Upcoming Kia Picanto facelift will be the second facelift for the 3rd gen model and will feature Kia EV9’s wild design language
The South Korean brand, Kia, is updating its Picanto hatchback (Kia Morning in some markets). This is Kia’s most affordable model globally and its Hyundai counterpart is the new recently facelifted Hyundai i10. This is the second facelift for the 3rd generation Picanto which debuted in 2017.
Kia seems to be updating Picanto in a three-year period as the first facelift for 3rd gen happened in 2020. Europe is the main market for Picanto. It primarily rivals global Citroen C3, Dacia Sandero, Volkswagen Up, MG 3 and Hyundai i10. Kia Picanto facelift will officially debut later this month for global markets.
Kia Picanto Facelift Leaks Completely
Previous set of leaked spy shots didn’t reveal many design elements. Recent spy shots are from a studio and reveal design changes in their entirety. There is a design overhaul in the front and back, while the side silhouette is similar to the outgoing model. Kia has also brought its flagship EV9’s design language to its most affordable model. This is evident in the front and rear.
At the sides, there are new alloy wheels with a 4-spoke geometric pattern design. There are new side skirts that bring some aggression into the picture. In the pictures, we can see its top-spec GT Line trim which gets additional sporty elements to live up to its sporty credentials. The headlights are vertical in placement and get interesting LED DRL signatures.
These resemble EV9 along with the chrome element that connects both headlights. There is a black surround for the air intake part of the bumper. But only the center part is air intake and flanked by multiple faux air intakes. Outgoing model has halogen bulbs in projector units, while Picanto facelift features reflector-style LED headlights.
Rear gets new LED tail lights that get connected by an LED light bar on either side. That said, these LED bars don’t physically connect like seen on Hyundai Venue. The same effect in the front fascia is reflected in the tail lights design as well. Since this is the Picanto GT Line, it features a fake rear diffuser as well.
Will it launch in India?
Unlike other Kia models, there is a twin screen effect on dashboard. Instead, there is a free-standing 8” infotainment touchscreen display on dashboard and a 4.2” screen for instrumentation. Steering wheel and other interior bits are similar to outgoing model. Euro-spec cars will get a full suite of ADAS features.
But Australia-spec model is likely to only get mandated emergency braking and forward collision warning. Also, Australian model will miss out on ventilated seats, heated steering wheel, wireless phone charger and other features. The 1.2L NA petrol (83 bhp, 122 Nm) and 1.0L turbo petrol (100 bhp and 172 Nm) are likely to be similar to outgoing model. We hope Kia India brings Picanto to our shores, but not the Latin-spec model.
