KIA'S baby, the all-new 2012 Rio, available in four?door sedan and five door hatch versions, has won many awards since its launch. Winner of the Carsguide Car Of The Year for 2011 and Australia's Best Car for the Light Cars under AUD$20,000 (FJD$37,268) segment, the 2012 Kia Rio has picked up a pair of prestigious international awards for its styling, quality, innovation and practical capabilities.
The Rio was awarded a 2012 Red Dot Design Award in March this year against the best the world has to offer and backed up this month with a bronze medal in the transportation design category of the International Design Excellence Awards program, administered by the Industrial Design Society of America.
Since its inception in 1955, the Red Dot Design award has become one of the world's largest and most recognized design competitions. This year 1800 companies from 58 countries submitted to the Red Dot product design category.
The new Kia Rio was awarded thanks to its "powerful personality, created by a distinct wedge shape, a low roof line and its metal-to-glass ratio". The jury praised not only the Rio's self-contained design, but also its sound workmanship.
Kia has won six Red Dot awards since 2009 with vehicles like the Soul, Optima and Sportage.
The IDEA awards are decided on by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) and recognize designs that affect a person's quality of life in 18 categories. This year, the Kia Rio received Bronze honours in the whole transportation category.
In the 2012 model Kia created a car that answers consumer demand for more quality, more choice and a more attractive, exciting design. The third leg of the design trifecta went to the Picanto which, in addition to a Red Dot Design Award, collected an iF (International Design Forum) Award from the Hanover-based global design recognition organization. The multi award winner 2012 Kia Rio, along with the full lineup of Kia vehicles are available in Fiji from Kia Motors Fiji Showrooms, located at the corner of Grantham Road and Carpenter Street, Garden City, Raiwai Suva, and in Main Street, Nadi town. All new Kia vehicles are backed by a three year/100,000 kilometres warranty in Fiji.