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The Kia Picanto is a
city car The A-segment is the first category in the passenger car classification system defined by the European Commission. It is used for city cars, the smallest category of passenger cars defined. A-segment sales represented approximately 4.2% of the ...
that has been produced by the South Korean car manufacturer,
Kia Kia Corporation (, formerly known as Kyungsung Precision Industry (京城精密工業) and Kia Motors Corporation) is a South Korean multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It is South Korea's second larges ...
, since 2003. Other names of the car include Kia Morning () in South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan (first two generations) and Chile, Kia EuroStar in Taiwan (first generation), Kia New Morning in Vietnam and the Naza Suria or Naza Picanto in Malaysia (first generation). The Picanto is primarily manufactured at the
Donghee Donghee Holdings Co. Ltd. is a South Korean group of companies producing various automotive parts such as chassis, fuel tanks, pedal parts, sunroofs, axle housings and body panels. Donghee Auto Co. Ltd., one of its subsidiaries, co-manufactures ...
joint-venture plant in
Seosan Seosan (; ) is a city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea, with a population of roughly 175,000 according to the 2017 census. Located at the northwestern end of South Chungcheong Province, it is bounded by Dangjin, Naepo New Town, Yesan- ...
, South Korea, though some countries locally assemble
complete knock-down A knock-down kit (also knockdown kit, knocked-down kit, or simply knockdown or KD) is a collection of parts required to assemble a product. The parts are typically manufactured in one country or region, and then exported to another country or r ...
versions of the car. The vehicle has been developed in compliance with the "light car" () category in South Korea which offers tax incentives for vehicles with exterior dimensions below in length and in width. __TOC__


Name origin

The name Picanto relates to the Spanish and Italian words ''picante/piccante'', meaning "spicy". The Korean’s version name ''"Morning"'' may trace its origin from the ''"Morning Calm"'', as a reference to South Korea's tradition. Since 1886, when a book written by
Percival Lowell Percival Lowell (; March 13, 1855 – November 12, 1916) was an American businessman, author, mathematician, and astronomer who fueled speculation that there were canals on Mars, and furthered theories of a ninth planet within the Solar System ...
obtained large success in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
in narrating the history of Korea, the country started to be internationally referred as " the Land of Morning calm", and its ruling monarchy the
Joseon Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...
, became known abroad as the "Morning Dynasty".


First generation (SA; 2003)

The first generation Picanto was revealed at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show. It was based on a shortened platform of the
Hyundai Getz The Hyundai Getz is a supermini manufactured and marketed by Hyundai Motor Company, Hyundai from 2002 to 2011 in three- and five-door hatchback body styles over a single generation — and marketed globally except in the United States, Canad ...
and was long, with a five-door
hatchback A hatchback is a car body style, car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to the main interior of the car as a cargo area rather than just to a separated trunk. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second-row sea ...
body style. The car was available with a choice of two petrol engines: a 1.0-litre, with and , or a 1.1-litre, with and , both with multipoint injection. In Europe, a 1.1-litre three-cylinder
diesel engine The diesel engine, named after the German engineer Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which Combustion, ignition of diesel fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to Mechanics, mechanical Compr ...
(based on the
Kia Cerato The Kia Cerato (also known as the Kia Forte in North America, K3 in South Korea or the Forte K3 or Shuma in China) is a compact car produced by the South Korean manufacturer Kia since 2003. In 2008, the Cerato nameplate was replaced by the Forte ...
's 1.5-litre
four-cylinder The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized. Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categoriz ...
unit) was also available, with direct injection and a variable geometry turbocharger, the power reaching and a torque of . The petrol engines had a combined consumption of and respectively, while the diesel used . An
automatic gearbox An automatic transmission (AT) or automatic gearbox is a multi-speed transmission used in motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving conditions. The 1904 Sturtevant "horseless ca ...
(with torque converter) was optional for the petrol units. In some countries, it was sold with a 1.2-litre engine, also used on the newer
Hyundai i10 The Hyundai i10 is a city car produced by the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai since 2007. It replaced the Hyundai Atos in the model line-up, and was initially available only as a five-door hatchback body style. The third generation i10 was un ...
. To increase its appeal in the European market, the Picanto was equipped with such features as CD player with MP3 audio playback, air conditioning, front and patented rear electric windows, remote central locking, and electric mirrors. These features were advertised in a short-lived campaign starring
Marcus Grönholm Marcus Ulf Johan "Bosse" Grönholm (born February 5, 1968) is a Finland, Finnish former rallying, rally and rallycross driver, being part of a family of the Swedish-speaking population of Finland lineage. His son, Niclas Grönholm, is an upcoming ...
.


Safety

Euro NCAP The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) is a European voluntary car safety performance assessment programme (i.e. a New Car Assessment Program) based in Leuven, Belgium. Formed in 1996, the first results were released in February ...
test results for a LHD, 5-door hatchback variant on a 2004 registration:


2007 and 2009 facelift

The Picanto received a facelift in 2007. Among the minor changes were the light clusters (front and rear), a new bumper and front grille. For the UK and Cyprus markets, the indicator stalk was switched to the opposite side. For the Italian market, a new bi-fuel LPG version debuted alongside the 1.0 L and 1.1 L engines. This model also saw a change in
power steering Power steering is a system for reducing a driver's effort to turn a steering wheel of a motor vehicle, by using a power source to assist steering. Hydraulic or electric actuators add controlled energy to the steering mechanism, so the driver can ...
configuration from
hydraulic Hydraulics () is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counterpart of pneumatics, which concer ...
to
electric Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...
. File:2009 Kia Picanto Strike 1.1 Front.jpg, alt=2009 Kia Picanto Strike (first facelift), First facelift File:2009 Kia Picanto Strike 1.1 Rear.jpg, alt=2009 Kia Picanto Strike (first facelift), First facelift File:KiaPiccantoGraphite.jpg, alt=A grey hatchback kia, Special Edition: Graphite Edition In 2009, the Picanto received some minor interior and exterior changes, including a new front fascia that incorporates the ' tiger nose' grille. This facelifted model would not be exported to Europe. File:Kia Morning 1.1 EX 2011.jpg, Second facelift


Second generation (TA; 2011)

The second generation Picanto made its debut at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. Designed by Kia's European design team based in
Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...
,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, under the direction of Peter Schreyer, the new model is longer in wheelbase and overall length than its predecessor. The Picanto is offered with a choice of two
gasoline Gasoline ( North American English) or petrol ( Commonwealth English) is a petrochemical product characterized as a transparent, yellowish, and flammable liquid normally used as a fuel for spark-ignited internal combustion engines. When for ...
engines: a 1.0 liter three-cylinder or a 1.25 liter
four-cylinder The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized. Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categoriz ...
. The Europe-spec 1.25 liter engine features ecoDynamics, Kia's
start-stop system A start-stop system (also referred to as idling stop or micro hybrid) is a technology that automatically shuts down and restarts a vehicle's internal combustion engine to reduce idle time, with the aim of lowering fuel consumption and emissio ...
. In addition, there is also a petrol/ LPG version of the 1.0 liter engine available. The Brazil version is equipped with a
flex fuel A flexible-fuel vehicle (FFV) or dual-fuel vehicle (colloquially called a flex-fuel vehicle) is an alternative fuel vehicle with an internal combustion engine designed to run on more than one fuel, usually gasoline blended with either ethanol o ...
version of the 1.0 liter engine that uses both petrol and
ethanol Ethanol (also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound with the chemical formula . It is an Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol, with its formula also written as , or EtOH, where Et is the ps ...
. File:2012 Kia Picanto Halo Ecodynamics 1.2 Front.jpg, 3-door (pre-facelift) File:2012 Kia Picanto Halo Ecodynamics 1.2 Rear.jpg, 3-door (pre-facelift) File:Kia Picanto Fünftürer Spirit 1.0 CVVT Galaxyschwarz Heck.JPG, 5-door (pre-facelift) The Picanto was available worldwide (except
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
,
Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, and
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
) as a 5-door hatchback while the European market received the exclusive 3-door variant. The 3-door version is the same length as the 5-door model, but it sports new windows and doors, different bumpers and a front grille with silver or red trim. In South Korea, the Morning is offered in a Sport Pack, which consists of the 3-door's front and rear bumpers, as well as a digital speedometer. In some countries, the Picanto name is accompanied by a modifier for marketing reasons. Examples include ''Picanto Ion'' for
Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
, ''Picanto R'' for
Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...
, ''Picanto Flex'' for
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
, ''Picanto K1'' for Thailand, and ''Picanto 1250'' for
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
. In the
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
n market, the 1.0 liter variant was named ''Morning 1.0'' to distinguish it from the 1.2 liter Picanto; this variant was sold in 2015 only. The second-generation facelifted Picanto for the Pakistani market was launched at Pakistan Auto Parts Show (PAPS) 2019. It is locally assembled at
Lucky Motor Corporation Lucky Motor Corporation (LMC) is a Pakistani automobile manufacturer and distributor which is a subsidiary of Lucky Cement. History It was founded in 2017 for the purpose of assembling and distributing automobiles from the South Korean automob ...
's plant in
Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...
. It is offered in two variants: one of the variants comes with 5-speed manual transmission while the other comes with 4-speed CVT. Both variants are equipped with the 1.0 liter ''Kappa II MPI I3'' petrol engine. Production commenced in August 2019, with actual sales starting October 2019.


Picanto R-Cross

In November 2013, Kia Netherlands released a limited edition model called the Picanto R-Cross. Marketed to compete with the Volkswagen CrossUp, this model featured a black body kit that wrapped around the wheel wells and was fitted with 14" alloy wheels. Only 500 units of the R-Cross were produced.


Marketing

As part of the marketing campaign for the Picanto, Kia produced a promotional video featuring the world's first nail art animation. Over 900
artificial nails Artificial nails, also known as fake nails, false nails, acrylic nails, press ons, nail extensions or nail enhancements, are extensions placed over fingernails as fashion accessories. Many artificial nail designs attempt to mimic the appearance o ...
and 1,200 bottles of
nail polish Nail polish (also known as nail varnish in British English or nail enamel) is a lacquer that can be applied to the human Nail (anatomy), fingernails or toenails to decorate and protect the nail plates. The formula has been revised repeatedly t ...
were used in a span of 25 days (with each nail taking two hours to paint) to create images of the Picanto in motion. In the UK, the Picanto is the official sponsor of the
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: Television TV stations/networks/channels ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network and company, including: **ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network in the United Kingd ...
dating game show ''
Take Me Out A take is a single continuous recorded performance. The term is used in film and music to denote and track the stages of production. Film In cinematography, a take refers to each filmed "version" of a particular shot or "setup". Takes of each ...
''. Kia UK released a series of viral videos on their
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
channel to promote both the car and the programme. Each video features actress Natasha Barrero, as she drives a black Picanto 3-door before being swooned over by different men. A Lemon Grass Morning appears as the transforming robot Tobot D in the South Korean animated series ''
Tobot ''Tobot'' ( Korean: 변신자동차 또봇, RR: ''Byeonsinjadongcha Ttobot'') is a South Korean animated television series produced by and . The series features transforming cars, and some of them can fly like Tobot W or Tobot Y The series is a ...
''.


Awards

The Picanto won the
iF product design award The iF Product Design Award was introduced in 1954 and is annually conferred by the iF International Forum Design. The award, which spans multiple disciplines, has more than 5,500 entries from around 59 nations every year. History The iF Indus ...
in the "Transportation Design" category in 2011 and the
Red Dot The Red Dot Design Award is an international, annual design competition for product and industrial design, brand and communication design as well as design concepts, in which the Red Dot quality label is awarded to winners. The Red Dot Design A ...
award in the "Automobiles, transportation, commercial and water vehicles" category in 2012. ''
Top Gear Top Gear may refer to: * "Top gear", the highest gear available in a vehicle's manual transmission Television * ''Top Gear'' (1977 TV series), a British motoring magazine programme * ''Top Gear'' (2002 TV series), a relaunched version of the ori ...
'' magazine named the Picanto "Bargain Car of the Year" in 2011. The Association of Scottish Motoring Writers awarded the Picanto as "Best Small Car" in 2011. In South Africa, the Picanto took the
Standard Bank Standard Bank (officially Standard Bank Group Limited) is the largest bank in Africa, as well as the continent's biggest lender by assets. The company's corporate headquarters, Standard Bank Centre, is located in Johannesburg, Gauteng. The ...
People's Wheels Award for "Budget Buys - Affordability First" three years straight from 2011 to 2013. In 2016,
J.D. Power and Associates J.D. Power is an American data analytics, software, and consumer intelligence company founded in 1968. The company specializes in the use of big data, artificial intelligence, and algorithmic models examining consumer behavior. The firm's busine ...
awarded the Picanto on UK Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) in the City Car category.


Facelift

;2013 In 2013, the Morning in South Korea was updated to use the European three-door's front and rear bumpers with the headlights incorporating a new LED daytime running light system. The interior featured a revised instrument cluster with a digital speedometer. The silver trim was replaced with a gloss black trim. A touchscreen multimedia stereo system was offered as an option. The new model was equipped with seven airbags, a Cornering Brake Control system, a handbrake alarm, and height adjustable seat belts. Aside from the standard 1.0 liter gasoline engine, the Picanto was offered with a new "Eco-Plus" engine mated to a
continuously variable transmission A continuously variable transmission (CVT) is an automated Transmission (mechanical device), transmission that can change through a continuous range of gear ratios, typically resulting in better fuel economy in gasoline applications. This contr ...
(CVT). The international version of the Picanto remained unchanged aside from the new front bumper. ;2015 In 2015, the Picanto received redesigned front and rear bumpers with new fog lamps. In addition, the car was offered with a
turbocharged In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (also known as a turbo or a turbosupercharger) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake air, forcing more air into the ...
version of its 1.0 liter Kappa II engine, which increased power output from 69 hp to 106 hp. The revised engine met Euro 6 standards. The Picanto was also offered with optional front disc brakes, an increase from the stock . The facelifted Picanto debuted at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show in March and went on sale across Europe by the end of the month. File:Kia Picanto (TA) facelift.jpg, Facelift File:Kia Picanto - tył (MSP15) (cropped).JPG, Facelift


Safety

;Euro NCAP
Euro NCAP The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) is a European voluntary car safety performance assessment programme (i.e. a New Car Assessment Program) based in Leuven, Belgium. Formed in 1996, the first results were released in February ...
test results for a LHD, 5-door hatchback variant on a 2011 registration: ;ASEAN NCAP
ASEAN NCAP The New Car Assessment Program for Southeast Asia, or known as ASEAN NCAP, is an automobile safety rating program jointly established by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) and Global New Car Assessment Program (Global NCA ...
test results for a RHD, 5-door hatchback variant on a 2013 registration (with and without airbags): The airbag variant tested was the Malaysian model equipped with six airbags,
Electronic stability control Electronic stability control (ESC), also referred to as electronic stability program (ESP) or dynamic stability control (DSC), is a computerized technology that improves a car handling, vehicle's stability by detecting and reducing loss of Tract ...
(ESC), and
Isofix Isofix (styled ISOFIX) is the international standard for attachment points for child safety seats in passenger cars. The system has other regional names including LATCH ("Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children") in the United States, and LUAS ("L ...
. The non-airbag variant tested was the Thai version, which is similarly equipped as the Philippine and Indonesian models. ;Australian NCAP Australian NCAP test results for a RHD, 5-door hatchback variant on a 2016 registration: ;Latin NCAP The Picanto in its most basic Latin American market configuration with no airbags, no ABS and no ESC received 0 stars for adult occupants and 1 star for toddlers from
Latin NCAP The Latin New Car Assessment Programme (Latin NCAP) is an Automobile safety rating, automobile safety assessment programme for Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 2010, it offers independent information to consumers about the safety l ...
in 2016 (only in 2020 did the protocol reach the Euro NCAP 2014 level). ; Global NCAP The African version of the Picanto with driver airbag and no ABS received 3 stars for adult occupants and 2 stars for infants from
Global NCAP Global New Car Assessment Programme (Global NCAP) is a project of the Towards Zero Foundation, a UK-registered charity. The programme serves as an umbrella organisation encouraging co-operation between the various New Car Assessment Programmes ...
in 2018 (similar to Latin NCAP 2013).


Third generation (JA; 2017)

The third-generation Picanto made its official global debut at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. The new Picanto was equipped with a choice of three engines: the outgoing model's 1.0-liter ''Kappa II'' three-cylinder engine in the multi-point injected and turbocharged direct-injected versions, and the 1.2-liter ''Kappa II'' four-cylinder engine. Both 1.0-liter engines were mated exclusively with a 5-speed manual transmission, while the 1.2-liter engine was also offered with an optional 4-speed automatic transmission. The car features all-new safety features such as Torque Vectoring Brake Based (TVBB) system, Straight Line Stability (SLS), Forward Collision Warning System (FCWS) and Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB). File:2018 Kia Picanto (JA MY19) S hatchback (2018-10-12) 03.jpg, Rear view (pre-facelift) (Australia) File:2019 Kia Picanto 1.2 EX (28).jpg, Interior


GT-Line

File:2017 Kia Picanto GT-Line S 1.2 Front.jpg, GT-Line File:2017 Kia Picanto GT-Line S 1.2 Rear.jpg, GT-Line For the Malaysian market, the third-generation Picanto was launched in January 2018. It was powered by the naturally-aspirated 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine and was initially available in only one trim level (EX), with a 4-speed automatic transmission. In January 2019, the GT-Line variant was announced, featuring Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) and many other new features. In May 2019, a base variant KX and a crossover variant designated X-Line were added. For the Indonesian market, the third-generation Picanto went on sale in October 2019. It was powered by the 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine and offered in GT-Line and EX trim levels with either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission. The Picanto was discontinued in Indonesia in 2022.


Marketing

Kia Motors in South Korea debuted the Morning in January 2017 with a series of TV commercials featuring actors
Shim Eun-kyung Shim Eun-kyung (; born May 31, 1994) is a South Korean actress. She starred in the box office hits '' Sunny'' (2011), ''Miss Granny'' (2014) and '' Fabricated City'' (2017), as well as television series '' Naeil's Cantabile'' (2014). She has st ...
, Park Jeong-min, and
Jin Kyung Jin Kyung (; born March 27, 1972) is a South Korean actress. Early years Jin learned piano as a child. She graduated from Seonhwa Arts Middle School, and entered Daewon Foreign Language High School. Her interest at acting started when Jin wat ...
. For the international release of the Picanto and the fourth-generation Kia Rio, Kia Motors produced two music videos featuring Korean-American singer Kate Kim and American musician Lee Radde in May 2017. The Picanto GT Line was featured in Season 2 Episode 3 of ''
The Grand Tour ''The Grand Tour'' is a British motoring television series, created by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May, and Andy Wilman, for Amazon Prime Video, and premiered on 18 November 2016. The programme was devised in the wake of the depar ...
'', where co-presenters
James May James Daniel May (born 16 January 1963) is an English television presenter and journalist. He is best known as a co-presenter, alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond, of the motoring programme ''Top Gear (2002 TV series), Top Gear'' fr ...
and
Richard Hammond Richard Mark Hammond (born 19 December 1969) is an English journalist, television presenter, and author. He co-hosted the BBC Two motoring programme ''Top Gear (2002 TV series), Top Gear'' from 2002 until 2015 with Jeremy Clarkson and James Ma ...
drove it on a "lunchtime office car park racing" track at Houghton Hall business park in the
Luton/Dunstable Urban Area The Luton/Dunstable urban area, according to the Office for National Statistics, is the conurbation (continuous built up area) including the settlements of Luton, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, in Bedfordshire, East of England. Despite straddli ...
.


Awards

The third-generation Picanto won the
iF product design award The iF Product Design Award was introduced in 1954 and is annually conferred by the iF International Forum Design. The award, which spans multiple disciplines, has more than 5,500 entries from around 59 nations every year. History The iF Indus ...
in the "Transportation Design" category and the
Red Dot The Red Dot Design Award is an international, annual design competition for product and industrial design, brand and communication design as well as design concepts, in which the Red Dot quality label is awarded to winners. The Red Dot Design A ...
award in the "Car Design" category in 2018. ''
What Car? ''What Car?'' is a British monthly automobile magazine and website, currently edited by Steve Huntingford and published by Haymarket Media Group. Other team members include deputy editor Darren Moss and test editors Will Nightingale, Neil Wi ...
'' named the Picanto "Best City Car" in their 2018 Car of the Year Awards.


Safety


Euro NCAP

Euro NCAP The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) is a European voluntary car safety performance assessment programme (i.e. a New Car Assessment Program) based in Leuven, Belgium. Formed in 1996, the first results were released in February ...
test results in 2017 for a LHD, 5-door hatchback variant with standard equipment on a 2017 registration: Euro NCAP test results in 2017 for a LHD, 5-door hatchback variant with optional safety pack on a 2017 registration:


Latin NCAP

Latin NCAP The Latin New Car Assessment Programme (Latin NCAP) is an Automobile safety rating, automobile safety assessment programme for Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 2010, it offers independent information to consumers about the safety l ...
results for the South Korean-made Picanto in its most basic Latin American market configuration with two airbags, no load limiters, and no ESC under their new rating protocol (similar to
Euro NCAP The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) is a European voluntary car safety performance assessment programme (i.e. a New Car Assessment Program) based in Leuven, Belgium. Formed in 1996, the first results were released in February ...
2014) in 2020 for a LHD, 5-door hatchback variant with only one airbag. It received a zero-star rating.


2020 facelift

In June 2020, Kia introduced a mid-life facelift. Featuring styling tweaks on the exterior, new technology and powertrains. Exterior update on standard models includes restyled headlights and grille, whilst the GT-Line and X-Line trims were given restyled front and rear bumpers. Interior updates includes a 4.2-inch instrument panel and 8-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto supports. Other interior updates are new upholstery and different colour trim options. The engine range has also been updated with revised fuel injection and engine management to improve fuel economy as well as a five-speed automatic gearbox to replace the older four-speed one. Safety and driver assist technology has been updated with features such as lane-keeping aid and emergency stop signal, the latter of which automatically turn on the car’s hazard lights in an event of sudden braking. File:Kia Morning JA PE Milky Beige (3) (cropped).jpg, Facelift File:Kia Morning JA PE Milky Beige (11) (cropped).jpg, Facelift File:Kia Picanto (JA) X-Line IMG 6052.jpg, X-Line (facelift) File:Kia Picanto (JA) X-Line IMG 6054.jpg, X-Line (facelift)


2023 facelift

On 4 July 2023, a second refresh of the JA Kia Picanto/Morning was unveiled in South Korea. This includes new styling changes, safety improvements and new equipment such as LED headlights and a new instrument cluster. File:Kia Morning JA PE2 Astro Grey (5) (cropped).jpg, Second facelift (South Korea) File:Kia Morning JA PE2 Astro Grey (19) (cropped).jpg, Second facelift (South Korea) File:Kia Morning GT-Line JA PE2 Signal Red (3) (cropped).jpg, GT-Line (second facelift) File:Kia Morning GT-Line JA PE2 Signal Red (7) (cropped).jpg, GT-Line (second facelift) File:Kia Morning JA PE2 Brown (1).jpg, Interior


Reliability

In January 2013, the Picanto was named most reliable car in the UK, according to data published by
Moneysupermarket.com MONY Group plc, trading as Money Supermarket, is a British company which specialises in technology-led money-saving platforms including several Comparison shopping website, price comparison websites. The company enables consumers to compare pri ...
in conjunction with
Warranty Direct Warranty Direct is a provider of direct consumer warranties based in the United Kingdom. The brand advertises products such as new car warranty, and extended warranty. History Extended warranties were the norm in North America, and were growi ...
. Out of a Reliability Index (RI) of 100 (the lower the score, the fewer problems reported by owners), the Picanto achieved a score of 3.00/100.


Motorsport

The Picanto is an official race car in
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
's Kia Platinum Cup, a racing organization created by Kia Motors Polska and Polish Automobile and Motorcycle Association. The organization started in 2006 as the Kia Picanto Cup before establishing a partnership with
Grupa Lotos Grupa Lotos S.A. was a vertically integrated oil company based in Gdańsk, in northern Poland. The company was listed in the Polish index WIG30. The Polish state was the majority shareholder with 53% percent. The company's main activity branch ...
to form the Kia Lotos Race a year later. Following the 2017 season, the organization was changed to Kia Platinum Cup after
PKN Orlen Orlen S.A. (formerly ), commonly known as Orlen, is a Polish multinational oil refiner, petrol retailer and natural gas trader headquartered in Płock, Poland. The company's subsidiaries include the main oil and gas companies of the Czech Rep ...
replaced Grupa Lotos as the title sponsor. The Morning is also an official race car in the Korea Speed Festival. In 2018, the Kia Picanto GT Cup was established in
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
by Kia Motors Portugal and CRM Motorsport.


Chinese copy controversy

In 2015, a Chinese low-speed electric vehicle manufacturer Yogomo released the Yogomo 330
electric car An electric car or electric vehicle (EV) is a passenger car, passenger automobile that is propelled by an electric motor, electric traction motor, using electrical energy as the primary source of propulsion. The term normally refers to a p ...
, which is a near-exact copy of the second generation Picanto.


Sales

The Picanto was Kia's best selling vehicle in Europe from 2004 to 2006, accounting for a third of the brand sales volumes during these years.


References


External links

* (South Korea) * (UK) {{Authority control Picanto Cars introduced in 2004 2010s cars 2020s cars City cars Hatchbacks Front-wheel-drive vehicles ANCAP superminis ASEAN NCAP superminis Euro NCAP superminis Global NCAP superminis Latin NCAP superminis Vehicles with CVT transmission