2017 Kia Rio Hatchback Enters the Philippines Market

MANILA: After making its debut in Paris, the 2017 Kia Rio hatchback has finally made its entry into the Philippines market. Along with a slight design makeover, the updated Kia Rio hatchback is sleeker and slightly longer than the previous version. The exterior gets fine smooth lines and curves that dominate the overall profile of the car in a significant manner.

The new additions include projector headlights with LED daytime running lights and LED taillights. The tiger-nose grille of the 2017 Rio hatchback gets sharper and is slightly redesigned to give the front fascia a dominating appeal. The gloss black finish further adds to the sporty quotient. The 17-inch alloy wheels are standard across the top-end variants which accentuate the overall design while the entry-level models of Rio get 15-inch alloys.

The overall dimension of the 2017 Rio measures 4,065 mm X 1,725 mm X 1,460 mm (L X W X H). Further, the car will be offered in 9 color options - Signal Red, Silky Silver, Aurora Black Pearl, Deep Sienna Brown, Clear White, Platinum Graphite, Smoke Blue and Urban Green.

In the cabin, high-quality black upholstery with piano black finish trim gives a plush feel. Equipment list includes a 4.3-inch touchscreen audio system, which is accompanied with AM/FM radio, CD, Bluetooth, USB and AUX. Depending on the variant, the 2017 Kia Rio gets either a manual air conditioner or automatic climate control. The rear seats can be folded 60:40 which makes way for additional cargo space. With rear seats up, the luggage space stands at 325 litres.

Under the hood, the 2017 Rio is powered by a 1.4-litre Kappa engine that delivers 100 PS maximum power at 6000 rpm and 133 Nm peak torque at 4000 rpm. The engine is coupled to either a 4-speed automatic or 6-speed manual transmission. Other features of the updated hatchback include steering wheel-mounted controls, cruise control, smart key with push-button start, anti-lock brakes, dual SRS airbags, cruise control, rear parking assist and charging outlets for both front and rear passengers.

The 2017 Kia Rio will be available for purchase by the first week of June and below is the trim wise pricing of the 2017 Kia Rio hatchback:

Rio SL M/T - Php 735,000

Rio SL A/T - Php 845,000

Rio GL A/T - Php 955,000

Apart from 2017 Rio hatchback, the 2017 Rio sedan is anticipated in the country which was recently revealed in the Australian market. It is expected that the updated sedan will carry the Australian specs for the Philippines market but, there is no official word from the manufacturer yet.