First the Fiesta, then the Micra. Now this? Yes, the Kia Rio nameplate will exit South Africa at the end of 2023, after 22 years on the local market. Here’s why it’s leaving…

The Kia Rio nameplate will be “phased out” of the South African market towards the end of 2023, with the firm’s local division confirming the news in a statement to Cars.co.za.

So, what’s the thinking behind the decision to cull what has become one of the automaker’s most recognised badges in South Africa over the past 22 years? Well, Kia Motors South Africa effectively has no choice in the matter, as the next-generation model will not be produced in right-hand drive.

It’s the same reason the Soul was discontinued in SA back in 2019. As an aside, the C-segment Cerato was pulled from the local line-up towards the end of 2018, despite still being built in right-hand-drive form.

The Rio is set to ride off into the sunset (locally, at least) towards the end of 2023.

But back to the Rio. The South Korean firm’s local distributor says it has secured “sufficient stock” of the supermini – which is known as the Pride in its home country and the K2 in China – to fulfil South African demand for the rest of the year. According to overseas reports, production of the current model will wrap up towards the middle of the year.

“This model has come to the end of its lifecycle, and will eventually be phased out of our model line-up in South Africa. However, I can confidently say that we will have sufficient stock and will continue to retail the Kia Rio for the remainder of 2023,” a Kia Motors SA spokesperson told us.

Of course, it’s worth noting automotive brands in South Africa are obliged to stock and supply parts for any model for at least 10 years after it is discontinued, so current Rio owners (and indeed anyone who purchases a new Rio for the remainder of the year) should have no immediate concerns about aftersales support.

The current Rio line-up comprises as many as 9 derivatives, priced from R299995 through to R383995. All feature the 5-door hatchback body style, with the sedan version having been put out to pasture (in previous-generation form) back in 2018. The current hatch model launched locally in mid-2017, with the refreshed version touching down at the end of 2020. Production of the original Rio commenced in 1999, though it arrived in SA only in 2001.

Though the Rio has long been a solid sales performer for Kia Motors SA, the market’s shift towards crossovers has seen its tally shrink somewhat, compared with a few years back. In 2022, for instance, 3511 units (down from 3 907 units in 2021) of the Rio were registered locally, translating to a monthly average of 293 units.

Still, that was enough to make it Kia’s 2nd best-selling passenger vehicle in 2022, behind the Picanto (7 133 units). Yes, the Rio outsold the higher-riding, Indian-built Sonet (3 319 units) and Seltos (2 502 units) last year, while also finishing ahead of the Chinese-built Pegas sedan (2 015 units). In January 2023, however, the Rio (141 units) found itself behind the Picanto (640 units), Sonet (357 units), Pegas (188 units) and Seltos (181 units).

The Rio isn’t the first well-known B-segment hatchback to have its time on the local market cut short in recent times. Back in September 2022, Nissan South Africa confirmed to us it had discontinued the Micra locally, while Ford told us in March 2022 it had scrapped the Fiesta, a decision that has since been extended worldwide. Even the Kariega-built Volkswagen Polo hatch is seemingly facing an uncertain future, particularly in Europe (VW SA, though, says it will continue to build this model “beyond 2025”).

Buy a Kia Rio on Cars.co.za

Related content

SA’s best-selling cars in January 2023: VW Polo Vivo slips

Sayonara, supermini! Nissan Micra axed in South Africa

RIP Ford hatchbacks: Fiesta dead in SA and Figo follows