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Carsales Staff18 Aug 2015
NEWS

Kia confirms Picanto for Oz

But single high-spec model won't arrive until early 2016 – within a year of its replacement

It's official: Kia Motors Australia has announced the Picanto mini-car will be released here with an indicative price of $14,990 drive-away – just as it said it would when company CEO SH Cho presented the local business case in Korea last month.

As it said at the time, the Picanto will be available here in a single, well-specified five-door variant powered by a 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and backed by Kia's industry-leading seven-year warranty, seven-year capped-price servicing and seven-year roadside assist.

However, first deliveries won't take place until early next year – within a year of the appearance of the next-generation Picanto, which will be upgraded with a six-speed automatic transmission.

Kia's existing Picanto will arrive with a four-speed auto, perhaps alongside an entry-level five-speed manual version.

Motoring.com.au understands the Picanto will be otherwise well specified, with the standard equipment list comprising stability/traction control, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist, front seatbelt pre-tensioners and load-limiters, seatbelt reminder for all seats, five three-point seatbelts, two rear ISOFIX child seat anchors, child safety rear door locks and six airbags including side curtains.

Also standard will be 15-inch alloy wheels with 175/50 R15 tyres and a space-saver spare and remote keyless entry with alarm and immobiliser.

Details are yet to be confirmed, but as we revealed in March it will be the subject of a unique retail strategy that will target university students and their parents.

The pitch could include financial discount for uni students or a form of deferred payment plan similar to the Australian government's Higher Education Contribution Scheme, in which students repay education loans once in the work force.

“Picanto has been confirmed for Australia,” said KMA COO Damien Meredith today. "It has taken a while to put all the ducks in a row but now it is full steam ahead for what we see as a very exciting new entrant to the market.”

Meredith said that with homologation well under way and specification and build negotiations completed, the focus was now on getting Picanto to Australian consumers as early as possible.

"Realistically, it is likely that Picanto will be on sale in the first quarter of next year. It is not one of the larger segments of the Australian new car market but we definitely see an opportunity for a quality product like Picanto.”

He said an indicative starting price of $14,990 would position the Picanto clearly below Kia's existing model range, which currently opens at $15,990 for the Rio three-door, which may be dropped to make room for the new model. Five-door Rio hatch pricing currently starts at $16,990.

The confirmation of Picanto comes as Kia attempts to grow its sales to 50,000 by 2019 – up from its forecast of 30,000 this year. It has previously said the Picanto could be worth as many as 3000 units per year towards that total.

However, the segment it enters has crashed more than 30 per cent in 2015 and has generated only 5846 sales in total in the first six months of the year, according to VFACTS.

The Picanto measures up at 3595mm long, 1595mm wide and 1480mm high, and has a luggage capacity of 200 litres, growing to 870 litres with the rear seat folded. Base kerb weight is just 850kg, extending to 960kg.

Its 1248cc engine produces 64kW at 6000rpm and 123Nm at 4000rpm. The claimed European combined fuel consumption figure is 5.6L/100km as an auto, although manual versions with idle-stop consume as little as 4.3L/100km.

The current Picanto achieved a four-star Euro NCAP crash test rating when it was launched in 2011. Kia has said the vehicle will undergo local ANCAP crash testing.

Key rivals for the Picanto include the Holden Barina Spark ($12,890), Nissan Micra ($13,490), Mitsubishi Mirage ($11,990) and Suzuki Celerio ($12,990 drive-away).

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Written byCarsales Staff
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