Facelifted Kia Rio here soon

UPDATED 28/05/2020 10:00am: Official Australian engine and equipment details added.

An updated Kia Rio has been revealed in Korea and confirmed for Aussie showrooms in July.

The midlife makeover for the fourth-generation Kia light hatch launched in 2017 brings fresh designs, more driver assistance features and, for some markets, a mild-hybrid powertrain boost.

Up front, new fog light housings sit inside a lower and wider front bumper, while LED headlights with built-in daytime running lights (DRLs) are fitted across the range.

Inside, the 2020 Kia Rio now gets a larger 8.0-inch touch-screen display with navigation (in some variants), dual Bluetooth connectivity, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (wireless in some variants) and split-screen functionality to control different vehicle features at the same time.

Behind the steering wheel, the instrument cluster features a new high-resolution 4.2-inch digital display, while interior materials have also been given a freshen up.

In terms of safety, the Kia Rio gains more active features including autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, speed sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert.

New colour options are available, including Perennial Grey and Sporty Blue, while new eight-spoke 16-inch alloy wheels are also added.

Under the bonnet, a new 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol ‘Smartstream’ engine will replace the 1.0-litre Kappa engine currently seen in the top-shelf Kia Rio GT-Line Turbo.

Now helped along by a 48-volt lithium-ion battery powered by a new starter-generator unit in a mild-hybrid system called EcoDynamics+, the new powertrain produces the same 88kW of power but boost its torque peak by 28Nm, to 200Nm.

Along with regenerative braking and a revised idle-stop system, which switches off the engine earlier when the car is coasting to a halt, the Korean manufacturer says the system improves performance and efficiency.

Also fitted to the 2020 Kia Rio is a new six-speed manual transmission to replace the five-speed gearbox.

Kia Australia has confirmed the existing 74kW/133Nm 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine will continue in entry-level S and Sport variants, which currently open the three-grade range at $17,490, but will be available with six-speed manual and automatic transmissions.

The Kia Rio GT-Line flagship, meantime, will be powered by a lower-output (74kW of power -- down from 88kW -- but the same 172Nm of torque) version of the 1.0-litre T-GDI turbo triple, matched to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Kia Australia will not import the new electrified Smartstream three-cylinder engine with EcoDynamics+ mild-hybrid tech.

All Aussie models will score the bigger new 8.0-inch 'Audio-Visual Multimedia Unit' with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring, eliminating the need for cable connection.

Only Sport and GT-Line variants will get the new 4.2-inch colour supervision cluster, with GT-Line cars also fitted with automatic climate control.

Only the mid-range Sport will join the GT-Line in offering autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with car, pedestrian and cyclist detection, and both models will also gain Forward Collision Warning, Lane Keeping Assist, Driver Attention Alert and High Beam Assist.

The new Perennial Grey and Sporty Blue paint will be available for the GT-Line and S (Perennial Grey only) variants, bringing the total number of colour options to six for the S trim, seven for the Sport and six for the GT-Line.

Full Australian specifications and pricing will be announced closer to the updated Kia Rio’s launch in July.