Following the launch of the new Kia Rio sedan at the Detroit Motor Show in January, the Korean car maker will take wraps off the five door version at the Geneva International Motor Show on 1st March 2005.

"Like the sedan, the new five door Rio is completely redesigned from the ground up, created especially with our European customers in mind. The new Rio offers customers more space, more power, higher performance, better handling, a smoother ride and enhanced fuel economy," says Senior Executive Vice President and COO of Kia Motors Mr. Yong Hwan Kim.

The new Rio is not just a new body, it will also be launched in Europe with a range of three new engines, all of which offer best in class power outputs, including a new diesel engine, marking the Rio hatch as the third Kia to offer a diesel alternative.

The new Rio is taller and wider than the model it replaces, but while it is not as long as the existing Rio Hatch, it has a longer wheelbase and this translates into a more spacious passenger compartment. Tailored to meet the requirements of the diverse European market, there will be more than 20 versions of the new Kia Rio five door when it goes on sale.

"We designed the new Rio to meet the rising expectations of our European customers who expect more from Kia, with improved quality and a fresher appearance," enthuses Jean-Charles Lievens, Vice President of Kia Motors Europe.  "We have created a superb compact car that is more stylish, more practical and more enjoyable to drive than its predecessor. It is a 'new generation' Kia which builds on the enormous progress we have made in the last two years with the Sorento, Picanto, Cerato and new Sportage."

The five-door hatchback and four-door sedan Kia Rio models will go on sale across Europe in the middle of the year and are destined to be immensely significant introductions for Kia into the B-segment, the most popular segment of the European market. Both new versions of the Rio are slated to make their Australian debut at the Sydney International Motor Show in October.