The Kia Rio carried a base price of less than $10,000 when it first arrived in the United States and was among the cheapest new cars you could buy. Sixteen years later, both Kia and the Rio have grown up significantly, and the subcompact is about to enter its fourth generation, with the new model set to be revealed at the Paris auto show next month. Ahead of that official debut, Kia is providing a few sketches showing off the new car, which appear to continue Kia’s current trend of handsome styling and upscale interior digs.
Predictably, the Rio will be shown in its hatchback form for its European debut; the Continent doesn’t get the Rio sedan offered in our market. The hatch looks athletic and attractive in the renderings, which admittedly exaggerate certain aspects like the wheel size and the car’s overall stance. Even so, if the production car carries the same crisply styled front grille and swept-back headlights, along with the nicely shaped taillights and chunky C-pillar, it should be a good-looking little hatchback.
The interior looks similar to that of newer Kia products such as the Sportage crossover, with a relatively simple arrangement that places a large touchscreen between the air vents and climate controls and a few toggle switches located lower on the center stack. Expect it to offer tech features including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, along with a few active-safety systems to keep it competitive.

Instrumented Test: Kia Ri...