Kia has released a teaser image of its new K3, which is scheduled to be unveiled on August 17 in Mexico City. If the name “K3” does not sound familiar to you, we must say that this is the name used for Serato in some markets.

But here’s where the story gets interesting, as we’re getting reports that this 2024 K3 isn’t a direct replacement for the current Cerato, but a successor to the smaller Rio sedan.

Of the two models, logic tells us that the Rio will be the first to be updated, as the fourth generation has been available since 2016, while the third generation K3/Forte/Cerato arrived in 2018. Let’s not forget that back in March of this year, a series of spy shots (which you can see below) were released showing a preview of the Rio four-door. Putting the two together, it’s possible that this new K3 will replace the Rio sedan.

In fact, Kia confirmed in April that it would unveil the new Rio model later this year, so the timing is about right. Production is also said to begin in the last quarter of the year in Mexico, and given that the unveiling will take place in Mexico City, it looks like the new K3 will be a Rio.

Kia shared the above teaser image on its global media website, which may indicate that the K3 will be used globally in the future. However, Europeans may not meet this new model. Autocar claimed earlier this year that the Rio would be dropped from the Old Continent, with the Stonic small crossover expected to serve as its indirect replacement. This official preview raises more questions than answers, but in any case, we’re just glad that the South Korean brand is still determined to continue making sedans and cars and not focus entirely on crossovers and SUVs.