ALL-NEW RIO SEDAN:
Following the reveal of Kia's new Rio hatchback at the Geneva motor show in March, the Korean carmaker has pulled the covers off of the sedan version at the New York show.
Kia has already confirmed that the Rio will reach South African shores around the third quarter of this year and the four-door will almost certainly form part of the line-up.
US-market Rios will be powered by a 1.6-litre direct injection four-pot motor with an idle-stop system, the motor good for 100kW and claiming class-leading economy of 7.8 l/100km in the city and 5.8 l/100km on the highway.
Drive is of course through the front wheels, via either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox.
The new Rio is longer, wider and lower than before, with an extended wheelbase greatly increasing passenger space and boot capacity, while the top model offers modern luxury in the form of a Microsoft in-car hands-free communication and entertainments system complete with a rearward camera display.
UPGRADED SOUL:
The Kia Soul compact crossover vehicle has been dealt a mild facelift and some cool new engines for the 2012 model year.
The new base engine is the aforementioned direct injection 1.6-litre GDI unit, which sips 8.4/6.9 l/100km city/highway and there's also a new 2-litre four-pot petrol motor on offer, offering 119kW and 194Nm.
On the inside, the top Soul model also inherits the aforementioned Microsoft communication and infotainment system.
Of course, the facelift is sure to filter through to the South African model, but specifications are likely to differ.