Kia Rio (2011): first sketches of new supermini

It never rains, it pours in Kiaworld, it seems. Not long after showing us the new Kia Picanto city car last week and the KV7 concept car at this week's 2011 Detroit auto show, today Kia publishes these first design sketches of the new Rio.

It's Kia's supermini to compete with the likes of the Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa and VW Polo.

And after a string of highly accomplished, although slightly samey, designs, Kia is claiming that the new 2011 Rio's design represents 'the next big step' in its styling language.

The new Rio visible in these design sketches is longer, lower and wider than the outgoing mini.

Kia says it is 'designed to inject emotional appeal into the B-segment, targeting progressive, energetic consumers who want a stand-out design.' 

The Koreans have issued a sketch of the interior, promising 'a feeling of quality typically associated with larger, more expensive models.'

At the 2011 Geneva motor show on 1 March 2011. That's when we'll know for sure if Kia's downsizing specialist really matches the promise of these slick early design sketches.

The current Rio has been Kia's third best-selling vehicle in overseas markets; it shifted more than 205,000 Rios in 2010.

By Tim Pollard