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The second styling upgrade for Kia’s smallest model – and Australia’s cheapest new car – has been spied in South Korea, ahead of first Australian showroom arrivals due later this year.
The facelifted 2024 Kia Picanto has been spied testing in South Korea, ahead of its Australian launch due in the second half of this year.
As reported previously, the Picanto is due to receive another facelift before the end of 2023 – after the current model launched in 2017, and a first facelift in 2020 – in place of a new generation for the time being, amid declining city-car sales globally.
Images published to South Korean social media platforms including Autospy show Kia’s updated Picanto is due to receive a makeover inspired by the upcoming Kia EV9 seven-seat electric SUV.
There are new headlights with a vertical look similar to the EV9 – as well as upcoming facelifts for the Sorento seven-seat SUV and Carnival people mover – as part of what appears to be a new front bumper.
The machined alloy wheels are also new, while there’s a new rear bumper. The tail-lights are also revised – but it’s unclear if they will adopt the curved look of the EV9, or if more conventional units will be adopted, similar to today’s model.
Photographers are yet to catch a glimpse of the updated Picanto’s interior.
It is unclear if it would adopt the latest screens and features from other Hyundai and Kia cars – or if these would be deemed too expensive for the Picanto’s budget role in showrooms.
Kia Australia has committed to keeping the entry price into a Picanto under $20,000 for “as long as possible”.
It also remains to be seen if the 2023 update will introduce any new safety technology overseas – or if Australia will gain access to a full suite of advanced safety aids available in international markets.
The Kia Picanto currently sold in Australia is fitted as standard with autonomous emergency braking, but misses out on lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, as available in Europe and South Korea.
Overseas the Picanto is also available with automatic climate-control air-conditioning, heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, support for a Kia Connect smartphone app, a sunroof, and a driver’s knee airbag (in addition to the six airbags already standard here).
No updates to the 1.2-litre non-turbo four-cylinder or 1.0-litre turbo three-cylinder engines are anticipated, as they already meet the latest European emissions regulations – and any upgrades would be costly.
The 2024 Kia Picanto facelift is due in Australian showrooms in the second half of this year. Pricing will be confirmed closer to launch.
As reported previously, based on the typical six-year life cycles of Kia models, the Picanto would be due for replacement by an all-new model in 2023, as the current car went on sale in 2017.
However, Kia is instead prioritising another facelift – for the time being – as sales of city cars decline globally, and strict 2025 emissions rules in the Picanto’s main market, Europe, threaten the future of affordable, petrol-powered small cars.
Production of the Kia Picanto in South Korea – where Australian cars are sourced – numbered approximately 120,000 cars over the first 10 months of 2022, down from 165,000 and 177,000 over the same periods in 2019 and 2017 respectively.
Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.
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