LAHORE: The KIA Rio 2018 has been displayed at the showroom of KIA lucky motors Pakistan, causing speculation in car enthusiasts about pricing and the possible exclusion of features from the car when it officially hits the market.
As of now, the KIA Rio 2018 has been estimated at a price of around Rs 1.4 million for a 1.0l variant, while the one on display at KIA lucky motors right now is a 1.4l variant assembled in Korea. The cars projected price indicates that it could possibly be serious competition for Suzuki, Honda and Toyota.
The manufacturing of the car in Pakistan is expected to take place somewhere in the next year, but prospective consumers are worried that the car assembled in Pakistan will have fewer features than the one currently on display and that the price will be considerably jacked up.
Kia unveiled the 4th Generation of Kia Rio at Paris Motor Show 2016. The 4th Generation Kia Rio is a front engine front wheel/ four wheel drive subcompact hatchback. Kia Rio 2018 featured an updated and sportier design language as well as larger exterior dimensions compared to the previous 3rd generation Kia Rios, making for a more spacious interior. The Kia Rio is available in 3 variants S, EX and LS. Kia is planning to bring the 1.0 engine option in Pakistan.
KIA Globally
Globally, the car has done wonders, with 437,000 units sold in 2015, making the Kia Rio one of the most successful models for Kia.
If it is indeed priced within the Rs 1.5 million mark as is being hoped and expected, then the car could give some serious competition to ‘the big three’ companies operating in Pakistan – Suzuki, Toyota and Honda. The car, as it is currently being assembled in other parts of the world, includes important features such as Bi-projection headlamps, which offer increased illumination, electric folding mirrors, KIA’s iconic radiator grille in which most of the airflow used for cooling enters through the lower intake, aero blade wipers, Parking Distance Warning-Reverse, Antilock Braking System, as well as 6 airbags, and a Supervision cluster with 3.5˝ LCD screen.
The car also includes certain luxury features such as Auto cruise control, auxiliary and USB connections, manual A/C, full Auto Temperature Control (FATC), full-folding 2nd row seats, sunroof, telescopic & tilt steering, ECM rear-view mirror, front & rear door bottle holders, and center console armrests, as well as rear seat USB charging ports.
Readmore: Pak Suzuki to raise car prices for Third time this Year
big three in car industry
However, fears among consumers remain rife that the ‘big three’ will not allow the car to enter the market at such a price. Others have indicated that if the car does indeed sell at this price, then a lot of the features will be taken out when manufactured in Pakistan bringing the car back to the same category as the ones already available.
At present, the KIA lucky motors website claims that the car will have PDW-R, ABS and 6 air-bags, however, it has also run a fine print disclaimer saying “Actual Specifications may vary according to the region.”
