2004, 2010, 2017 and 2024. A period of time that covers two decades, with very specific stages that are actually equidistant from each other. What are we talking about? Of the twenty years of success that the little girl has completed in Italy KIA Picanto, now in its fourth generation. Success? Yes, because in all these years around 178,000 examples of KIA Picanto have been registered in our country, of which over 155,000 are still in circulation. The Korean car manufacturer enjoys these numbers, and as expected is not satisfied. And what better way to raise the bar than by introducing the fourth generation of Picanto?
How KIA Picanto changes
It is no coincidence that for the occasion the launch version of the new KIA Picanto was called the 20th Anniversary Edition, but we will get to that later when we talk about the trim levels and our test drive. Let’s first take a look at the exterior design of the car as a whole: the front of the car stands out with a particular and distinctive look luminous signature which acts as a connection between the characteristic Tiger Nose, the mudguard and the bonnet up to the side air intakes, while the optional headlights with LED technology and the vertical daytime running lights give a more elegant appearance to Picanto. Light signature also protagonist at the rear, given the integration with the central part of the
tailgate and the attachment to a new bumper. Nine colors are available for the external livery, while the alloy wheels have a new design and range from 14″ as standard up to 16″ on the richer versions.
Tech and connected interiors
Moving inside the passenger compartment we find as standard an 8.0″ touchscreen navigation system and a 4.2″ digital cluster in the driver’s instrument panel. The infotainment system it is not only equipped with multiple Bluetooth connections, but is also compatible as standard with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Speaking of connectivity, all the features of the KIA Connect package are not missing, but not only that: it is also introduced Online Voice Recognition, online voice recognition that allows you to interact with Picanto using simple voice commands. Obviously, ADAS technologies of all types are offered as standard to guarantee safety and comfort for all vehicle occupants. Last note dedicated to trunkthe most capacious in the segment: 255 litres, which becomes 1,010 with the rear seats folded down.
Two engines at launch
Engines chapter. There are two petrol options proposals on the Italian market: they range from a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder engine with 63 HP to a 1.2-litre 4-cylinder engine with 79 HP. In both cases, front-wheel drive is offered in combination, while as for the transmission you can choose between a 5MT five-speed manual or an AMT automated manual. And LPG? Not available. Or rather, it isn’t for the moment: KIA has announced that one will be introduced during the year version 1.0 MPI with LPG power supply, currently in the testing phase for final approval. Engine range that connects to the range of equipment for the Italian market, given that not all the versions offered can be equipped with both of the engines mentioned above.
Equipment and prices
So let’s see the range, made up of three so-called standard versions to which the limited edition must be added 20th Anniversary Edition (limited so to speak since it is destined to remain in the range next year too). 20th Anniversary Edition which however is not at the top of the line-up: in fact we start from Urbanwe go up to the 20th Anniversary Edition, then we find the Style and finally we arrive at GT-Line. The first two versions can be equipped exclusively with the 1.0 MPI, the Style with the 1.2 MPI, while the GT-Line can be combined with both engines. THE prices: starting from 16,500 euros for the Urban, 17,950 euros for the 20th Anniversary Edition and 19,750 euros for the Style and GT-Line. In all versions, switching from manual to automated transmission involves a surcharge of 1,000 euros.
Introductory offer and benefits
Special mention for the launch offer of the new Picanto: valid on the 1.0 Urban version with Kia Choice financing, trade-in or scrappage contribution of 1,500 euros and state Ecobonus band 3 for the scrapping of class vehicles up to Euro 2 equal to 3,000 euros, enjoys a starting price of 11,750 euros and a purchase formula that includes 35 installments of 59 euros per month. Two more elements that deserve attention regarding the offer: the formula KIA Flex allows the purchase of a new Picanto for 385 euros per month and then decides what fate to reserve for it after a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 18 months (5,000 km included), while to reward the fidelity The Korean car manufacturer has decided to offer all Picanto customers an additional benefit of 500 euros for the purchase of the new model.
KIA Picanto 20th Anniversary Edition put to the test
Our test took place, as mentioned, at the wheel of the new KIA Picanto 20th Anniversary Edition. A quick overview of what includes this setup: new 16″ wheels, Full LED headlights with reflection technology, LED rear lights, tinted rear windows, leather steering wheel and gear knob, front and rear electric windows with auto up/down function & safety on the driver’s side, armrest front with storage compartment, silver paint interior finishes and handles, rear seat occupant alert and spare wheel. The engine, the only one with which this version is equipped, is the 1.0 liter MPI, in our case combined with the five-speed manual gearbox.
Agile and comfortable in traffic
On the road the car performed really well, also because our test drive was conducted on an exclusively urban and city route, in the middle of Turin traffic. Translated: lots of stop & go, lots of traffic lights, lots of short bursts interspersed with braking. In short, a typical city traffic driving, which is the target of the new KIA Picanto. After all, we are talking about a very compact A-segment car, which measures 3.605 meters in length, 1.595 meters in width, 1.485 meters in height and with a wheelbase of 2.400 meters, and which is therefore extremely agile and at ease even in the most congested traffic situations.
Consumption can be reviewed, spaciousness promoted
What we were able to observe during our driving experience is certainly a comfort of a high standard, both as drivers and passengers. There spaciousness for the legs and the head it is not to be underestimated, we are talking about just over a meter for the first row of seats and just under a meter for the second. Good too ability to absorb almost all irregularities of the road surface, represented both by potholes and flaws of different types but also by artificial speed bumps. The clutch is very soft, perhaps the most surprising thing in terms of driving, while the gearbox is fluid and the steering is precise. Chapter consumption: after just under an hour of travel and just 13 kilometers of road travelling, the on-board computer read over 9 liters per 100 km. Very high data but clearly “distorted” from traffic and driving conditions to the limit of continuous stop & go: it is clear that a more fluid and continuous use of the car translates into much lower consumption, which unfortunately however we were not able to observe. In terms of pure performance, however, the acceleration is not exciting but it is certainly not the main reason why you choose a car of this type, which stands out rather for its speed and comfort enhanced to the maximum by the McPherson strut front suspension and the rear axle. torsion beams.
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