New Kia Picanto – click for hi-res image
The popular Kia Picanto is being revamped and relaunched next month to take on an increasingly competitive sector.
Among the car’s new features are cruise control and a touch screen infotainment system as well as an improved 1.0 litre petrol engine.
The new Kia Picanto will be on sale from the spring and the carmaker is hopeful that its improvements will help to build its market share in the fiercely fought city car market.
New design for the Kia Picanto
To that end, the designers have been busy with front and rear bumpers and given the car a new ‘tiger nose’ grille.
There’s also a model with 14 inch alloy wheels and buyers can opt for a sport pack which will help the Kia Picanto stand out from the crowded market.
Even without the sport pack, the new version has some very nice styling touches including a new instrument binnacle and air vents on the dashboard – which also includes a new, more modern facia.
Kia have also boosted kit levels and now their premium offerings include a satnav with a 7inch display screen, cruise control and a speed limiter aimed at improving the comfort for the long distance driver.
Opt for one of the three available colour packs, and the Picanto comes with footwell illumination.
These colour packs enable the owner to introduce a level of customisation and the interior will match the exterior colours quite effectively.
Kia Picanto has lots of kit
For instance, the red pack is not only sporty looking but also features red cloth and black artificial leather seats with high gloss black and red door panel inserts.
There’s also a yellow pack and a brown pack with the latter offering a striking piano black dashboard trim.
However, safety is also been improved particularly with better braking performance and the engines are now Euro 6 compliant.
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Indeed, Kia have fitted larger brakes to the Kia to help improve its stopping distance and a number of small modifications have been made to the 1.0litre multipoint injection engine to ensure it meets stricter emission standards.
The Kia Picanto will be officially unveiled at the Geneva motor show and will come with a firm’s unique seven year warranty – or 100,000 miles.
Made in South Korea, the Picanto is one of the firm’s bestselling models in Europe and they managed to shift just over 51,000 units last year – the revamp will help continue its success.