There are many vehicles that are disappearing in recent times. Good because the SUV trend has ended for its salesWell, because they cannot get on the electrification bandwagon, there is a lot of readjustment in the manufacturers’ ranges. Now comes the news that the Kia Rio will disappear, probably at the end of this year, and that it will not have a direct successor. It seems that they will stay with the Kia Stonic as an alternative for the added value of being an SUV, mainly.
The Rio will end its production at the Sohari plant in South Korea, after having sold about 148,000 units in the last two decades. In recent weeks, its deliveries to Europe had already been limited, where its sales had fallen by 9% in the last year. In 2022, barely 32,506 units of this copy were sold, with other rival models on the rise such as the Opel Corsa and its 164,119 units. No there is a definite date for his farewell, but it seems that the units that arrive this year will be the last.
It seems that the reason for this decision by Kia are the low sales del Rio, which is somewhat outdated compared to others. Also that they have focused on small SUVs, as is the case with the Kia Stonic, but also others like the Niro or even the Xceed. Is a widespread trend which is also being seen in other manufacturers. The main example we would have in Ford and its announcement of the withdrawal of the mythical Fiesta. In its place, only the Ford Puma will remain as an answer in crossover and electrified format.
It is also part of fault of the Euro 7 regulation production costs of smaller cars have increased. While there are other utility vehicles that could pass away in the next few years, it’s probably a good time to get your hands on the Kia Rio. It’s currently available in the Spanish market for 16,400 euros with the mechanics of access 1.2 DPi of 84 CV and a quite complete equipment. To have it with the 1.0 T-GDi MHEV engine of 100 or 120 hp it will be necessary to pay something more.
Source: Coach
