The fourth-generation Kia Rio, revealed at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, boasts a bold and distinctive personality, bringing the latest model into line with the rest of Kia's striking design-led product range.

In addition to appealing to consumers' aesthetic tastes, the new Kia Rio will spearhead the company's efforts to significantly grow its market share across the globe by offering potential owners industry-leading environmental credentials.

Target CO2 emissions for the model range start at just 85 g/km - representing a new industry-wide low. This impressive figure places the B-segment Kia Rio ahead of all other models in its class and even all vehicles currently on sale in the entire European market.

Tasked with the difficult job of improving upon the remarkable international sales success of the previous generation model, Kia's engineers and designers have created a new Rio which combines European finesse with Korean spice to create a form language that also communicates Latin flair, for a truly global appeal.

"The Kia Rio has always been successful, and with this new incarnation we have a car which is extremely attractive with a fresh feeling of sportiness - a car that people will want to buy for its looks, as well as its environmental credentials" comments Benny Oeyen, Vice President Marketing and Product Planning, Kia Motors Europe.

Since its launch in 2005, global sales of the third-generation Kia Rio have totalled more than 860,000 units. It was the company's third best-selling vehicle in overseas markets during 2010 with sales of more than 219,000 units.

The new Kia Rio model is longer (by 20 mm), wider (by 25 mm), and lower (by -15 mm) and features a wheelbase extended by 70 mm (to 2,570 mm) - greatly enhancing passenger space and cargo capacity. With an overall height of 1,455 mm, new Kia Rio is one of the lowest cars in Kia's European product range.

Manufactured for the first time with a choice of 5-door and 3-door bodystyles (in Europe), new Kia Rio is set to completely redefine its position as one of the most competitive vehicles in one of the most competitive sectors - the B-segment.

Kia's market research predicts that global demand for B-segment cars is going to grow significantly over the next two years.

With two bodystyles for sporty new Kia Rio - plus the already popular Soul and Venga models appealing to people who want to stand out from the crowd or need a spacious and versatile compact MPV - Kia is confident of capturing a larger share of this growing market segment.

To lower fuel consumption and help achieve Kia Rio's class-leading emissions, Kia engineers have carried out an extensive programme to shed weight across a broad range of components. As a result, although new Kia Rio is a significantly larger car than the third-generation model with extra equipment, its weight-gain has been kept to a minimum.

The 5-door version of new Kia Rio will go on sale in Europe during the third quarter of 2011 with the all-new 3-door model joining Kia's B-segment line-up in the first quarter of 2012. Both versions will be manufactured exclusively at Kia's Sohari plant in Korea.

• 'Premium presence' for compact new car
• Sophisticated and spacious interior
• Improved stability, ride and refinement
• Comprehensive 'active' and 'passive' safety