2009 SEMA Kia Rio5

Kia is about to become an interesting company. The Soul is a refreshing design from the Korean firm, and the upcoming Forte is a clean design that has been receiving good reviews. So it puzzles us why with so much new good stuff on the horizon, Kia would choose the ho-hum Rio5 to represent the company at SEMA.

The car starts with a Kia-genuine body kit and adds a revised front mesh grille, blackened headlamps, custom wheels, revised strut brace and cold air intake system, a cat-back exhaust, and stainless steel door sill plates. The lowered frame sits wrapped around larger wheels and tires by TSW and Goodyear. So the execution is good (and even the paint job looks nice), but the fact remains under all this is a Rio5.

Much of this kit is available through Kia dealers (some of it is being tested for future availability.) So if you’re somehow stuck with a Rio5, at least it doesn’t have to be a completely dull one.