As small cars go, I thought the recent Kia Picanto looks rather smart, especially in higher trims that offer a bit more flare. The South Korean brand has today lifted the covers of the mid-life facelift and to say it’s dramatic would be an understatement. Having said that, certainly wouldn’t call it ugly, it’s just a bit…bold.
Committed To The Cause
In today’s market it’s mostly about crossover and SUVs, and the choice of small cars is less than it used to be. The VW Up is dead, as are its stablemates, the Skoda Citigo and the SEAT Mii, and the Ford KA+ is also dead (when did that happen?). Because of this, Kia is keen to point out that it’s still committed to an A-segment car, and the Picanto has actually improved on sales by 35.1% in 2023 compared to 2022 making up 13% of total Kia model sales. The Picanto also made up 22.1% of all A-segment cars in the UK for last of year.
Enough Sales Talk, How Much, What’s Included?
The new Kia Picanto will be offered in four trim levels; 2, GT-Line, 3, GT-Line S, with prices ranging from £15,595 to £18,445. There will be a choice of either a 1.0 litre three-cylinder petrol, or a 1.2 litre four-cylinder petrol, which can either be mated to a 5-speed manual, or a 5-speed automated manual. I wouldn’t recommend the automated manual, though, as I drive an automated manual Hyundai i10 (same platform) from time-to-time and it’s as if the gearbox has been calibrated by a learner driver.
No matter what trim of Picanto you go for you’ll get an 8″ touchscreen as standard with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and navigation – impressive. Also standard across the entire range include automatic headlights, air con, rear parking sensors, reversing camera, and a decent host of safety systems.
The GT-Line, which starts from £16,745 adds to this with 16″ alloys, LED lights, GT-Line styling, privacy glass, one touch driver’s window (luxury!), and a rear USB charging point to name a few. The 3 trim level, starting from £17,545 builds on the 2 trim level with features including heated steering wheel, 16″ alloys, heated front seats, keyless entry, climate control and wireless phone charger.
That of course leaves the GT-Line S, which starts from £18,445. This is similar to GT-Line, but adds a sunroof, customisable ambient lighting, forward collision alert 1.5 and blind spot monitoring.