The Kia Rio is a series of subcompact automobiles produced by Kia Motors since August 2000. Two generations have been produced, both in five-door hatchback and four-door sedan body styles, all equipped with inline-four gasoline and diesel engines, and front-wheel drive. The Rio replaced the first-generation Pride—a rebadged version of the Ford Festiva—and the Avella, a subcompact sold as a Ford in some markets. A second generation of the Rio was introduced in 2005 in Europe and 2006 in North America, and is based on a redesigned platform shared with the Hyundai Accent, a subcompact manufactured by its sister Hyundai Motor Company. This car is known as the New Pride in its domestic market of South Korea. The vehicle was facelifted in 2010 to incorporate Kia's "Tiger Nose" grille. In 2007, the South Korean government began testing approximately 4,000 pre-production Rio hybrid-electric models, with parent company Hyundai Kia Automotive Group later announcing and subsequently withdrawing anticipated release dates for the hybrid model.
The first-generation Kia Rio (referred to as the "DC") was offered in both four-door sedan and five-door hatchback body styles. When released, it was the least-expensive mass-produced car to be sold in the United States. While the Rio's styling and affordability were well-received, it was derided for its poor build quality and driving experience.
The hatchback was marketed as the "Rio Cinco" in the United States, "Rio RX-V" in Canada, and "Rio Look" in Chile. The sedan version was not sold in the United Kingdom, and the hatchback/wagon was known as the "Rio" there. In Greece, both versions were sold as the "Rio".
The first-generation Rio offered only one engine for each model year in the USA: a 96 hp (72 kW) 1.5-litre DOHC I4 gasoline engine from 2001 through 2002. Then a larger version appeared, a 1.6-litre DOHC four-cylinder rated at 105 hp (78 kW) used for model years 2003 through 2005. All years offered a choice of a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic. An alternative of a 1.3-litre (1,343 cc) SOHC four-cylinder/eight-valve petrol, producing 75 hp (56 kW) was offered in some other countries, including the United Kingdom and most of continental Europe. The USA-version five-door featured power steering and a tachometer, optional on the sedan. The European version was marketed under several trim levels; standard equipment for all trims included a driver airbag. Additional features were available for promotion in Greece, including leather seats and car alarm. In Europe, the various national markets received different selections of the three engines.
The domestic Korean market versions did not include the 1.6-liter version, as the South Korean taxation system heavily penalizes cars of more than 1,500 cc. Claimed outputs for the domestic versions (JIS) were higher, at 84 PS (62 kW) for the little 1.3 and 108 PS (79 kW) for the DOHC 1.5. For the SOHC 1.5 95 PS (70 kW) was claimed. The first generation hatchback was marketed as the Rio RX-V in South Korea.
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