Following its sneak-preview last year (above), Naza Kia Malaysia has kicked started 2018 with the launch of the all new Kia Picanto which just took place at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC).

Now in its third generation, the All-New Kia Picanto is the only non-national brand in the local A-segment which boasts an assertive new innovative design, better performance and a spacious new cabin, which the latest model also promises to be the most versatile car in its class.

Speaking at the launch of the All-New Kia Picanto, Ivan Kuan, CEO of Naza Kia Malaysia (below, right) said, “The Malaysian automotive A-segment market is one of the most fiercely contested segments. With the introduction of the All-New Kia Picanto, we hope to tap on this lucrative market segment and set the tone for our sales this year.”

The All-New Kia Picanto is uniquely modern, designed with safety and power in mind, with futuristic details and sportier image. Inspired by iconic designs, the latest addition to Kia’s line-up is a stronger build with subtle edginess and a rich body volume to fullfil customer’s demands.

The All-New Kia Picanto dons a dynamic design with a modern rich cubic effect on its side profile to create a strong yet sophisticated side-line treatment and bolder body lines for a more fun urban drive look.

Its open-link style radiator grille visually enhances the Picanto’s wide proportions to achieve that modern sleek look.

With the wheelbase extended to 2,400mm (increase of 15mm), the wheels are pushed further out to the corners of the car for a 25mm shorter front overhang, making the car look more planted on the road.

The exterior of the All-New Kia Picanto is also complemented by new projection bi-functional headlamps that project both high and low beams, with LED indicators and LED daytime running lights.  The bumper is also retained from its predecessor with added detail to enhance overall aesthetics.

Inside the All-New Kia Picanto, Kia designers created a refined cabin with a modern lifestyle feel as compared to the second-generation model, with new materials and layout, adding a greater sense of quality. The predominantly horizontal design adds greater visual width to the interior, highlighting the increased cabin dimensions.

For added comfort, the seats of the All-New Kia Picanto is revamped to provide better seating for all occupants while maintaining all other interior space advantages. The seating height of the first row seats are reduced by 10mm and moved backwards by 5mm to improve headroom by 3mm and legroom by 15mm. The optimised door trim also increases shoulder room by 10mm for the 1st row seats. Additionally, the latest model’s crash pad is now slimmer with its steering wheel moved 10mm upwards to increase knee and foot room.

Those who value luggage space can now rejoice as the All-New Kia Picanto now boasts greater luggage capacity and better space efficiency with its foldable second row seats (60:40 split), giving up to 1,010 litres of maximised cargo space. It also comes with other value added convenience which the market has come to appreciate in a car of this segment which includes keyless entry, push start button, one touch triple turn signal, auto light control, RPAS (Rear Parking Assist System), electric folding side mirrors and safety power window on the driver’s side.

Ivan further commented, “The All-New Kia Picanto is engineered for the confident and stylish urbanite youths with a preference for sporty uniqueness, fuel efficiency and modern safety features. With the introduction of the All-New Kia Picanto to our latest line-up, we target to sell 5,000 units within the year, which will make up 50% of our total sales target for 2018. We are confident this will give us a great kick-start for a brand new year.”

The All-New Kia Picanto was carefully crafted with top-notch safety features. It is constructed with double the proportion of Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS) compared to the outgoing model and a selection of active safety technologies.

With a stronger body than ever before, 44% of the All-New Kia Picanto’s bodyshell is cast in AHSS (up from 22%), reducing body-in-white weight by 23 kg while improving tensile strength by 12%. The new, stronger steel reinforces the floor pan, roof nails and engine bay, as well as the A- and B-pillars, strengthening the core structure around the car. The new bodyshell also uses more than eight times the quantity of structural adhesive found in the previous model (67 metres of joins throughout the structure are now reinforced with the adhesive). Overall, static torsional stiffness has been improved by 32%.

For value added safety, the All-New Kia Picanto has six airbags strategically placed up front and at the sides of all passengers, ISOFIX baby seat mounts, rear seatbelt pretensioners and active safety systems like ABS and ESC.

Owners of the All-New Kia Picanto will now have access to some of the most advanced infotainment and modern technology enhancement available in the A-segment, while still enjoying the same high value for money expected of a Kia vehicle.

The large ‘floating’ 7.0-inch touchscreen at the centre of the dashboard houses a navigation system with 3D map which connects to your smartphone; readily integrated using Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with voice recognition features. This grants users access to their smartphone functions via the Head Unit’s user interface to get directions, make calls, receive messages and listen to music. Other multimedia features include an audio remote control, Bluetooth and AUX & USB ports.

Powered by a 1.2 Kappa MPI engine, The All-New Kia Picanto has a Gated type 4AT with improved NHV performance, better fuel efficiency and power delivery efficiency.

To further add value to Kia vehicles, Naza Kia Malaysia is also reintroducing the ‘NOVUS’ Kia accessory bundle for all new Kia vehicles starting with the All-New Picanto, for the first time ever, in the Malaysian market. Accessories included in the package are the NOVUS emblem, solar tints, stylish and sporty NOVUS Bodykits, as well as leather seats and a DVR-digital video recorder among others.

The All-New Kia Picanto is now available in the Malaysian market in five different colours such as Pop Orange, Lime Light, Honey Bee, Clear White and Titanium Silver, and is now on display in authorised Kia showrooms nationwide.

Kia Picanto Product Specifications: