Pricing and spec announced for new Picanto

KIA has revealed UK pricing and specification for the new Picanto which has undergone a major mid-life refreshment.

Starting from just £15,595 the-road, the new Picanto represents Kia’s commitment to the A-segment and while demand remains high for small cars, drivers are now left with fewer choices in this class.

Picanto makes up a healthy proportion of Kia’s sales, last year accounting for more than 13% of all Kia models sold in the UK – with sales for the model up 35.1% year-on-year (14,143 units). It is the brand’s fourth most popular car in the country after the Sportage, Niro and Ceed model families. In 2023 it accounted for more than a fifth (22.1%) of all A-segment cars sold in the UK.

The new model features a major exterior redesign and significant updates to the interior, echoing elements of Kia’s flagship EV9 and other recent Kia models inside and out. New vertical headlights and a powerful new lightbar leading into the front air intakes give the car a fresh and dramatic image, while a new rear lightbar lends the Picanto a confident and planted image.

The car remains as compact as ever, but continues to offer drivers a range of advanced technologies and features. Inside, the Picanto offers Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™, an 8-inch touchscreen navigation and multiple USB charging ports, all of which are standard on every variant of the new Picanto.

Engines and transmissions

Aimed at the needs of European customers, the new Kia Picanto comes with a choice of two engines: a three-cylinder 1.0-litre (62bhp) or four-cylinder 1.2-litre (77bhp) petrol engine, both offering efficient and capable motoring with lower CO₂ emissions when compared with the outgoing model. Both engines feature improved exhaust gas recirculation lines, optimised intake valve timing, and improved combustion chamber cooling to aid efficiency and economy.

Both engines drive the front wheels via a five-speed manual transmission (5MT) as standard. An optional five-speed automated manual transmission (AMT) is also available on all versions: a manual transmission with clutch and gear shift actuators to automate their respective functions.

In the UK, the 1.0-litre engine is available on the ‘2’, ‘GT-Line’ and ‘3’ grade variants. The 1.2-litre engine is available exclusively on ‘GT-Line S’ models.