According to AutoWeek, Kia may be leading the race up from the bottom, with a new entry-level Rio that's larger, quicker and better stocked than the econobox it replaces. With few competitors in the $10,000-$15,000 range, Kia has a relatively open field, at least until new minicars from Toyota and Honda hit the market sometime next year. That means Kia's introduction of features such as variable valve timing, six standard airbags and optional ABS, which will soon become the expected entry kit, are an important step, though the company expects 70 percent of sales to come from the well-appointed LX model, which starts at $12,985.

Kia's redesigned '06 Rio features more space, side airbags [AutoWeek]

Related:
Frankfurt Premiere: Kia Multi-S Concept Could Hit the Market [internal]

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