retains four specification grades. Along with driver’s and passenger’s airbags (including side and curtain airbags in the TEC model), the Rio features front seatbelt pre-tensioners with load limiters, side door impact beams front and rear, child locks, and impact sensing door unlocking. ISOFIX child seat anchors are standard across the range, as is Anti-lock Braking System (ABS). Importantly, ESC (Electronic Stability Control) and HAC (Hill-start Assist Control) is now available from the LX grade onwards.
2020 Kia Rio LS Specs
As an entry point to the Rio range, KIA still offers the Rio 1.2 LS but, importantly, have added a 1.4-litre LS model to the range, in manual and automatic. Standard specification on the LS grade is anything but “entry-level” following the range revision and includes – amongst other items – air-conditioning (manual), electric windows, electric side mirrors, central locking with an alarm and immobiliser, six speakers (up from four speakers), steering wheel-mounted remote audio controls, rake and reach adjustable steering, and manual headlight adjustment.
In fact, the most notable revisions of the Rio range has occurred on the entry-level LS grade. Apart from the standard 8-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system that is now available across the range, Rio LS models now also gain 15-inch alloy wheels, replacing the previous model’s steel wheels with plastic wheel covers.
The 1.2 LS is the long-awaited consumer adaptation of a vehicle that was traditionally kept to Kia’s corporate fleet offering, with the addition of a more powerful 1.4-litre engine, better infotainment features and alloy wheels. The result is a vehicle with a lot more features than the previous LS models, without the premium cost.
2020 Kia Rio LX Specs
Retaining all the specification on offer in the Rio LS, the Rio LX – which is only available with the 1.4-litre engine – notably gains front fog lights, a centre console armrest, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear-shift lever, and a new 4.2-inch LCD Supervision instrument cluster. Side mirrors now include an auto-folding function with integrated indicators, while the vehicle’s lighting system gains automatic light control with an escort and Welcome Home function.
2020 Kia Rio EX Specs
The Rio EX – also available only with the 1.4-litre engine – builds on the already extensive standard features of the LX model through the addition of projection headlamps, LED Daytime Running Lights, and a rear park assistance system with an integrated rearview camera (with dynamic guidelines) but is also visually updated by the standard inclusion of a 17-inch alloy wheel (upgraded from the previous model’s 15-inch wheel).
2020 Kia Rio TEC Specs
The familiar KIA Rio TEC remains the halo model in the Rio range. Also available only with the 1.4-litre engine, it gains features over the EX model such as automatic air-conditioning, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, LED rear combination lamps, Cruise Control, an electro-chromatic rear-view mirror, alloy pedals and leather upholstery.
2020 KIA RIO Prices (New):
How much can you expect to pay for a new Kia Rio?
On launch, all models were quoted with the following starting prices:
KIA Rio 1.2 LS Manual R280,995
KIA Rio 1.4 LS Manual R291,995
KIA Rio 1.4 LS Auto R308,995
KIA Rio 1.4 LX Manual R306,995
KIA Rio 1.4 LX Auto R323,995
KIA Rio 1.4 EX Manual R319,995
KIA Rio 1.4 EX Auto R336,995
KIA Rio 1.4 TEC Manual R344,995
KIA Rio 1.4 TEC Auto R361,995
*All prices are an estimate based on a model with new list price in March 2021 specs and are not intended to be used as a direct quote on any specific car listing made by Digicars. These figures are included for consumer reference purposes only and are subject to change. As such they may not be accurate at the time of reading.
The KIA Rio TEC may also be ordered with a factory-fitted sunroof as an option (R8,000).
All KIA models ship as standard with KIA’s Unlimited Kilometre/ 5-year warranty – inclusive of five years’ roadside assistance (also unlimited kilometres). The Rio 1.2 LS includes a 2-year/60,000km Service Plan, while all 1.4-litre models includes a 4-year/60,000km Service Plan.
2020 KIA RIO Prices (Used)*:
If you’re looking to take the incredible cost savings of the Kia Rio range even further, there’s no better place to start than looking at a used model.
Since it’s such a new arrival, you’re almost guaranteed low mileage and minimal wear on these cars, making them an incredible value offering for buyers looking to get the most bang for their buck.
To get a quote, please contact us or view our online listings here.