For the first time, they started talking about the actual generation of Kia Rio in the back of a hatchback in Russia in 2017. Interestingly, only for the Russian Federation, this modification comes with a crossover body kit. As for the sedan, it was updated in September 2020. Starting from December 1, 2020, an updated cross-hatchback Kia Rio X will appear in dealerships. It was under this name, after restyling, the car appeared on the market, it was previously called the Rio X-Line.
Representatives of the company in Russia claim that now the X series has become a separate model, which smoothly turns into a line of crossovers or approximate cars in terms of characteristics. If you believe the statistics, then the Kia Rio hatchback model accounts for about 50% of all sales, although at the time of the start of production they talked about an indicator of no more than 30%. Despite various statements by representatives of the company in Russia, that the Kia Rio X belongs to a number of crossovers, on the official website of Kia in the Russian Federation, the car is still not included in the SUV section.
Similar to the sedan, the new Kia Rio X has got updated optics with fangs extended back. For top-end configurations, the manufacturer has built in daytime running lights into the same "fangs". Unlike the optics, the hatchback grille is unique. The top of the grille is now split into two separate sections, with a glossy bar in the center.
Following the grille, the new Kia Rio X has an aggressive front bumper, with an additional grille and a pair of "gills" on the sides of the bumper. The rear feet of the hatchback remain the same in shape, but the filling has changed. A new Style trim level has been added to the model list. The peculiarity of this configuration is in darkened rims and pronounced red decor.
Changes occurred not only in the design, but also in the dimensions of the Kia Rio X. So the car added 35 mm in length, now amounting to 4275 mm. With all this, the clearance remained the same. So a configuration with 15 "discs will be 190 mm from the road surface, and a hatch with 16" discs will be 195 mm. It is worth noting that the ground clearance of the new Kia Rio sedan is 160 mm. For comparison, in the same Lada XRay Cross, the ground clearance is 215 mm.
Now about the interior of the new Kia Rio X 2021. It, in fact, copies the updated Kia Rio sedan. Top-end configurations will receive multimedia systems with an 8 ″ display (previously the multimedia display was 7 ″). The changes affected the dashboard, in the top configuration there will be a 4.2 ″ color display of the on-board computer (previously it was 3.5 ″).
Units Kia Rio X remained the same. Under the hood there will be aspirated gasoline, with a volume of 1.4 or 1.6 liters. The weaker engine will produce 100 horsepower, and by 1.6 liters - 123 hp. Depending on the wishes of the buyer and the configuration, a 6-speed manual or automatic transmission can be used in tandem. Despite the loud name Cross or SUV, the drive in this model is only front-wheel drive, there is no question of all-wheel drive.
The main upgrades were in the silent blocks and bushings, especially for the rear independent suspension. The standard equipment of the new Kia Rio X included a tire pressure monitoring system, a downhill start assistant, front airbags, mud flaps and rear wheel arches. The wiper tank (for liquid) has also increased in volume, now it is designed for 5.3 liters (previously it was 4.6 liters). The buyer will be offered 5 trim levels of the Kia Rio X, although there will be nine modifications.
| Equipment | Filling | Price from, rub. (Doll.) |
| Comfort | 1.4 l, 100 hp, gasoline, 6 manual transmission, front-wheel drive | 944900 ($12 303) |
| Comfort | 1.6 l, 123 hp, gasoline, 6 manual transmission, front-wheel drive | 969900 ($12 628) |
| Comfort | 1.4 l, 100 HP, gasoline, 6 automatic transmissions, front-wheel drive | 984900 ($12 824) |
| Comfort | 1.6 l, 123 hp, gasoline, 6 automatic transmissions, front-wheel drive | 1009900 ($13 149) |
| Luxe | 1.6 l, 123 hp, gasoline, 6 manual transmission, front-wheel drive | 1004900 ($13 084) |
| Luxe | 1.6 l, 123 hp, gasoline, 6 automatic transmissions, front-wheel drive | 1044900 ($13 605) |
| Style | 1.6 l, 123 hp, gasoline, 6 automatic transmissions, front-wheel drive | 1099900 ($14 321) |
| Prestige | 1.6 l, 123 hp, gasoline, 6 automatic transmissions, front-wheel drive | 1149900 ($15 045) |
| Premium | 1.6 l, 123 hp, gasoline, 6 automatic transmissions, front-wheel drive | 1239900 ($16 222) |
If we compare it with the currently sold version of the Kia Rio, then on average the price has increased from 5,000 rubles to 50,000 rubles. The differences between the complete sets can be both in technical terms and functional. Most of the variety went to the Kia Rio X Comfort configuration. You can choose between engines and transmission. The top-of-the-line Style and Prestige will only be available with a 1.6-liter engine and automatic transmission.
The list of top-end configurations of the Kia Rio X includes a multimedia system, rear disc brakes, LED daytime running lights, 6 airbags and a rear-view camera. Most of all went to the top-end Premium configuration. The cross-hatchback is mounted on 16 ″ alloy wheels, the front is fully LED optics, the interior is covered with eco leather. There is also a keyless entry system, remote engine start, driver's seat with lumbar adjustment and front parking sensors.
According to reports, the production of the Kia Rio X cross-hatchback for Russia will be established at the plant in St. Petersburg, where Hyundai Creta and Hyundai Solaris are now assembled. Cars will roll off the assembly line in parallel. According to statistics, as of November 2020, the Kia Rio remains the company's best-selling model in Russia, as well as the most popular foreign car. Nevertheless, according to the statistics, the sales of the model are falling. From January to November 2020, 67,940 copies of the Kia Rio were sold, which is 13% less than in the same period in 2019. It is possible that such an indicator may be related to quarantine.
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