Once made available for the Malaysian market, the adorable Kia Picanto has no signs of returning to the Malaysian market. That being said though, the Kia Picanto has just been given a facelift which comes with a more futuristic front end.
According to Kia, the Picanto is one of its best-selling models in several regions worldwide. It is just unfortunate that it couldn’t quite compete with the prices of our local car brands. Thus Kia in Malaysia is now only offering cars that aren’t exactly budget-oriented. Now back to the facelifted Picanto.
With the facelift, the Kia Picanto is now offered in two choices – the baseline and the GT Line. Just like most of the cars around these days, the headlights and taillights now have a connected design that successfully updates the ongoing platform of the Picanto. Like other Kia models, the design of the facelifted Picanto embodies the ‘Opposites United’ design philosophy and features the brand’s signature ‘tiger nose’.
As for wheel choices, the Picanto is available with 14-inch, 15-inch, and even 16-inch wheels, depending on the variant. To enhance the GT Line’s looks, Kia has given it a “confident” front end emphasizes “sporty elements”. The GT Line also gets a special rear diffuser.
In the performance department, the new Picanto carries over the pre-facelift engine choices. Customers have the option between a 1.0-litre and a 1.2-litre engine, both naturally aspirated. Both engines drive the front wheels only and can be paired with either a 5-speed manual transmission of a 5-speed automated manual transmission.
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Inside, the Picanto also remains largely the same with the facelift featuring an 8.0-inch floating touchscreen head unit that comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. It also comes with Kia connect in certain regions.
Safety-wise, the Kia Picanto is well equipped with Kia’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. This includes Forward Collision-Avoidance (FCA) 1.5, Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Driver Attention Warning and Leading Vehicle Departure Warning (DAW+), Intelligent Speed Limit Assist (ISLA) and Lane Following Assist (LFA).
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