The 2017 Kia Picanto has been presented just ahead of the 2017 Geneva Motor Show which takes place in March. The new model brings excitement as it is going to come with more equipment in the cabin, muscular design and it will be offered in sporty GT-Line and GT-Line S trims.
Size
The current generation Picanto has struggled to find customers mostly because of its three-door layout. That is why 2017 version will copy the Rio supermini, and it will be available with five doors, a change that should increase the sales. The third-generation has a longer wheelbase but a shorter front overhang which means that it bears the same size as the ongoing model. These changes weren’t for nothing, as the new vehicle will boast more head and legroom and offer additional trunk space.
Engine Options
The ongoing Kia Picanto is equipped with a 1.0-liter three-cylinder petrol engine that produces 66 bhp and 71 lb-ft of torque, but there is also a 1.2-liter four-cylinder unit that delivers 83 bhp. These two engines will also be under the hood of the new vehicle, but the South Korean company will also offer a 1.0-liter turbocharged mill which will produce 99 bhp. This engine will be the most powerful within the range, and with it, the Picanto can reach 60 mph from a standstill in 10.1 seconds. The units are mated to a five-speed manual transmission, but the option of a four-speed automatic is available for the 1.2-liter petrol unit.
Brakes, steering and engine refinement is a problem in the current model, and the successor is far better in cities where the traffic is congested than on open roads or highways. According to Kia, the new Picanto has more soundproofing materials that are supposed to reduce the noise engine produces and its windscreen wipers are lowered by 6mm which will further eliminate the wind noise.
The 2017 Kia Picanto will be equipped with redesigned suspension and a modified steering rack in order to improve the ride and handling in general. Additionally, there is torque vectoring by braking which reduces understeer when you attack the corners at high speeds. The introduction of the sporty GT-Line trim and a new engine looks promising when it comes to producing a performance version of the Picanto, but unfortunately, the company doesn’t have such plans. Instead of that, they will focus on the new Rio GT which will go on sale in 2018.
Kia Picanto Interior
The first thing you see when you step inside the new Picanto is a large 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system that comes as a standard part of the equipment. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will also be offered, whereas a reversing camera, wireless smartphone charger, and USB port are on the options list. You can put 255 liters of cargo in the trunk, but the rear seats can be folded flat, which expands the trunk space to 1010 liters.
The 2017 Kia Picanto will go on sale in 1, 2 and 3 trim levels, with the addition of the GT-Line and the GT-Line S. The drivers of this vehicle will be able to choose from several color options for the seats, stitching and interior door panels as a part of five available ‘color packs’. According to the South Korean manufacturer, the new Picanto is the safest A-segment car ever assembled. This statement may be shocking for some, but more of the advanced high-strength steel has been used for the new model, which is 23 kg lighter than its predecessor. The standard equipment includes six airbags, while automatic emergency braking (AEB) and a knee airbag are optional.
2017 Kia Picanto Price
According to the COO of Kia Motors Europe Michael Cole, the key market for the 2017 Kia Picanto will be the UK, and the GT-Line will attract younger buyers.He said: “We want the cars to appeal to a young customer, but we also have to recognize that we’re very much targeting the ‘young at heart’ too. The demands are not that different between a 25-year-old and a 55-year-old.”The ongoing Picanto costs £8,695, so we expect the 2017 model at just shy of £9,000. Compared to competitors this one costs more than the Hyundai i10, but it is less expensive than the Volkswagen Up. What will attract the buyers is Kia’s 100,000-mile, seven-year warranty.
