Young at heart
Kia is targeting a younger audience with its new Picanto as James Baggott reports
Designed to attract youthful buyers, the refreshed model teams sporty looks with a more focused driving style to woo young professionals to part with their cash.
There’s an extended ‘tiger nose’ grille, the likes of which we’ve seen spread across the maker’s range, smart LED driving lights and a large air intake at the front.
Double wheel arches add some flair at the sides, while a shark fin antenna – which first appeared on BMWs – has filtered down to the city car segment for the first time. and Apple CarPlay – will tempt younger, first-time car buyers into dealers.
At just 3.6 metres (the same as its predecessor) Kia has managed to eke out a little more cabin space by increasing the wheelbase and reducing the front overhang, but you’re still going to wish your legs were foldable if you’re sat in the back.
Up front there’s ample leg room and the driving position’s comfortable. feel a little too hurried behind the wheel.
It’s these very characters that Kia is hoping younger buyers will appreciate.
Overall, there’s a noticeable improvement in both ride and handling, largely thanks to reduced weight and stiffer body, but whether that’s suitable for you will depend on your driving style. As this was an early test of a left-hand-drive model, sadly there were few details as to what options will feature on UK models. The Kia UK boss explained each market is given a menu to pick from and said his team is currently working on refining what they’ll take. We do know that this will follow the conventional Kia strategy of 1, 2, and 3 levels of specification and that the GT-Line, driven here, will slot between 2 and 3. In the GT-Line model we tried, a seven-inch media screen, wireless charging for mobiles, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay all featured. There was a heated steering wheel, seats, climate control and electric windows and mirrors. Buyers will have to wait a few weeks to find out exactly what’s on offer in the UK, though.