Kia’s baby grows up

Kia’s baby of the range, the Picanto has matured into the SE+ and comes with a 1.1-litre engine, leather upholstery, chrome grille and five seats but keeps its childlike price tag of just £7,595.

Picanto has become popular for its cheeky look, practicality and the value provided by its five doors for the price of three. The SE+ builds on Picanto’s existing internal style by offering leather and cloth seat trim with a 60:40 split in the rear and leather steering wheel and gear knob. It’s not just the inside that counts though, Picanto looks fantastic from the outside too with 14 inch alloy wheels, front fog lamps and chrome grille.

The SE+ shares the same high level of specification found in its sister model the LX, with air conditioning, remote central door locking, perimeter alarm, front and rear electric windows, and electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors; four speakers accompany the CD audio with MP3 player.

Picanto has become one of the leaders in its segment since the launch in May 2004 and is currently the third best seller year-to-date in the A segment behind the Ford Ka and Citroën C2. Ideal for value conscious buyers, Picanto provides a small and practical car with a low group three insurance rating and low running costs, with a combined mpg of just 54.3.

Paul Williams, Managing Director, Kia Motors (UK) Limited said: "Picanto not only brought the first of a new generation of Kia products to the market but also launched our ‘Smart Value’ proposition to customers that now spreads across our whole range. It has been an important vehicle for us and has helped firmly establish Kia against our competitors."

The top of the range SE+, on sale now, introduces a fourth derivative to the Picanto range which continues to be Kia’s best-selling model.

The full line-up and list pricing and insurance groups are:

Picanto 1.0 S £5,495 2

Picanto 1.0 GS £5,995 2

Picanto 1.1 LX £6,595 3

Picanto 1.1 LX Auto £7,395 3

Picanto 1.1 SE+ £7,595 3