An updated Kia Picanto has been revealed in South Korea. What do you think of the fresh look?

Following a leak late last month, Kia has now revealed the facelifted Picanto. In its home market of South Korea, the Picanto is known as the Morning, hence the plates in these images.

Nonetheless, the facelifted Kia Picanto gets more modern styling cues lifted straight from other Kia products. There are new-look headlamps with a new Daytime Running Light (DRL) design, a new grille, sportier front bumper with fog lights inspired by the Kia Seltos. The rear has been given a subtle update too with a revised bumper (and faux dual exhaust tips) and LED taillights. The Picanto will also be offered with new wheel designs and revised side skirts and garnishes.

While the exterior changes are cosmetic, the big news is that safety and driver assistance specification has improved with the addition of rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring and forward-collision warning which is a boon in this segment. The interior gains a color multi-information display as well as a larger 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system.

In terms of engines, Kia South Africa offers the Picanto with 1.0 and 1.2 naturally aspirated engines, while the overseas market gets a compact 1.0-litre turbo option. 5-speed manual gearboxes and 4-speed automatics are available. We suspect this engine lineup will be carried over as Kia is pushing hard with its SUV range. The Seltos landed in SA in early 2020 and will be joined by the compact Sonet and the flagship Sorento in the next 18 months.

A local Kia spokesperson has confirmed that the facelifted Picanto is due to arrive in South Africa in 2020 with current timings pegged in Q4. However, with the uncertainty of the current COVID-19 pandemic, timings might change. Local specification for the updated Picanto will also be confirmed closer to launch. We will keep you updated.

Further Reading

Kia Picanto (2020) Specs & Price

Quick Review: 2019 Kia Picanto 1.0 Start

Kia Picanto: Now with Standard Service Plan

New Kia Picanto (2017) Launch Review