Kia appears set to give the titchy Picanto hatchback yet another facelift.
Images posted on Autospy reveal a heavily camouflaged Picanto wearing a new look inspired by the Niro SUV. It’ll hit Australia late in 2023 with styling and trim changes, but no major mechanical tweaks.
Up front, the headlights feature new detailing in the LED daytime running lights, and there may be some changes to the lower grille. Down back, the tail lights also appear to have new graphics.
The car rides on new alloy wheels, and there are likely to be some tweaks to the trim as well.
The exhaust pipe poking out from beneath the rear bumper points to the fact this is a Picanto and not a part of the expansive EV range teased by Kia in 2020.
The current Picanto debuted in 2017, and was updated locally in 2021 with a new face and fresh technology.
Power in Australia comes from a naturally-aspirated 1.25-litre four-cylinder engine, or a turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine.
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.
“While the Rio nameplate will not continue locally, Kia does continue to offer its popular Picanto and Cerato ranges, with new models across various segments currently under study for our market,” a Kia Australia spokesperson told CarExpert last week.
The Picanto dominates its sales segment in Australia. With 572 delivered in January, it comfortably outsold the Mitsubishi Mirage (259) and Fiat 500 (54)
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