The new Kia Picanto might be small, but it sure is angry.
The updated supermini has been unveiled in Korea, where it’s called the Morning, with a face inspired by the electric EV9 SUV. Inside, there’s a new digital instrument binnacle nicked from entry-level Sportage models.
It’ll touch down in Australia later this year, without the turbocharged petrol engine option that has featured during its recent life.
Asked recently about local pricing for the Picanto mid-life update, Kia Australia chief executive officer Damien Meredith said it hasn’t been discussed at this point in time.
“You could probably [expect] with a new product and probably some specification changes there will be a price rise,” said Mr Meredith.
The current Picanto starts at $16,290 before on-road costs for the S manual, and extends to $20,790 before on-roads for the GT.
The base S manual is the cheapest car in Australia, with nationwide drive-away pricing of $18,890 undercutting the cheapest MG 3 by $600.
The Picanto will play an even more important role in the Kia range going forward, given the Rio won’t be replaced when the current model is retired.
It dominates the (admittedly small) micro car segment in Australia as, with the Mitsubishi Mirage retired locally, it now has only one rival: the ageing Fiat 500.
To the end of May, Kia had sold 2598 Picantos against 347 examples of the Fiat 500 and its sportier Abarth spin-offs.
That put it ahead of the Kia Rio (2414 units), and behind only the MG 3 (7046 sales) if you lump VFACTS’ light and micro car segments together.
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Outgoing Kia Picanto -
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