More details on the KDM 2010 Kia Pride/Rio surface to the web. In addition to styling updates, Kia Pride/Rio also gets revised diesel and gasoline engines.

Kia is soon going to put on sale a revamped Kia Pride (known as Kia Rio in other markets) in South Korea. For the 2010 model year, KDM -Korean Domestic Model- Kia Pride received a mid-life facelift and gained subtle styling modifications that were applied to exterior shape as well as interior.

Images that surfaced online before, revealed quite a number of styling enhancements were made to the car’s exterior and we have seen that it was the front-end of new Pride/Rio that gained majority of aesthetic improvements.

The image No.1 shows Kia Pride/Rio hosts new angular signature grille and a heavily redesigned front bumper, with trapezoidal air intake and a set of new fog-lights. The headlight shape stays largely the same, but black plastic bumper cladding, that many people didn’t like is gone.

At rear, Kia received a very nice plastic diffuser and chromed tail-pipe. Tail-lamps have also been slightly redesigned, while a set of eight-spoke alloy-wheels and redesigned side mirrors with integrated LED turn signals complete the changes made outside.

Kia Pride/Rio interior

Interior of a revamped Pride/Rio also features its own share of stylish improvements. As the the image No.2 reveals, the interior shape remains unchanged and only differs from the current model’s interior in details. Still, all the upgrades give the new Pride/Rio more upscale and quality interior look.

Updates inside include a completely redesigned, three-spoke multifunction steering-wheel, revised center stack with new audio system, redesigned instrument clusters with new orange-red lightning, new climate control knobs. There’s also a trip computer and a few other nice details such as aluminium pedals and redesigned head-rests at front seat.

A very important novelty in the new Pride/Rio is also the Eco-lamp placed on Rio’s dashboard. Kia Magentis/Optima facelift, that made its debut last year, has been the first Kia model to feature this important eco-device that helps lower the fuel consumption.

Since then, the Eco-driving system has spread to many other Kia models. It is also available in next Sorento, Forte sedan and Forte Koup and now, it has been also applied to Pride/Rio. You can expect to see the “Eco-light” applied to every new Kia model coming to the market in the forthcoming years.

Kia Pride/Rio engines

When I first revealed you facelifted Kia Pride/Rio, I haven’t included information on engine revisions. I told you that fuel efficiency ratings have been improved on all available four-cylinders, but I had no evidence (image) to prove.

Finally, I can show you the image that proves Kia engineers also worked hard on Rio’s engines. Their primary goal, to tweak the engines for better fuel consumption, have been achieved very successfully -see Kia Rio image No3. All of the available Rio engines now achieve from 7.3 to 15.7 percent higher fuel efficiency ratings.

Styling and technical modifications affect only Korean Domestic Pride/Rio model. Right now we have no information if the US-market Rio will receive them as well.