Pour one out for yet another cheap car in the United States as Kia has announced it’s pulling the plug on the no-frills Rio. The subcompact model’s demise was revealed in a statement made to Automotive News, with no plans to sell the vehicle after the 2023 model year. It follows a similar decision taken by Hyundai, which removed the Accent from its portfolio after the 2022MY.
With customers continuing to flock to crossovers and SUVs, it doesn’t come as a big surprise that another sedan is biting the dust. Seeing the glass half full, the bigger Forte is sticking around. In recent times, Kia has simplified its sedan offerings in the US by killing the Cadenza and the K900 after the 2020 model year. The sporty Stinger – which is a five-door liftback – is being dropped globally, with a Tribute Edition serving as the model’s finale.
Although the Rio is no more in the US of A, Kia has introduced the next-generation K3 as a direct replacement in other markets. The moniker is a bit confusing since it’s been used in the past for the larger Forte but it’s being repurposed for the Rio Sedan’s direct successor. As seen in the adjacent gallery, it looks totally different inside and out. When the car debuted at the beginning of the month, we contacted Kia to find out whether the model is coming to the US but a company spokesperson declined to comment.
A report from February published by Autocar claimed Kia intends to kill the Rio in Europe as well, with the Stonic subcompact crossover serving as the indirect replacement.
As a final note, there’s a good possibility that Americans could lose another cheap car if a report from Automotive News is to be believed. Come 2025, the Mitsubishi Mirage is said to get the axe, with both the hatchback and sedan to be phased out.
