Kia has announced “substantial revisions” to the Rio just 12 months after the car went on sale in the UK.

The company says the changes, which will include improved ride and enhanced safety, are not in response to slow sales - the range accounts for one-third of Kia's registrations in the UK, around 2300 units this year.

“The Rio was launched in the US before the UK and they were due to make these revisions,” says a spokewoman for the company.

The new Rio will go on sale here in January. Prices could rise slightly from the current £5995-£8995 range.