KIA’S ALL-NEW PICANTO HAS ARRIVED, AND STARTS FROM £15,595
The all-new Kia Picanto is here, boasting a RoboCop face, two petrol engines and four trim levels, with prices starting at £15,595 for one of the few remaining options in the cheap small-car segment.
Let’s start with the engines, where your choices are a 62bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder or a bigger 1.2-litre four-pot, putting out a slightly more spirited 77bhp. Both will send drive to the front wheels and can be paired with either a five-speed manual or automatic transmission.
Visually, there's a vertical headlight cluster which now forms part of a thin light bar that looks mediumly-sporty, particularly with the EV9-esque radiator grille, fresh air intakes and generous supply of black trimming.
Similarly, the rear also gains a light bar but takes a stretched H-shaped approach, while added body cladding is spotted lower down along the rear bumper. It’s still very much a pint-sized vehicle, making its RoboCop vibe that much... cuter.
Kia's applied some big quality and usability changes inside, some of which have been pulled directly from the Picanto’s bigger siblings. The standout features here include an 8in infotainment touchscreen, a 4.2-in driver display, a four-speaker audio unit and many USB charging ports for… charging.
Kia hasn’t skimped out on tech, either, with reverse parking cameras, lane keep assist, rear occupant alert and forward collision beeps and bongs forming part of the safety suite in the entry-level Picanto ‘2’.
You can then improve on these with three other trim levels: the ‘GT-Line’ (£16,745), ‘3’ (£17,545) or the range-topping ‘GT-Line S’ (£18,445).
Changes for these models stagger between 16in alloys - up from 14 - to higher-quality leather upholstery and a sunroof in the GT-Line S. Oh, we mustn’t forget the increased number of charging ports for... more charging.
Deliveries for the new Picanto will begin in mid-July. Reckon it’ll put up a good scuffle with its city car rivals?