Kia Picanto - Variants explained

The latest Kia Picanto is the third-generation model from the Korean automaker. This hatchback is known for being the ideal compact city car. With its ability to easily traverse through daily traffic while still maintaining its energetic qualities. Kia recently gave the Picanto a more stylish facelift, ditching the quirky look and giving it a more mature appearance.

Not only that, but Kia also extended the wheelbase, adding more cabin space inside. This makes it more ideal for the urban driver, with additional cargo space and legroom.

The latest Picanto is currently available in two variants with each offering both manual and automatic transmissions.

Engine specifications

Specs	1.0L LX M/T (Euro 4)	1.0L LX A/T (Euro 4)	1.2L EX M/T (Euro 4)	1.2L EX A/T (Euro 4)
Engine Type	1.0-liter inline-3 mill		1.2-liter inline-4
Displacement	998 cc		1,248 cc
Max Power	67 hp @ 5,500 rpm		84 hp @ 6,400 rpm
Max Torque	95 Nm @ 3,750 rpm		132 Nm @ 4,000 rpm
Drive	Front-Wheel Drive
Transmission	5-speed manual transmission	4-speed automatic transmission	5-speed manual transmission	4-speed automatic transmission

Two gasoline engines are available: a 1.0-liter inline-3 mill and a 1.2-liter inline-4. These two engines are what mainly distinguish each variant from each other. To help you decide which Picanto variant you should take home, we took a closer look at each one.

Picanto 1.0 LX (MT, AT)

The Picanto LX is powered by a 1.0-liter inline-3 mill engine which can generate 67 hp and 95 Nm of torque. It can be mated to either a 5-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission. This is actually the same engine that powered the previous generation. While Kia didn’t change anything under the hood, it did receive additional cabin space as well as a number of advanced tech features.

A horizontal approach was taken, making the amount of headroom, legroom, and shoulder room more noticeable. The seats are also split 60:40 so it’s still comfortable even when you fold the rear seats.

Despite being an entry-level compact vehicle, the Picanto specs sheets has a number of advanced tech features including a 2.6-inch LCD touchscreen infotainment system equipped with both Apple Car Play and Android Auto, automatic climate control, steering mounted audio and Bluetooth.

The variant with manual transmission is priced at ₱590,000 while the automatic is priced at ₱635,000.

Picanto 1.2 EX (MT, AT)

The Picanto EX is powered by a 1.2-liter inline-4 engine. This engine is Kia’s newest offering for the Picanto. It generates 84 hp and 132 Nm of torque — which is an impressive number for a compact hatchback. Similar to the LX, it can be mated to either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission. 

In addition to that, Kia also made improvements towards the chassis, resulting in better driving performance. While the Picanto has always delivered a smooth ride, these changes significantly improved the balance and responsiveness of the vehicle — promising an even better driving experience.

Thanks to this, its fuel economy numbers have also improved. In fact, they’re so impressive that they’ve almost reached the benchmark for most vehicles.

On top of that, this high-end variant also comes with additional tech features such as keyless entry with alarm and a child anchor ISOFIX for both rear upper and lower seats. All variants come with an LED high mount stoplight.

The variant with manual transmission is priced at ₱700,000 while the automatic is priced at ₱745,000. Here’s the Kia Picanto price list:

Picanto 1.0 LX MT	₱590,000
Picanto 1.0 LX AT	₱635,000
Picanto 1.2 EX MT	₱700,000
Picanto 1.2 EX AT	₱745,000

All variants are priced below P1 million, making it an affordable vehicle. The price ranges between each variant are still relatively large, however, it’s still minimal enough to cater to all kinds of budgets.

Verdict

The Kia Picanto has made a strong comeback with upgrades fit for the urban driver. The new 1.2-litre engine offers a more powerful drive, rivaling most top hatchbacks in the segment such as the Honda Jazz and Suzuki Swift. Regardless of which variant you’ll take home, it’s definitely proven itself to be an excellent small city car.

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Also read: Kia Picanto - Top features explained