Wide-body Kia Picanto GT-R needs to happen
How cool would it be if Kia decided to go hunting GR Yaris’ with a Picanto…The News
The turbo-manual Kia Picanto GT may no longer be with us, but it will forever be in our hearts… and stir dreams of a resurgence or even an evolution into a Hyundai i20 N-poaching weapon. Yes, a wide-body, all-wheel drive Picanto GT-R has been imagined and gone viral online.
The Key Details
- 2027 Kia Picanto GT-R imagined
- Hot super-mini takes inspiration from Toyota GR Yaris
- AWD, wide-body, turbocharged manual pocket rocket
- Never ever going to happen, but we can dream
The Finer Details
Mocked up and posted to Instagram by Rostislav Prokop (@rostislav_prokop), the Picanto GT-R is a nuggety little unit of goodness we wish Kia actually made.
There’s no indication as to its hypothetical powertrain, but seeing as its creator pitches it as a would-be rival for the Toyota GR Yaris, we can only imagine it’s had an i30 N engine shoehorned under its tiny little bonnet.
Seeing as there’s no way the blown 2.0-litre would even come close to fitting, we think the i20 N’s more compact 1.6-litre mill would be a better fit, especially for something that’d only weigh 1000kg or there abouts, with the wheelbase of a decent-sized motorcycle.
A manual transmission is shown in the interior and would only ever be the default choice.
It’s unlikely an all-wheel drive system would fit, but the notion of an all-paw super-mini packing 150kW+ and a manual transmission is certainly a delicious one.
The Road Ahead
With the standard Picanto GT being killed off due to emissions regulations, there’s no way in hell we’ll ever see the GT-R or something similar come to fruition – there’s nowhere near enough room in the Picanto platform to pack a hybrid system on top of a force-fed four-cylinder, let alone a matching all-wheel drive system.
But it’s a wonderful thought that looks immense and has us pining for more performance-flavoured sub-compact driver’s cars.
Australia missed out on the Ford Puma ST, the Fiesta ST is dead, the i20 N (as we know it) is headed out the door, the Polo GTI is being retired, there’s no current-gen Skoda Fabia RS and the Abarth 695 went out of production more than 12 months ago.
There’s next to no chance, but come on Kia… we dare you!
Related: Kia Picanto – What you need to know
Related: Kia Picanto GT 2019 Review
Related: 2019 Kia Picanto GT arrives
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
