Kia’s pint size Picanto arrives in Australia

2016 Kia Picanto

Kia’s latest city car, the Kia Picanto, has launched in Australia priced from $14,990 drive away.

The Euro-styled, Korean-built Picanto is available in one specification, one engine and one gearbox to keep things simple. Crucially, it comes standard with an automatic transmission, albeit only a four-speed one.

The Picanto occupies slightly less than 3.6 metres of road, but a long wheelbase allied to clever packaging has resulted in exceptional cabin space and a luggage capacity of 200 litres with all seats in place, or 605 litres with the 60:40 rear seats lowered.

2016 Kia Picanto

Powering the pint-size city car is a 1.25-litre 4-cylinder engine that produces 63kW and 120Nm of torque while using a claimed 5.3L/100km in the combined cycle.

It features MacPherson struts front suspension and torsion beam rear axle that is said to provide the best combination of ride and handling while minimising intrusions into the passenger and luggage space. It rides on 14-inch steel wheels shod with 165/60R rubber.

2016 Kia Picanto

Standard equipment for the Picanto includes six airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), anti-lock brakes (ABS), traction control (TCS) and a vehicle stability management (VSM) system which is said to work with the car’s safety management systems to ensure maximum stability in difficult conditions.

Rear parking sensors are standard, along with tilt-adjustable steering wheel, front and rear power windows, 4-speaker audio with CD and steering wheel-mounted controls, Bluetooth connectivity for phone and audio streaming, manual air-conditioning, trip computer and plenty of storage pockets.

Thanks to a stiff body structure, the Kia Picanto scores a maximum 5-star ANCAP safety rating.

2016 Kia Picanto

While the model has been on sale in Europe for almost five years, it is the first time the nameplate joins Kia’s Australian lineup. It also means the car comes with Kia’s industry-leading seven-year warranty, capped price servicing and road-side assist.

The Picanto will be offered in seven colours: six premium – Dazzling Blue, Midnight Black, Honey Bee, Signal Red, Bright Silver, and Titanium Silver – and a single non-premium Clear White.

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