2024 Kia Picanto revealed
Updated Kia Picanto small car gets a new look, better tech and improved safety kit to keep it competitive in hotly contested class. Here's everything you need to know.....
On sale Early 2024 Price from £15,000 (est)
The Kia Picanto has always been a straightforward, no-fuss small car so it seems fitting that its update for 2024 is not so much a subtly executed facelift as a full-on face transplant.
Designers have ditched the old nose and replaced it with a new version of the ‘tiger grille’ seen on bigger Kia models. The changes to the back of the car are less radical, but there’s a new light bar linking the reshaped rear lights, plus a restyled bumper.
New face aside, the updated third-generation Picanto gets improved interior technology, upgraded safety kit and a new line-up of petrol engines – a three-cylinder 1.0-litre and a four-cylinder 1.2-litre. As with the current car, all versions have front-wheel drive and are available with a five-speed manual gearbox or a five-speed automatic gearbox.
While there are no official performance or economy figures yet, we expect the new Picanto to be fuel-efficient but not particularly quick. The current car manages up to 60mpg officially but even the fastest version takes close to 10.0sec to complete the 0-62mph sprint.
Inside, all versions get an 8.8in infotainment touchscreen and a 4.2in digital driver’s display, with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard (so you can use your mobile phone apps on the infotainment screen).
The system includes sat-nav and is compatible with the Kia Connect app, which allows the owner to lock and unlock the car's doors, and monitor its location using their phone. The infotainment will update using over-the-air technology without you having to take it to a dealership.
Trim levels have yet to be finalised, but the GT Line in these photos will be high up the range and comes with artificial-leather seats and a sportier exterior than cheaper versions.
Practicality is unchanged over the current Picanto, which means there’s a good amount of head and leg room for front-seat occupants, but limited leg room in the back. The 255-litre boot is bigger than in most city-focused small cars, including the closely related Hyundai i10, the Toyota Aygo X and the VW Up. The Dacia Sandero is more spacious, though.
The improved safety kit list includes a more sophisticated collision avoidance system designed to prevent accidents at junctions, a driver attention monitor, and a system to warn passengers if they are about to step out into the path of another vehicle.
We expect prices to start at around £15,000 (similar to the i10), which would make it slightly more expensive than the Sandero and the Up, but cheaper than the Aygo X.
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