Turbochargers Kia Rio GT-Line is no longer available in Australia, with the brand’s local division citing “severe supply limitations”.
Talk to CarExperta representative for Kia Australia said the company was working to “respect the existing backlog”, and that the Stonic currently unaffected by the supply paralysis issue.
“We are experiencing severe supply constraints with the 1.0 T-GDi turbocharged petrol engine paired with the seven-speed DCT,” a Kia spokesperson said. CarExpert.
“We have therefore decided to discontinue this powertrain on the Rio. However, it will continue in Stonic. “
The Kia Rio GT-Line is the only variant in the city hatchback lineup that offers 1.0 liter turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
The 2021 update brought a slightly altered version of the powertrain, making 74kW (down from 88kW) but 172Nm of torque remains unchanged.
The more powerful engine received 48V mild hybrid technology in overseas markets such as Europe, and was subsequently dropped from the Australian range.
With the GT-Line variant no longer available to order, that means the Rio family has been cut down to two models; The base Rio S costs from $21,490 driving and the Rio Sport (from $23,490 driving).
It’s not yet clear if Kia Australia will offer another variant to replace the GT-Line, although it understands the current variant’s unique, sporty designation is a key selling point.
As of the end of September, Kia Australia has registered 3661 Rio hatchbacks, down 18.5% year-on-year (YTD). It remains the fourth best-selling vehicle in the Light Passenger Car segment, after MG 3 (11,612 units), now defunct Suzuki Baleno (5652 units), and Mazda 2 (3685 units).
By comparison, the more expensive Kia Stonic – in the same category as the Rio – sold 7036 units in the same period and is up 25.6% year-over-year. The Stonic is the second best-selling vehicle in the light SUV segment, just behind the venerable one Mazda CX-3 (7780 units).
Waiting on the Rio GT-Line? Let us know what you think in the comments!
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