Kia Picanto, city car turns 20: the story

Presenting the new series of the Picanto, the fourth to be exact, Kia confirms its focus on the city car sector, albeit shrinking in many parts of the world. However, in spite of the cannibalisation of smaller saloons by slightly larger ones such as SUVs, the Picanto is considered strategic in many markets. The success it has enjoyed since its debut has helped to raise the profile of the Kia brand after the difficult years that preceded its entry into the Hyundai galaxy.  

Unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show in 2003 and then unveiled again at the Bologna motor show in the same year, the Picanto brought Kia back to the city-car sector after the adventure it had embarked on with the unattractive and spartan Pride, sold briefly in Italy before the 2000s, which was basically a rebadged version of the Ford Festiva based on the Mazda 121. The Picanto immediately wrote a new page in Kia's history by adopting the shortened platform of the Hyundai Getz and presenting itself with a sympathetic appearance, a five-seat homologated passenger compartment when many competitors only offered it on request (but even today this is still the case in some cases) and equipment that enhanced the cost/contents ratio, as well as with three engines: two four-cylinder petrol engines of 1 and 1.1 litres and a three-cylinder turbodiesel with direct injection of 1.1 litres. Its arrival in 2004 boosted Kia's sales in Italy by 42 per cent. In 2008 came a slight restyling, the LPG version and the 1.1 petrol adopts stability control, traction and brake assist systems.    

The 2011 Geneva motor show saw the unveiling of the new Picanto designed in Europe by Peter Schreyer, whom Kia had wrested from Audi in 2006 just after he had signed the sporty TT. At a technical level, the generational change follows that of Hyundai's small car, the i10. Offered in Europe with a three-door body that enhances the line that has become more dynamic than that of the first series, the second Picanto is a little more robust than the first and has a slightly longer wheelbase that improves roominess. There are still three engines, but no turbodiesel. The range consists of a revised one-litre three-cylinder, a new 1.2-litre four-cylinder with start & stop and a 1,000 LPG bifuel. In 2015, along with a slight facelift, a turbocharged 1-litre engine debuted (but not in all markets), raising the maximum power of the range to more than 100 horsepower, and increased disc brakes.  

It's the Geneva motor show again to christen the third Picanto in 2017. The line is the result of decisive new features and the redefinition of the dimensions c of the wheelbase, to bring a few more centimetres into the cabin, where new upholstery and colours make the atmosphere more intriguing than in the past. The Italian engine range is made up of the three-cylinder 1.0 from the previous series still offered also in the LPG bifuel variant, as well as its supercharged 100 hp declination.  

The fourth series of the Picanto being marketed these days is distinguished by an original design that combines elegance and sportiness, giving the car the racy look of all the brand's latest models. Electrics included. The Picanto 4.0 is initially offered with 1.0-litre three-cylinder and 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engines, to which will be added the 1,000 bifuel LPG. All can also be combined with the five-speed automated transmission, i.e. with an electro-actuated clutch. The new generation adopts all the latest Adas and benefits from improvements that make driving more instinctive and less tiring, in and out of town.