Following its debut at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA), the latest addition to the Picanto range, the All-New Picanto X-Line goes on sale on 9 January 2018 at Kia showrooms. The ‘X-Line’ variant further broadens the appeal of Kia’s city car, with styling that draws inspiration from the company’s SUV model lines, including the Stonic, Sportage and Sorento.
Prices start at £12,595 for the ‘X-Line’ equipped with the 1.25-litre petrol engine and five-speed manual gearbox, with a four-speed automatic transmission available for an additional £650. Affordability is one of the Picanto’s key features, with CO2 emissions that are as low as 106g/km on the manual transmission, and a combined fuel economy figure of 61.4mpg.
Picanto with attitude
The ‘X-Line’ variant introduces a series of rugged new design cues and is longer, wider and taller than conventional city cars, and has increased ground clearance. It makes no pretence at being a full-blown SUV – power is transmitted through the front wheels only – but has a more rugged look which will widen the audience of the all-new Picanto in a market in which the crossover is king. At 75mm longer, 30mm wider and 15mm taller, the increase in height is accounted for by the greater ground clearance. There’s more imposing, SUV-style bumpers with metal-look skid plates at the front and rear, for a more confident and go-anywhere appearance.
Unique to the ‘X-Line’ model, the grille and fog lamp surrounds are finished with lime green highlights, while black cladding around the side sills and wheel arches enhances the visual effect of the raised ground clearance. The exterior door handles are finished in body colour and privacy glass is fitted to the rear windows and tailgate. Completing the more muscular look are twin exhaust outlets, 16-inch alloy wheels with 195/45 R16 tyres, a shark-fin antenna and projection headlights with LED daytime running lights and fog lamps.
Kitted out for urban life
The splashes of colour are carried over to the interior with lime green stitching for the flat-bottomed steering wheel, gear lever gaiter and armrests. The large 7.0-inch ‘floating’ touchscreen features DAB radio, as well as Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™ for full smartphone integration. Other equipment highlights include unique grey faux leather upholstery, a central armrest, satin chrome interior door handles and stainless-steel pedals with rubber inserts, in addition to cruise control with speed limiter, automatic air conditioning and keyless entry.
The latest Picanto is the safest A-segment car Kia has ever made, featuring an Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS) body construction and six standard airbags (front, front side and curtain airbags). Active safety features are also included, such as standard-fit Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) with Electronic Stability Control (ESC), to ensure stability under braking and cornering. In addition, the ‘X-Line’ is fitted with Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) as standard – a key technology adopted to enhance safety in urban environments. The system can bring the car to a complete stop at speeds up to 50mph and to a partial stop at speeds over this figure.
Torque Vectoring is also included, and is a further aid to handling stability. Using the anti-lock brake and ESC sensors, it detects when the car is drifting off its intended course in corners and gently brakes the inside rear wheel if the front of the car is running wide, or the outer rear wheel if the rear tyres are starting to slide outwards. Hill-start Assist Control (HAC) prevents the car from rolling backwards when setting off on uphill gradients, and is another of the Picanto’s invaluable driver assistance features.
Class-leading practicality
In line with market demand, the Picanto is available exclusively with a practical five-door bodystyle and is regularly one of the top five best-selling city cars. It boasts class-leading cabin space, with more leg- and head-room than all other rivals in the A-segment. Boot capacity is 255 litres (VDA) – the most of any car in its class – with 60:40 split-folding rear seats, which can fold flat to increase capacity to 1,010 litres.
Powerful petrol engine
The ‘X-Line’ comes equipped with a powerful and refined 83bhp 1,248cc four-cylinder, 16-valve engine developing 122Nm of torque. The powerplant was extensively re-engineered for the launch of the latest Picanto in 2017 and is from the Kappa family of engines. It provides lively performance for zipping around in urban traffic, with plenty in reserve for motorway driving. A five-speed manual gearbox is standard, with a four-speed automatic transmission available as an option.
The best warranty in the business
In line with every Kia, the Picanto ‘X-Line’ comes with the best warranty in the business – seven years or 100,000 miles, including labour, subject to terms and conditions. The warranty is fully transferable to the next owner if the car is sold before the time or mileage limit expires. The all-new Picanto requires servicing every 10,000 miles or 12 months, and retail customers can benefit from low-cost Care-3 and Care-3 Plus servicing packages. These are also transferrable.
Performance and economy
| Model | Power bhp | Torque
Nm |
0-60 secs | Max speed mph | Average mpg | CO2 g/km |
| Picanto X-Line 1.25-litre 5-speed manual | 83 | 122 | 11.6 | 107 | 61.4 | 106 |
| Picanto X-Line 1.25-litre 4-speed auto | 83 | 122 | 13.2 | 100 | 52.3 | 124 |
Pricing
| Model | Price | Insurance group |
| Picanto X-Line 1.25-litre 5-speed manual | £12,595 | 7 |
| Picanto X-Line 1.25-litre 4-speed auto | £13,245 | 7 |
Optional paint – £250
Premium paint – £495
Advanced Driving Assistance Pack (ADAP) – £350
