Kia has reportedly prepped a number of revisions for
the 2019MY Rio, the most notable of which is the discontinuation of the
six-speed manual transmission. Thus, all 2019 Rio models will only be offered with a six-speed
automatic gearbox from now on, according to CarsDirect which quotes an official
letter sent by the Korean automaker’s U.S. branch to dealers.
With the stick shift out, prices for the brand’s
subcompact sedan have risen by US$ 1,400 (€ 1,596) in the entry-level
grade, which will start at US$ 16,195 (€ 18,463), destination charge included.
Compared to last year’s most affordable automatic, the difference is only US$ 310
(€ 353).
Besides dropping the six-speed manual gearbox from
the 2019 Rio, Kia has also waved goodbye to the EX grade. Thus, the four-door
model will be offered in the LX and S configurations, whereas those on the
lookout for the hatchback will have to settle for the S.
The S is now stepping in as the new top-of-the-line
trim and gets additional equipment, such as the 7-inch touchscreen display with
Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and UVO Play, as well as a reversing camera. The
advanced safety gizmos, including automatic emergency braking, are available
with the Technology Package, which costs US$ 800 (€ 912) in the S models.
For this variant of the car, Kia is asking US$ 16,995 for the sedan, and US$ 17,295 for the hatchback. Prices are
said to be identical to the previous MY.
