Kia Picanto - The Citizen Review

Dramatic Opposites United styling language has also brought more features, but an unchanged line-up of powertrains.

Representing the most dramatic redesign in its three generation history, Kia South Africa has finally disclosed price and spec details of the heavily updated Picano city car.

Shrunken Sportage

The internally named JA Picanto’s second update since its global reveal eight years ago, the current revision, applied last year, sees the debut of the brand’s Opposites United styling language first introduced on the Sportage three years ago.

Entailing the new look is a slimmer Tiger Nose grille, restyled headlight clusters with a thin L-shaped LED diode, a flatter bumper with a reshaped lower air intake, and on the range-topping EX Plus, new 15-inch alloy wheels.

Taking prominence at the rear is a wraparound LED light arrangement with the main clusters being connected by a full-width LED logo bar underneath the wiper.

A tweaked rear bumper completes the Picanto’s exterior, along with three new colour options; Smoke Blue Metallic, Adventurous Green Metallic and Sporty Blue Metallic.

Carried over hues are Clear White, Signal Red, Aurora Black Pearl, Sparkling Silver Metallic and Astro Grey Metallic.

Inside, the changes are more minor and sees the standard fitting of the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto-enabled eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system across the entire Picanto range.

No further changes have, however, taken place, with the same applying to the underbody dimensions and boot space that ranges from 255-litres to 1 010-litres with the 60/40 split rear seat folded down.

On the specification side, which underwent a restructuring four years ago, the Start, Street, Style, Smart and SUV-inspired X-Line trim grades no longer feature as part of a range streamlining.

As on the facelift Sonet, the line-up kicks-off with the LX, whose amenities consist of 14-inch steel wheels with plastic covers, a four-speaker sound system with a single USB port, body-coloured mirrors and door handles, a height adjustable driver’s seat, leather-wrapped steering wheel and all around electric windows.

Also, standard is a reverse camera, dual front airbags, black cloth seats, heated and electric mirrors and manual air-conditioning.

Building on the LX, the EX gets 14-inch alloy wheels, folding electric mirrors, a storage area between the front seats, two additional speakers for a total of six, auto on/off headlights, Electronic Stability Control, Hill Start Assist and a 4.2-inch TFT instrument cluster display.

As mentioned, the EX Plus tops the Picanto range after the initial decision to bring the GT-Line to market for the first time fell through most likely as a result of pricing.

It, therefore, means that the sportier bumpers, door sills, GT-Line specific 16-inch alloy wheels and chrome detailing won’t be offered locally for the foreseeable future.

Nonetheless, features on the EX Plus include push-button start, automatic climate control, 15-inch alloy wheels, imitation leather upholstery, rear parking sensors, gloss black interior inserts and keyless start.