Kia has unveiled the new Picanto which is on its way to South Africa, the local subsidiary confirmed, however, there has been no official launch date announced as yet.
The refreshed hatchback sports a much more aggressive design than before, better features as standard, and it can now be had in a range-topping GT-Line trim for the first time akin to its siblings the Seltos and Sportage.
Everything new
The main changes to the new Picanto took place outside as it was on the receiving end of thoroughly redesigned bumpers and lights at the front and back.
The automaker reworked the hatchback’s front apron, signature “tiger nose” grille, front fender, and bonnet, and gave the light clusters an angular design which resulted in a more imposing look and the appearance of a wider stance.
The rear was afforded a similar treatment with a new body-spanning taillight and revised tailgate paired with a squared-off bumper with a diffuser-look insert, and buyers now have the option to equip alloy wheels up to 16 inches in diameter, with 14-inch rims being standard.
A choice of 10 paints affords additional customisation with four new hues being offered namely Adventurous Green, Signal Red, Smoke Blue, and Sporty Blue.
The cabin of the new Picanto was “inspired by nature” and is available in various finishes.
The base model comes with black cloth seats and can be had with optional Glossy Black finishes as well as two new colour packs – Adventurous Green and Rich Brown – that all feature customised artificial leather seats and door armrests, along with coloured surrounds around the air vents and gear selector.
The GT-Line then gets the Glossy Black pack as standard, with Adventurous Green being an option, and brings fittings such as keyless start, a sunroof, a leather multifunction steering wheel, automatic airconditioning, and heated front seats.
The equipment list has also been revised and all variants of the Picanto now see a 4.2-inch digital driver’s display alongside an 8-inch “floating” infotainment system with built-in navigation, voice recognition, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth support for two devices at the same time, and over-the-air software updates.
Kia Connect App compatibility is a staple of the new hatchback, too, providing on-board services including live traffic information, weather forecasts, points of interest info, and details of potential on- and off-street parking.
In terms of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) the new Picanto has gained lane-keeping and following assist, driver-attention warnings, leading-vehicle departure warning, intelligent speed limit assist, and forward, rear, and blind-spot collision-avoidance assist – depending on the model.
As standard, though, each one is equipped with an emergency stop signal, hill-start assist control, vehicle stability management, cornering brake control, straight-line stability control, and up to six airbags.
With a maximum of 1,010 litres of storage space, the boot can also accommodate “a folding bicycle or e-scooter,” said Kia.
As before, the compact city car is still driven by a choice of a 1.0-litre or 1.2-litre, naturally-aspirated petrol engine paired with a five-speed manual or automated manual transmission (AMT).
The powerplants have been slightly tweaked by the engineers with improved exhaust gas recirculation lines and optimised intake valve timing, and they now provide improved combustion chamber cooling thanks to new improvements made in this field since the last model came out.
Kia did not confirm whether the motors will have more power or better efficiency than before, however.
For reference, the current 1.0-litre units deliver 49kW and 95Nm at 5.0l/100km, whereas the 1.2-litre blocks do 61kW and 122Nm also at 5.0l/100km.
“The 1.0-litre engine is a good choice for customers who value efficiency above all, while the 1.2-litre engine is better for customers who want more power, especially for driving at high speeds or uphill,” said Kia.
More information on the South African-specific features and specifications of the new Kia Picanto will be announced closer to its launch date.
Kia Picanto GT-Line
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