Kia has provided details of a refreshed version of its Picanto compact hatchback with
styling changes, safety improvements and advanced technology.
Although Picanto had been on sale overseas since 2003 it took until the release of its
third-generation model in 2017 for it to go on sale here. Despite early concerns that it
could be too small for Australian buyer preferences it has proved to be a very popular
addition to the booming Kia fleet with a clear sales focus on younger drivers.
The MY2024 Picanto is a second upgrade to the Gen three however the exterior styling
changes including a new front bumper, signature ‘tiger nose’, fender and bonnet give new
it a much bolder look than before.
At the rear there are redesigned rear lights and rear bumper together with a wide light bar
and new tailgate.
The Picanto’s youth appeal won’t be harmed by a choice of ten mainly bright colours.
The new Picanto comes with the choice of two naturally-aspirated three-cylinder petrol
engines, a three-cylinder 1.0-litre and 1.25-litre. Both maximise efficiency and lower CO2
emissions.
Both engines drive the front wheels via either a five-speed manual transmission or Kia’s
Automated Manual Transmission which is based around a manual transmission but with
clutch and gear shift actuators to automate their respective functions.
As far back as the 2017 model Picanto has always reached the maximum ANCAP safety
rating. Safety features in the MY4 model now include Kia’s Advanced Driver Assistance
Systems (ADAS) that provide active safety systems to enhance occupant safety.
Depending on specification, the Picanto’s new ADAS features include Forward Collision-
Avoidance Assist 1.5 with vehicle, cyclist, and pedestrian detection.
Additionally, the Picanto is available with Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA),
Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Driver Attention Warning and Leading Vehicle Departure
Warning (DAW+), Intelligent Speed Limit Assist (ISLA) and Lane Following Assist (LFA),
and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA).
Other safety features include an Emergency Stop Signal (ESS), Hill-start Assist Control
(HAC), Vehicle Stability Management (VSM), Cornering Brake Control (CBC) and Straight-
line Stability (SLS) and ISOFIX child-seat tether and anchor points in the rear window
seats.
Inside there’s an 8.0-inch ‘floating’ touchscreen navigation system and a digital display in
the driver’s instrument cluster. The vehicle’s 8.0-inch touchscreen navigation system
features Bluetooth multi-connection, meaning users can pair up to two mobile devices at
the same time – one for hands-free phone and media use, and the other for media use
only. The system features both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard.
New Picanto comes fully equipped with new over-the-air functionality, which delivers
additional comfort for customers and will also save them time, as the navigation and
infotainment systems are automatically kept up to date wirelessly.
The Kia Connect app features a range of on-board services including live traffic
information, weather forecasts, points of interest (POIs), and details of potential on- and
off-street parking. Users can remotely send route directions to their car before a journey,
check the location of their vehicle, and access vehicle reports and diagnostic notifications.
The Online Voice Recognition lets users search for POIs, addresses, or receive weather
updates. A new ‘Online Navigation’ routing service uses cloud-based real-time and
historical traffic data to predict time-efficient routes more accurately than ever before.
Australian features and pricing will be confirmed closer its Q4 arrival however Kia Australia
has confirmed the Picanto GT 1.0-litre turbo variant will be discontinued. What has been
confirmed is that it will come with the choice of baseline and GT Line variants.
