New Kia Picanto presented

Kia has presented the new Picanto.  What’s new? The biggest change to the Picanto is the aggressive, angular styling, now looking a bit like the Honda Jazz. It’s also wider and the wheelbase has grown a bit for more passenger legroom. The other big change, Kia customers will have a choice of either a five-door Pincanto this spring or a shorter three-door variant in the fall.

Power will come from a choice of two engines: a 1.0-liter three-cylinder making 68 horsepower & 69 ft/lbs (95 Nm) of torque or a 1.25-liter four cylinder making 85 horsepower & 89 ft/lbs (121 Nm) of torque. Kia says they’ll also offer bi-fuel, flex-fuel and LPG versions of these engines as well, if the market demands them.

These new engines are cleaner than the out-going models, producing 95 to 105g/km of C02. Kia will fit the Picanto with low rolling resistance tires and will also make stop-start technology available, bringing CO2 emissions down even further. Economy is estimated to be in the 4.2 to 5.9 per 100km range or about 48 mpg. Whichever engine buyers choose, it will be mated to a standard five-speed manual with a four-speed automatic available for the 1.25-liter engine.

Final pricing, trim levels and options have not been announced.