2013 Kia Rio SX 5-Door Offered With 6-Speed Manual Gearbox

Fans of the Kia Rio have been itching to get behind the wheel of one model in particular, but have been unable to do so.

That’s all about to change as the 2013 Kia Rio 5-door SX with 6-speed manual transmission will now be arriving in showrooms across the USA.

The vehicles will be limited in quantity and will carry a price tag of $17,900. The 2013 Rio SX M/T offers the best of both worlds for drivers that love the subcompact segment.

Not only is it a sportier driving experience, it still delivers the highest levels of comfort and convenience you would expect from a top vehicle in this segment.

Inspired by Kia’s championship motorsports efforts and the Rio B-spec race car, the special-edition 2013 Kia Rio SX is going to be a hot commodity, but people looking to pick one up had better get in line pretty quickly, as only 500 are going to be made available for the 2013 sales year.

There is lots to love about the forth-coming 2013 Rio 5-door SX, starting with the class leading 138 horsepower 4-cylinder engine with direct-injection technology featuring dual Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT) and fuel economy of 30-mpg city/40-mpg highway.

The vehicle comes in a pair of dazzling color options (Signal Red and Electronic Blue), with both featuring LED accent lights in the front and rear, and super cool 17-inch alloy wheels.

The interior of the special-edition 2013 Kia Rio SX also delivers some very nice touches such as a 7-inch navigation touch screen and push button start with Smart Key. You’ll also find a rear camera display, a killer sound system that features SiriusXM satellite radio, and let’s not forget the sport-tunes suspension that helps deliver a smoother ride.

Orth Hedrick, Director of Product Planning at Kia Motors America said that the Rio 5-door SX M/T is the perfect choice for drivers who won’t settle for less when it comes to certain features. He went on to say that Kia heard the demands from customers and industry press, all of whom were demanding a manual transmission version of the Rio. He stated that Kia was glad they could finally deliver and that they will continue to listen to the customer demand moving forward.

Customers looking for the inspiration behind the new Rio 5-door SX need only look to the twisting road racing circuits that are dotted all over the US. Kia has already seen success in its road racing program and have gone one step further by adding their model to the B-Specs racing series. With the 2013 Kia Rio 5-door SX with 6-speed manual gearbox, drivers can now get the feel of riding the track when they hit the streets.

Drivers can make the leap from enthusiast to racer by purchasing the Rio 5-door SX M/T (LX Trim) and B-Spec performance kit from Kinetic Motorsports. They are the racing partner of Kia and will offer that upgrade for $14,000.