The latest generation Kia Picanto
made its public debut at this week's Geneva Motor Show.
Penned in collaboration with the company's design
centers in Korea and Germany, it boasts a new bolder design and comes in a
five-door flavor solely, just like its larger sibling, the Rio.
Inside, there's a new 7-inch touchscreen and higher
grade materials, which together with the ability to personalize the cabin
through five so-called 'color packs', promise to give the Picanto an edge in an
otherwise, tedious segment.
While retaining the same footprint as before, the
new Picanto has a gain 15 mm in the wheelbase that has increased from 2,385 mm to
2,400 mm, providing a spacier cabin than most of its rivals. It
has the largest boot capacity of any A-segment car, at 255 liters, and promises
to offer a quiet ride thanks to new soundproofing.
Safety has also improved compared to its
predecessor, as the city car now has a stronger bodyshell that uses twice as
much as high-strength steel than before. This, along with the Autonomous
Emergency Braking, which is the first of its kind to be offered in this class,
should results in satisfactory crash tests results.
At the time of its launch, the 2018 Kia Picanto will
get a new 1.0-liter turbocharged engine, producing 99 horses and 172 Nm of torque, in the sportiest version of the vehicle, the GT-Line, which
also comes with a tasty bodykit and bigger rims. The 66 hp 1.0-liter naturally
aspirated and 83 hp 1.25-liter units have been carried over from the old Picanto
unchanged. A five-speed manual comes as standard, with a four-speed automatic
available on the 1.25-liter petrol unit.
