According to Autocar, the European public will soon have to say goodbye. If you’re going to…uh…if you want a Rio, you’re going to have to hurry, it seems.
Could the Kia Rio disappear from the catalog prematurely? In any case, this is what our British colleagues from the magazine announced today. Autocar. And it is the European continent as a whole that would be concerned. According to a local averagethe same would be true in Australia.
Not so young anymore
When we say that it is a premature disappearance, we exaggerate a little since the current version of Rio was launched in 2016. In this year 2023, it will therefore celebrate its 7th anniversary. Which is a more than correct age to retire. Especially for a Korean model, as their life cycle is usually a bit shorter. His mid-career restyling took place in 2020, this is not new. In short, that production stops is not very surprising in the end.
What’s more is that we tend to see camouflaged examples of the next generation as they approach the end of their careers. Except, in the case of the Asian city car, that’s not the case. Nothing, not a single spyshot. That should have tipped us off. In any case, this would be explained for Autocar since it would simply not be replaced. The one and only representative of the segment at Kia would in fact be the Stonic.
Still poor results
Let it be said, the Rio, which is now in its fourth generation and has been around since 2000, has never been a great success. Whether in Europe or here in France, it has never been able to compete with the benchmarks of its kind such as the Renault Clio, Opel Corsa or Volkswagen Polo. And since the adventurer derivative Stonic entered the range, it was in 2017, its sales have plunged by half. In 2022, Kia sold 32,506 copies of the Rio, and 55,318 of the small SUV.
Versatile city cars in danger too?
In any case, if the disappearance of the Rio were to be confirmed, it would be a rather bad sign for the category. Because it is not the first versatile city car to be ousted by a raised model. You’ve probably heard of the fate of the Ford Fiesta pushed out because of the Puma. If, unlike family sedans or compacts, versatile city cars have been relatively spared so far, it seems that this is no longer the case and that they are also on borrowed time.
Also read on Auto-Moto.com:
The Kia Niro hybrid on the test: life on board and driving, the opinions of the editorial staff
Kia EV6 GT test: the future of grand touring? – VIDEO
Relying on what you have learned, a bad idea today: the example of the Clio, Fiesta and Polo
