Kia’s budget city car will undergo a refresh later this year but images have already leaked online
Although Kia has strengthened its all-electric range of cars and is in the midst of updating its Sorento range-topper, the Korean firm hasn’t forgotten about the entry-level Picanto city car model – evidenced by leaked images of the facelifted 2023 version that have appeared online.
The images show the Picanto has been given an entirely new front end with a redesigned bonnet, bumper and LED headlights. Kia’s ‘Tiger-nose’ grille returns but has been restyled as well. This appears to be the sportier GT-Line version of the Picanto, which we expect will top the city car’s trim level line up.
The side profile looks unchanged aside from a new set of diamond-cut alloy wheels. A big change appears at the rear because while the boot lid panel is the same shape as before there’s a new rear light design with a rear light bar. A faux diffuser has also been added to the bumper, but the old GT-Line’s shotgun-style exhaust isn’t visible here.
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Given its affordable brief, the Picanto won't adopt the large twin-screw display panel as seen on the latest Niro, but it could receive an improved central touchscreen with Kia's latest infotainment software. Minor tweaks to the interior trims and upholstery options could also differentiate the new Picanto.
It's very likely that the Picanto's core mechanicals will go unchanged, too, with Kia’s 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine available across the range in either naturally aspirated or turbocharged form. These offer 66bhp or 99bhp in the current car, respectively, with the lower-power model gaining the option of a five-speed automatic gearbox.
We expect a marginal increase on the outgoing Picanto’s £13,415 starting price tag when the updated model goes on sale, once again rivalling the Toyota Aygo X and Hyundai i10.
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