๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ก๐ง๐ข ( ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ป, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ )
We in Pakistan are enjoying an older, discontinued 2nd generation KIA Picanto which was introduced in Pakistan back September 2019. This is the model which arrived in outside world in 2011 and was replaced by a third generation in 2017. In other words, we got the taste of an older Picanto when globally a newer generation was in production for 2 years. The fresh news as of today is , the Picanto in Pakistan is 3.350 Million for manual and 3.825 Million for Automatic.
Anyways, outside Pakistan the third generation ( already almost 5th year in production) Picanto got another refresh, and this is the second facelift. The model got first updates back in 2020. Picanto is KIAโs popular A-segment city car and best-selling model in certain global markets and targets younger and first-time car buyers [ I wish it was true for us in Pakistan ] .
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The brand wanted some flare and that is evident from the new exterior styling. As per KIA, they have introduced their โOpposite Unitedโ design philosophy to this model. The facelift carries over the dimensions, but it got an all-new front and rear and adopted some inspiration from the flagship KIA EV9 , a three-row electrified SUV. There is new tiger nose grill, vertical stacked headlight module, new front bumper and grill while an all-new bonnet and front fenders as well.
On the rear like front, new lighting LED can be seen which includes a light bar across the width. The rear hatch door/tailgate and bumper is also slightly redesigned. On the side profile, nothing much is changed but 14โ steel wheel comes standard while upper trims get 14โ or 15โ alloys while 16โ are also available on top-of-the-line GT version. Keep in mind that there will be optional LED headlights on front and rear and the vehicle you see here in this post is top of the line version.
Overall, the on the outside , Picanto now looks bolder and sportier obviously the base model might be little different with tone down features.
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While the exterior got a major makeover, the interior is with minor updates as far as visuals and the entire layout remains intact like before. Kia promises improved materials and more standard features. There is an 8โ infotainment screen with new and updated software. Lower trim levels will get a smaller screen size.
Apple CarPlay & Android auto is available while KIA connect is also an option which provides onboard services like live traffic, weather, location of vehicle parked, onboard car diagnostics and health reports and more. Picanto now also offer an improved voice guided navigation system and the system is also now capable of over the air updates.
Beside infotainment, there is also a digital 4.2โ LCD instrument cluster with digital speed and tachometer ( base models might get a typical analog needles) . Base model gets fabric seating while upper trims like GT-Line gets artificial leather as KIAโs undertaking to be more sustainable and aim of moving towards reuse and recycling and less burden on environment and be animal free. Sunroof is available on higher trims beside other convenience features like heated seats, heated steering, auto folding side view mirrors, remote engine start, wireless charger.
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Picanto facelift now also comes with an improved ADAS safety features like Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with vehicle, cyclist, and pedestrian detection, Blind spot monitoring , Lane Keep Assist, driver attention warning, Lane following Assist which uses front camera to monitor road marking to keep the vehicle in the center of the lane. The autonomous braking has been updated which can also now detect intersection and navigation based adaptive cruise control is also part of the deal.
Rear cross traffic alert, Emergency Stop Signal/ ESS are also available. Vehicle stability control, cornering brake control, hill start assists, and 7 airbags are also part of the safety equipment. KIA has also improved the structural integrity and structural stiffness of the Picanto with additional hot stamping on the frontal sub frame and the B -pillar.
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As of mechanicals, for now there will be only two engine options; a 1.0L MPI three cylinder and 1.25L MPI 4 cylinder engine. No details on power figures but we can expect 66HP for the 1L engine while 83HP for the 1.25L variant. There will be 5 speed manual and an option of 5 speed automatic. Korean domestic model will be offered with 1L and 4 speed Auto.
The bad news is the departure of 1.0L Turbo GDI engine which was there on the pre-facelift model and producing 99HP for Picanto GT. As per KIA, Picanto will retain the sporty driving characteristics with an improved independent MacPherson strut suspension on front while torsion beam rear setup. The steering system is also tuned for better driver response and agile handling.
Lastly, we might not see this version of Picanto very soon in Pakistan, but this might also be the last of Picanto powered by a conventional gasoline engine. KIA restructuring of the brand includes 15 new electrified models in next 3 to 4 years and Picanto replacement will be one of them. So, how is the refreshed Picanto ?
[ f-w@pakwheels.com]