Bold new Kia Picanto priced from £15,595
Picanto has been designed to focus on young professionals and short, urban commutes
Pricing and specifications have been revealed for the new Kia Picanto, which has gained a radical redesign inside and out in a bid to sustain its appeal and strong sales figures.
Starting from £15,595, Kia's entry-level hatchback follows its closely related Hyundai i10 sibling - itself recently a recipient of similar upgrades – in pushing the price above the £15,000 mark.
This leaves just four cars on sale in the UK for less than £15,000: the Citroën C3, Dacia Sandero, Fiat Panda and MG 3.
Four specifications are available. Entry-level 2 models get 14in alloy wheels and cloth upholstery. GT-Line cars command a £1150 premium and gain additional equipment such as 16in alloys, LED lights and privacy glass.
The next trim, 3, is available from £17,545 and brings heated front seats, automatic air conditioning and wireless phone charging. An additional £900 buys the top-rung GT-Line S model, which gets gloss black detailing, a sunroof and ambient lighting.
Four new paint colours have been added across the range.
Redesigned with a particular focus on young professionals and short, urban commutes, the new Picanto promises to be easier to drive than before, with more standard equipment, over-the-air update functionality and new technology that, Kia says, makes it "one of the safest cars in its class".
Its bold exterior redesign is inspired by Kia's new 'Opposites united' design philosophy, which has driven the design language of models such as the EV9 and EV6.
Kia's signature 'tiger nose' front grille features on the city car for the first time, along with optional LED headlights and a rear light bar to give it a wider stance visually - backed by a 12mm-wider track width at both ends.
All trim levels are available with either a 1.0-litre three-cylinder or 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. Both are naturally aspirated and have been updated to improve exhaust-gas recirculation and reduce emissions.
Both engines are available with a five-speed automatic gearbox or a five-speed automated manual – a conventional manual transmission equipped with automatic actuation of the clutch and gears.
Inside, the Picanto's infotainment system has been thoroughly overhauled, with an 8.0in 'floating' touchscreen as standard, with a 4.2in LCD driver's display.
The larger system brings Bluetooth compatibility that can pair two devices at the same time, as well as Kia Connect, which provides services such as live traffic updates, weather forecast and details of potential on- and off-street parking spots.
The system also allows owners to use an app to pre-load their sat-nav with route directions before getting into the car and can receive over-the-air updates for the infotainment and sat-nav system.
The new interior design was "inspired by nature" and offers a choice of two colour packs: Adventurous Green and Rich Brown.
Both specifications are available with faux leather upholstery as part of Kia's drive to become more sustainable. Starting with the EV9, Kia will begin to phase out leather in all of its models.
Cargo space remains the same as in the outgoing model, at 255 litres with the seats in place, making the boot larger than that of the Volkswagen Up and Mini hatch. With the seats folded, it stretches to 1010 litres, also larger than in the equivalent Volkswagen or Mini.
As for safety, the Picanto gets the same torque vectoring by braking system as before, which is said to make it easier to control in both normal and high-demand situations.
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