2021 Kia Rio Is Getting Ready To Put Pressure On Other Superminis

While family cars have started being replaced by crossovers and SUVs, superminis are doing quite well and won’t go anywhere in the foreseeable future.

The fourth generation Kia Rio is one of them, as it was put into production in 2017 and will soon go through its first mid-cycle refresh. A prototype of the facelifted subcompact hatchback was recently scooped in motion on public roads by our spy photographers.

The vehicle was almost entirely covered in heavy camouflage which, alongside the plastic cladding, prevents us from discerning the major changes. Nonetheless, the front and rear ends should be updated with new bumpers and perhaps tweaked lighting units, and the Korean automaker is probably prepping new wheel designs and a revised color palette.

Driven: 2019 Kia Rio Does What It Says On The Tin

Zooming in on the pictures posted in the Gallery down below reveals a camo’d dashboard panel. This likely suggests that Kia has somehow tweaked the interior, although we couldn’t tell you exactly what’s new here. Logically, the infotainment system might have been improved and the trims and upholsteries are probably different compared to the outgoing iteration, but that’s just a guesstimate.

The engine lineup should go through a few revisions too, with focus on improved fuel efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions to meet the latest regulations.

We expect Kia to introduce the Ford Fiesta, Opel Corsa, Peugeot 208, Volkswagen Polo and Renault Clio rival sometime next year, likely as a 2021 MY.