Kia provides sneak peeks of its new Rio

The new Rio will be bigger all round than the current model, and will debut at Geneva alongside the all new Picanto. Kia says that the Rio is "designed to inject emotional appeal into the B-segment, targeting progressive, energetic consumers who want a stand-out design", and that the Rio's styling marks "the next big step" in the company's ongoing design revolution.

Kia also makes big claims about the car's interior, saying that it will be more upscale with "a feeling of quality typically associated with larger, more expensive models." Based on the sketch, it appears that colour-coded trim is evident in the new Rio's interior.

Kia's Director of Overseas Marketing, Soon-Nam Lee commented, "Downsizing is becoming more and more of a trend these days and a B-segment car as attractive as all-new Rio, with its driver-oriented cabin and interior trim options, will no doubt help consumers to be more comfortable making that switch. New Rio is the 'next big step' in Kia's design revolution and we anticipate this model becoming even more popular than the current vehicle."

The Korean carmaker has not disclosed details about the engine options for the new Rio, but it is expected to feature a similar line-up to the Kia Venga and Hyundai ix20 superminis, which has a series of 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre petrol units. A 1.8-litre engine producing 148bhp and 177Nm of torque, mated to either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic, is also being considered.