Pricing for the updated 2024 Kia Picanto has appeared online ahead of its imminent launch, with increases across the board but additional standard equipment.
Picanto prices, published by Redbook, start at $17,890 before on-road costs for the new base Sport manual – up $1600 on the 2023 S manual.
As previously confirmed, the flagship GT is dead, taking its turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine with it. All surviving Picantos come with a naturally aspirated 1.25-litre four.
The Sport auto is also $1600 higher than the S auto, while GT-Line models see price increases of $1950.
The base Sport sees a significant increase in the amount of standard safety equipment.
In addition to the already standard autonomous emergency braking (AEB), it gains active blind-spot assist, lane-keep assist, and rear cross-traffic alert.
While the Korean-market Morning, as the Picanto is known there, can also be had with adaptive cruise control, that doesn’t feature in the local-spec Picanto.
The spec guide doesn’t detail changes to the AEB system, but in Korea the Morning/Picanto features pedestrian and cyclist detection.
Other additional kit includes power-folding exterior mirrors, LED rear fog lights, and a leatherette-wrapped steering wheel and shifter. GT-Line models also gain LED headlights.
Unusually, per Redbook the combined cycle fuel consumption claim for both the manual and auto Picanto is up.
Manual models now use 5.4L/100km (up from 5L), while auto models use 6L/100km (up from 5.8L).
Outputs for the 1.25-litre four are unchanged at 62kW of power and 122Nm of torque. It continues to be offered with either a five-speed manual or four-speed auto.
The 2024 colour palette comprises:
- Adventurous Green (NEW)
- Sporty Blue (NEW)
- Signal Red
- Aurora Black
- Astro Grey
- Sparkling Silver
- Clear White
Honey Bee yellow and Pop Orange have been removed.
The price increases may see the Picanto cede its status as Australia’s cheapest car. The 2023 Picanto S manual has a nationwide drive-away price of $18,890, while its larger but much older rival, the MG 3, now costs $19,990 drive-away.
But the current MG 3 has no active safety technology, while the next-generation model due in 2024 is unlikely to get blind-spot assist and rear cross-traffic alert.
The new Chinese hatch will likely, however, finally get AEB as well as traffic sign recognition, lane-keep assist and tyre-pressure monitoring.
The Picanto has a four-star ANCAP rating that will expire at the end of this year, while the MG 3 has no ANCAP rating and only a three-star Euro NCAP score from 2014 for reference. MG has said the new MG 3 is unlikely to get a five-star ANCAP rating.
Pricing
- 2024 Kia Picanto Sport manual: $17,890
- 2024 Kia Picanto Sport auto: $19,490
- 2024 Kia Picanto GT-Line manual: $19,690
- 2024 Kia Picanto GT-Line auto: $21,290
All prices exclude on-road costs.
MORE: Everything Kia Picanto
