Kia revealed all details of 2017 Picanto ahead of its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show. The
company’s new city car enters its third generation with a fresh design, a
roomier cabin and more on-board technology than ever.
The wheelbase is now longer by 15mm with the overall
length remains unchanged at 3,595 mm. Kia says that the bodyshell of the new
Picanto uses two times more high-strength steel than its predecessor, resulting
into the safest A-segment model they’ve ever produced.
The new Picanto’s range will be spearheaded from the
new turbocharged 1.0-litre T-GDI version with 99 hp and 172 Nm of
peak torque. Paired to a five-speed manual gearbox, the sportiest version of
the new baby Kia is able to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 10.1
seconds and onto a top speed of 180 km/h.
The rest of the engine range includes a 66 hp
1.0-litre and a 83 hp 1.2-litre petrol units, paired to a five-speed manual
gearbox. Kia claims that the entry-level 1.0-litre model emits 89 g/km of CO2
emissions with the Start/Stop system fitted. A four-speed automatic gearbox
will be an option for the 1.2-litre model.
Kia’s engineers wanted a more
precise driving experience by adding stiffer anti-roll bars front and back, a
reshaped and lighter rear torsion beam and a quicker by 13 percent steering
rack which now features 2.8 turns from lock to lock.
Kia was also able to make the new Picanto more
refined, thanks to targeted measures designed to further isolate the cabin from
vibrations and road noise. These include a new soundproofing panel beneath the
dashboard and in the cabin’s floor while expendable sound-absorbing foam has
been applied to the lower sections of the A- and B-pillars among others. Thanks
to these measures, Kia claims the new Picanto offers the quietest cabin in its
class, both at idle and at a steady cruise.
Inside, there’s a large 7.0-inch infotainment system
with 3D navigation and optional Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Other optional
features include a rear-view camera and wireless charging, making the new Kia
Picanto one of the first models in its class to offer such a wide array of
on-board technologies.
The new Kia Picanto also features impressive safety
equipment levels, as it comes with six airbags as standard and an optional knee
airbag, standard ESC and optional Autonomous Emergency Braking.
Kia will start selling the new Picanto across Europe
from the start of Q2 of 2017 but if you’re gunning for the range-topping
1.0-litre T-GDI version you’ll have to wait until the end of the year when
it'll join the rest of the range.
