2015 Kia Rio revealed

The revised Rio brings a number of styling adjustments, the most notable being its rear bumper assembly which adopts a bold lower plastic section. The front bumper sees less dramatic styling changes, but eagle-eyed Kia fans will note the changes to the car's grille, headlight assemblies, air intake and fog-light surrounds.

Three new alloy wheel designs will be offered in 15-, 16- and 17-inch sizes, while two new colours will be added to the palette for the South Korean city car (Urban Blue and Digital Yellow).

No images of the interior of the Rio have been released at this point in time, but the company claims the "cabin is brightened by the addition of chrome accents around the four dashboard air-vents, and the fitting of a newly-designed centre-stack around the audio system". Cloth trim will be standard, but Kia is also adding a new "grey faux leather" trim on top-end variants.

Tech highlights include DAB digital radio and a new 7.0-inch display media screen, but Kia Australia has already ruled out those items for locally-delivered cars.

Another tech item that Australia will miss out on is a stop-start system for the updated engines rolled out in the new-look Rio. However, the company has confirmed it will seell the Rio with the choice of a 1.4-litre engine paired to either a six-speed manual or four-speed automatic, while higher specification versions will have a 1.6-litre engine which mated to a standard six-speed automatic.

Expect the 2015 Kia Rio to arrive in Australian showrooms in January. The Rio will compete with the likes of the updated Toyota Yaris, Honda Jazz and Volkswagen Polo.