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Cut the Cute: The 2017 Kia Rio grows up

The last time the Kia Rio got a ground-up redesign was for the 2012 model year. That gave the Rio a crisp, modern look, but was also extremely cute-sy. For the 2017 model year, Kia tweaked the Rio with a leaner, meaner look. Relatively speaking, anyway. The South Korean automaker previously released design renderings of the Rio, and now come official photos of the car. Kia claims that much of the styling changes were made to emphasize width inside and out. The headlights are slimmer and more aggressive than the wide-eyed lamps of the previous model, and much of the gently curving sheetmetal has been removed in favor of more flat planes. Not only that, but the new Rio is slightly longer, wider, and shorter than its predecessor. Inside, Kia has spruced things up with what looks like a nicer mix of materials. The most unusual part of the interior is the infotainment system, which Kia describes as "floating." The infotainment system extends up and off the dashboard, a bit like the screen on the Honda Civic. The good news is that Kia kept physical buttons part of the interface. The bad news is that the design looks a bit odd, as some of the buttons extend up with the screen and make it look a little like Kia used a stereo that didn't quite fit in the dash. Kia didn't reveal any other specs on the car, but those details will likely come during the Paris Motor Show. This updated Rio is an important model for Kia, as last year it sold 473,000 units worldwide. While it isn't Kia's biggest seller in the US, it did have a slight increase in sales this year. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Kia Rio: Paris 2016 View 15 Photos Related Gallery 2017 Kia Rio Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog Design/Style Paris Motor Show Kia Hatchback Economy Cars kia rio

Kia Sportage makes a funny face in Frankfurt

The all-new Kia Sportage has made its big debut at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, introducing sheet metal inspired by the brand's previous concepts. Our first post on the new model only featured a trio of exterior images, we now have shots of the redesigned cabin. As we said originally, both the Provo and Niro, a pair of 2013 concepts from Geneva and Frankfurt, inspired the exterior design. We still aren't sold on the new fascia, which reminds us of the old Subaru B9 Tribeca. Perhaps it'll grow on us. As for the interior, which we're seeing for the first time, it's, well, kind of exactly what we expected. The quality appears to be good and the overall design conservative. Conventional instruments flank a small color display that looks to be no more than four inches, while a larger touchscreen sits atop the center stack. Its main functions are controlled via a series of buttons found below the screen and above the HVAC controls. While the model on display in Europe sports a manual transmission, we'd expect no such gearbox to be offered in the US. Here, the smart money is on a six-speed automatic being standard, and we're betting there won't be any huge changes in the engine lineup. That should mean a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder in the base and volume models, while the range-topping SX will likely offer Hyundai/Kia's popular 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder, just like today's Sportage. We've got a full gallery of live images of the new Sportage available at the top of the page. Have a look and let us know what you think of Kia's work.

Kia design chief Peter Schreyer named Hyundai-Kia President

Automotive News reports Peter Schreyer has been appointed the first non-Korean president of Hyundai-Kia Motor Group. Schreyer is expected to retain his role as the chief designer for Kia, while also taking on new, high-level executive duties. He is now one of three presidents at the automaker.
The designer made a name for himself at Volkswagen, where he penned the 1998 New Beetle and lent his eye to the Audi TT. In 2006, Schreyer moved to Kia, where he quickly revised the brand's styling from bland, forgettable lines to bold, "tiger nose" creations. Analysts attribute much of the brand's recent sales success to Schreyer's influence.
Kia is expected to move 2.75 million units worldwide next year, while sister company Hyundai will likely beat its 2012 sales forecast of 4.29 million units, according to CFO Lee Won Hee.