Picanto still too small for Oz
Kia Australia says the mini Picanto is covered with RioThe new Kia Picanto, pictured here in development disguise, is not destined for Australian showrooms despite the lack of a Light Car offering in the brand's local lineup.
"We don't consider the segment one we want to be in at this stage," Kia Motors Australia's (KMA) National Public Relations Manager, Kevin Hepworth, told the Carsales Network.
"It [the Light Car category] has yet to prove it's a serious segment in Australia, considering there's no great [sales] volume there. We have other priorities," he explained.
Those priorities include the arrival of the all-new Kia Rio next year. The latest Optima has been restyled for the better and a new Cerato five-door hatch will join the attractive mid-sizer at the upcoming Australian Motor Show in Sydney.
The updated Sportage has hit the streets, wearing Kia's bold new styling and possessing a well-resolved ride which should shake up the busy Compact SUV segment.
The new trio will help Kia increase its sales in Australia from around 25,000 units this year to more than 30,000 cars, according to KMA chief Min Kun Kim.
Kia's new baby Picanto has been well covered-up during testing but even under the heavy cladding we can see the hatch has sharper, sportier lines than the outgoing model.
We were pleasantly surprised with the current Rio but we'd like to see a couple of affordable small car options from the brand that is making more and more well-styled, well-equipped models on offer. Happily, the Picanto's not totally off the cards.
"If the market moves to where we believe it would be worthwhile, we can always put up our hand [to Kia HQ] and ask for the Picanto," assures Hepworth.
The Picanto is likely to wear the same striking corporate 'face' as the Sportage and restyled Cerato when it debuts at next year's Geneva motor show in March.
Kia will reveal the restyled Optima and Sportage at next week's Paris motor show. The Pop, the Korean manufacturer's tiny EV concept, will also be on display.
Visit the Carsales Network again for our Kia news from the 2010 Paris Mondial de l'Automobile.
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