Premier is working on a new Rio and thanks to avid MotorBeam reader Harshad Vyawahare we can now share a spy picture of the car undergoing tests. The 2012 Premier Rio will be launched in October, 2011 and was spotted near Inox in Pune. There were no visible changes to the exterior but the new Rio is expected to get a much needed change of heart with the adaptation of common rail technology. There has been news circulating that the upcoming Premier Rio facelift could feature the 1.3 liter Fiat Multijet engine. However nothing is confirmed yet but the Rio wil certainly get a new engine which would comply with the new and stricter BSIV emission norms.
The Premier Rio is a rebadged Zotye Rio, which in turn is a rebadged Daihatsu Terios. Zotye (a Chinese company) purchased the rights to manufacture the last generation Terios, which Premier also manufactures as the Rio. The Rio is the cheapest SUV but not for long as Mahindra plans to enter the segment with the mini-Xylo. Competition can only get tough but an upgrade to the Rio will ensure it remains competent. An expansion in dealership network and improvement in quality could make the Rio a very successful product for Premier Auto. Expect a price hike of Rs. 80,000/- on the 2012 Premier Rio, whose sales would be initially limited to 11 BSIV cities only.