Kia Picanto gets X-factor

KIA PICANTO X-LINE: CROSSOVER OF BRAND’S EVER-POPULAR HATCH

Safest A-segment vehicle the Korean carmaker has built to date.

Compact cars are where most of the sales action is these days, and for good reason, too. They are competitively priced, come (most of the time) with a full house of specifications and safety features, while also offering low cost of maintenance and ownership.

And the trendier looking you make them, the better they seem to sell.

Enter Kia’s Picanto X-Line, a crossover offering of their ever-popular Picanto hatch.

The X-Line gets a bit of urban toughening up in the form of faux skid-plate detailing, mud guards and a slightly raised ride height, sitting on 15-inch alloy wheels.

Further exterior changes come in the form of a new radiator grille, redesigned front and rear bumper, front LED driving lights and full LED lights at the rear.

You also have the choice of 10 exterior colours.

This X-Line model replaces the previous top-of-the-range Smart spec grade, and this means that on the inside you have all the creature comforts you could hope to get in a compact car.

Two-tone artificial leather for the upholstery, a new eight-inch Apple CarPlay and Android Auto-compatible touchscreen infotainment system and a reverse camera with dynamic guidelines are a few of the highlights.

The tried-and-tested 61kW/ 122Nm, 1.25-litre naturally aspirated engine offers an acceptable level of urge for any basic need.

We drove the R237 995 fivespeed manual at the launch, but there is also a R251 995 four-speed model available.

Safety is something sadly ignored by many buyers, but the Picanto remains the safest A-segment vehicle Kia has built to date, and this alone should put it on the top of your shopping list.

Kia is targeting Ford’s Figo Freestyle, Suzuki’s Ignis and Renault’s Sandero Stepway with the Picanto X-line, and spec for spec has an enticing offering.

All Picanto models come standard with Kia’s industry-leading unlimited kilometre, five-year warranty (inclusive of roadside assistance), as well as a prepaid two-year/30 000km service plan.