2017 Kia K2
Chinese automotive portal autohome.com.cn has obtained leaked photos of the
first variant, the Kia K2 sedan. This isn’t
the Rio Sedan that the rest of the world will receive, but a China-specific
model sold only in the Middle Kingdom when it is launched there in November.
This does give a good idea of what a new
four-door Rio will look like, and it definitely does look promising. The donor
car’s longer bonnet, lower height and more horizontal beltline gives the new K2
a much more cohesive design compared to its predecessor and the current Rio
Sedan.
There are numerous styling differences compared to
the Rio hatch. The front end has a more conventional design, with reshaped
projector headlights flanking a larger “tiger nose” grille – with a
conventional mesh rather than a flat gloss black cover. There’s also a much
smaller lower grille, plus wider outer air inlets with fog lights and LED
daytime running lights.
Along the sides, the window line has been reshaped,
and the hatch’s horizontal character lines have been replaced by a rising
strake down the flanks. Moving to the rear, the tail lights with L-shaped LED
guides are joined together by a horizontal bar, while the black rear valence
carries both the number plate and the fog lights.
The K2 is also straight-laced on the inside, with
horizontal gloss black trim bisecting the dashboard. There are a few bits
carried over from the Rio, however – the dual-meter instrument binnacle,
three-spoke steering wheel and climate control panel with concave buttons have
all been lifted wholesale. The seats also look to be the same design, although
the leather upholstery has been trimmed differently.
According to reports, the K2 will forego the new
Rio’s 1.0 litre turbocharged T-GDI engine in favour of carryover 1.4 litre and
1.6 litre naturally-aspirated engines, producing 107 hp and 123 hp respectively.
The transmission is expected to be a six-speed automatic.
