2012 Kia Picanto Revealed In Sporty Three-door Style

Kia has revealed the sporty three-door version of its all-new 2012 Picanto city car, six months after its five-door sibling arrived on the international scene.

The Picanto three-door's styling is largely identical to the five-door and, despite the shorter appearance that the missing rear doors create, both bodystyles ride on the same wheelbase - giving buyers the same interior space in each variant.

Capitalising on its racier profile, the three-door also gets a larger grille, framed by a Golf GTI-like red and chrome trim. There are also more sports-styled bumpers front and rear, with larger foglight bezels and twin chrome exhaust tips.

Like the exterior, the cabin of the three-door is a near facsimile of the five-door's interior, except for the sliding and tilting front seats.

In Europe, the Picanto will be offered in four trim grades: 1, 1 Air, Halo and Equinox - the latter two being unique to the three-door bodystyle.

The up-spec Halo and Equinox models get voice-recognition Bluetooth connectivity, auto-sensor LED lights at the front rear and side skirts. The Equinox also benefits from automatic air conditioning and a smart key and start button combo.

The Halo variant offers 14-inch alloy wheels, while the Equinox rides on 15-inch alloys. 

Power for the three-door is a mirror of the five-door range, including a 50kW 1.0 litre three-cylinder petrol engine and a 62kW four-cylinder petrol engine.

Australia

While an Australian debut for the Picanto remains unclear, European showrooms will welcome the new model from early next month. Kia expects the three-door to make up around 45 percent of all Picanto sales.

Kia's next new offering in Australia will be the all-new Rio small car. Watch for TMR's review in the coming weeks.