After having made its debut back in the home market where it’s called Kia Morning, the 3rd generation Kia Picanto facelift has been revealed for European markets where it will go on sale towards the third quarter of 2020.
Related: 2020 Kia Morning (Picanto) Facelift Launched in South Korea
Like the pre-facelift model, the 2020 Picanto facelift will continue to be available in base, sportier GT-Line and the SUV-inspired X-Line in Europe. The new Picanto GT-Line accent lines red accents on its tiger nose grille, side skirts and rear diffuser. The grille surround is now textured, and the chrome lower bar extends into the redesigned headlamps which gives the hatchback a wider & more stable appearance according to Kia.
2020 Kia Picanto GT-Line
Most notable are the new projector headlamps surrounded by 4-bulb LED DRLs, which is rather Porsche-like. At the back, the Picanto gets revised LED tail lamps, smaller fog lights on the bumper & chrome exhaust tips.
2020 Kia Picanto X-Line
For the X-Line version, the grille inserts and lower bumper design are different, as well as a silver element inspired by the skid plates on 4x4s, with an X-Line logo. There are black claddings around wheel arches while the rear bumper gets some expected silver bits for an enhanced SUV-inspired look.
2020 Kia Picanto facelift
The standard Picanto gets front and rear bumpers similar to the base pre-facelift version, but it does get the new revised front and rear lights. Kia offers a choice of 10 vibrant exterior colors and two new wheel designs (multi-spoke 14-inch, two-tone 16-inch).
Inside, the Picanto features an 8.0-inch ‘floating’ touchscreen head unit and a 4.2-inch digital display in the instrument cluster. Depending on trim, the Picanto is available with either black fabric or synthetic leather seats, with a range of new upholstery textures. The satellite-navigation infotainment system features Bluetooth multi-connection, enabling users to pair up to two mobile devices at the same time. The system features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard.
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With UVO system, the Picanto gives drivers access to live traffic information, weather forecasts, points of interest, fuel prices, and details of potential on- and off-street parking – including price, location and availability. The UVO app enables owners to remotely activate a wide range of functions.
In terms of engines, the European-spec Kia Picanto facelift comes with a choice of two new Smartstream petrol engines which are more efficient and less polluting than their predecessors. There is turbocharged 1.0 liter T-GDi wih 99 hp featuring a more efficient 350 bar high-pressure fuel injection system and a naturally-aspirated 1.0L with 66 hp which replaces multi-point injection with dual-port fuel injection. Both engines are paired to AMT gearbox and feature improved exhaust gas recirculation and optimized intake valve timing for better fuel efficiency. They are also equipped with a new Integrated Thermal Management System (ITMS), which varies engine cooling characteristics based on the engine’s operating point for a more effective combustion chamber cooling.
2020 Kia Picanto features & equipment
The 2020 Kia Picanto facelift gets latest Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) with features such as Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) with vehicle and pedestrian detection, Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Driver Attention Warning (DAW) and Lane Following Assist (LFA), in addition to Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA), Vehicle Stability Management (VSM), 7 airbags, ABS with EBD & BA and Hill-start Assist Control (HAC).
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Kia-Lucky introduced the Picanto hatchback Pakistan late last year. However instead of the latest generation, we got the old 2nd generation model that was produced internationally between 2011 and 2017 and was discontinued almost 3 years prior to its introduction in our market.
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
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