All-new Kia Picanto steps up in ride and equipment

Only 12 months ago, Kia’s highly-praised Picanto micro hatchback finally arrived in Australia and now it’s gone – replaced by the all-new third generation model which starts at $14,190 drive-away.

Kia’s premise was always for the second-generation Picanto to be merely a ‘warm-up act’ for the all-new version which has now arrived boasting substantial gains over its predecessor – improved ride and handling, more refinement and extra equipment just for starters.

Only one five-door model will be offered, the Picanto S, with a 1.2-litre engine driving via either a four-speed automatic transmission or – unlike the superseded model – a five-speed manual.

Key new features include Apple i-Play, Android Auto, cruise control, front and rear power windows (one-touch operation on the driver’s door), auto-on headlights and a rear camera with parking guidelines.

The Picanto also scores daytime running lights, a rear fog light, 180w accessory socket, 3.5mm auxiliary port and a single usb port.

Underneath as standard are 14-inch steel wheels, but you’ll find 15-inch alloy wheels on the options list.

New safety features include torque vectoring (brakes the inside front wheel to reduce understeer during fast cornering), Straight Line Stability (senses any side-to-side differences under braking and corrects accordingly) and Emergency Stop Signal (engages the hazard lights during emergency braking).

As before, the Kia Picanto features six airbags, ABS brakes plus ESC and traction control. Autonomous Emergency Braking features in Picantos sold in other markets and Kia is planning its inclusion in Australian vehicles later this year.

Aided by advanced high-strength steel, and other measures, the Picanto’s overall static torsional stiffness is up 32 per cent over the outgoing model.

ANCAP is yet to test the third generation Kia Picanto so as yet there is currently no safety rating.

Introduction of the five-speed manual model means entry to the Kia Picanto range drops to $14,190. The new four-speed automatic model is stickered at $15,690 drive-away which is $700 more than the outgoing model.

According to Mr Damien Meredith, Kia Australia’s CEO, Picanto’s drive-away/non drive-way price structure comes down to brand image.

“If a person wants to buy a manual, they can do a deal with the dealer. If you go drive-away with Picanto [manual], you’re looking at something like $13,990 drive-away. We didn’t particularly want to put the brand, the product, into that price range,” Mr Meredith explained.

While the third-generation Kia Picanto’s overall length of 3595mm is identical to the outgoing model, the newcomer is 15mm longer in the wheelbase (2400mm) while front overhang is 25mm shorter. Rear overhang has extended 10mm to 520mm.

The Picanto is almost as tall as it is wide: height is 1495mm and width 1595mm. The Picanto weighs 976kg as a manual while the auto tips the scales at 995kg.

Occupants are treated to minor increases in shoulder and leg room – 10mm and 15mm respectively - but luggage space gets a 55-litre boost to 255-litres which means the Kia Picanto, by just one litre, beats the Suzuki Celerio for best-in-class honours in that department. Fold the 60:40 rear seat backrests and the Picanto’s storage capacity is 1010-litres (up 140-itres).

Kia Australia’s local suspension tuning initiative is now five years down the road (starting with the Optima sedan launched in 2012) and the all-new Picanto sold ‘Downunder’ runs unique springs, anti-roll bars , shock absorbers and steering.

Fuel consumption is rated at 5.0L/100km for the manual (with a CO2 output of 117g/km) and 5.8 L/100km for the auto (which emits a CO2 level of 134g/km.

Kia’s Kappa 1.2-litre petrol engine continues in the third-generation Picanto but has been improved with altered valve timing for the dual CVVT system, new low-friction coated piston rings and a new cooling system. Outputs are virtually unchanged with 62kW of power at 6000rpm and maximum torque of 122Nm is delivered at 4000rpm.

Refinement is improved thanks to better sound-proofing both in the cabin and under the bonnet, as well as a redesigned engine air intake. Kia claims class-leading interior noise levels of 39dB at idle and 68dB at a steady cruise.

Like other Kia models, the Picanto is backed by a seven-year warranty which includes capped price servicing and roadside assistance.

Eight exterior colours are on offer: existing colours Clear White, Sparkling Silver and Titanium Silver are joined by Lime Green, Signal Red, Aurora Black Pop Orange and Sparkling Silver.

Kia’s all-new third generation Picanto has big shoes to fill as the superseded model, with a drive-away price of $14,990, was actually Australia’s most popular micro car in the first quarter of this year with 825 sales. Mitsubishi Mirage (from $12,250 plus on-road costs) ranked second with 573 sales, ahead of Holden Spark (from $13,990 plus ORCs) with 278.. The micro passenger car segment accounts for just less than one per cent of total new vehicle sales.

2017 Kia Picanto S prices
Kia Picanto - manual - $14,190 (not including ORCs)
Kia Picanto - auto - $15,690 (including ORCs)