Major car brand discontinues ‘most affordable’ car after drop in sales
A major automaker is discontinuing its cheapest car after sales plummet.
Kia is removing its Rio supermini from its lineup in both Europe and Australia.
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However, the South Korean company has stated that the car will still be available in North America and other markets.
According to Kia, Kia has stopped deliveries of EU and UK models, which are manufactured at the Sohari factory in South Korea for export only Autocar.
Once remaining stocks run out, which is expected to happen later this year, the model is expected to officially disappear from European markets.
There is currently no direct successor planned and anyone who wants a similarly sized Kia will have to choose either the closely related Stonic or the smaller Picanto.
The situation is similar in Australia, where the manufacturer confirms that the next-generation Rio will not be produced in right-hand drive.
Australian Kia fans have the choice between the Picanto and the Cerato.
The move was attributed to the Rio’s slower sales compared to its rivals and similarly sized SUVs.
Only 32,506 models of the Kia Rio were sold in Europe, compared to 164,119 units for its rival Vauxhall/Opel Corsa.
In Australia, 4,576 units were sold, compared to 16,168 units for the best-selling MG 3.
The fourth generation of the Kia Rio was launched in 2016, with the Korean hatchback receiving a minor facelift in 2020.
It remains to be seen whether a fifth-generation version will be released and which markets will receive it.
The news comes after production of the Ford Fiesta reached an end after 47 years.
The Audi A1 is also coming to an end, the current generation is the last of its kind.
Hyundai decided to drop the Accent last July.
Automakers are struggling to keep Europe’s small A- and B-segment models profitable in an age of strict emissions regulations.
According to Volkswagen boss Thomas Schafer, the upcoming Euro 7 protocol will increase the production cost of a supermini by around £4,300, making it difficult to justify a new generation of vehicles.
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