Naza Kia Malaysia have moved into overdrive for the new year. They recently launched the CKD variant of the Kia Grand Carnival MPV and now, from something big, they've launched the all-new Kia Picanto. This is currently the only non-national car brand competing in the small city car or A segment here in Malaysia. You've got to hand it to Naza Kia Malaysia for having a model in all the worthy segments.
While the A and even B segment are popular segments, they are very heavily contested with almost all the major brands here with their respective models. But Naza Kia is quite confident that with the all-new Picanto, they will be able to sell up to 5,000 units of the city car annually. This figure, while small to some actually makes up a 50% of the total targeted sales for Kia here in Malaysia. Of course, it all boils down to the car itself.
Newly designed from the ground up, the new Picanto has a 1.2 liter engine making 84ps and slightly over 121Nm of torque. It sends its power to the front wheels via a traditional 4 speed torque converter gearbox. While some may say that this is quite old school, old school actually could be better for long term maintenance and reliability. And since this is an urban roundabout, (and local speed limits are 110kmh), it should be adequate for such a small and light car. Personally the reliability factor could be a good thing too.
As for the car, it just looks good. Maybe this is a factor most people look at when buying a car. The all-new Picanto has the current Kia face or grille coupled to a overall look that is contemporary and trendy. It is a tall, well packaged compact city car and it does look well designed.
The Picanto is also built on a stiffer and stronger chassis with more high tensile steel added. More stiffness and lighter than previously - about 32% increase in static torsional strength. This bodes well for the occupants of the car. Couple that with its active and passive safety features, it is one of the safest small cars on the market today. The All-New Picanto has six airbags, ISOFIX baby seat mounts, rear seatbelt pretensioners and active safety systems like ABS and ESC.
As with all the Kia models launched here in recent years, it is very well equipped. The passengers will get to see a large ‘floating’ 7.0-inch touchscreen at the centre of the dashboard houses a navigation system with 3D map which connects to your smartphone whether using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto with voice recognition features. Users can access their smartphone functions via the Head Unit’s user interface to get directions, make calls, receive messages and listen to music. Other multimedia features include an audio remote control, Bluetooth and AUX & USB ports.
Currently there is only one specification for the all-new Picanto. It will be priced at RM49,888 without insurance (Peninsular Malaysia) and with a 5 year unlimited mileage warranty. Price and warranty are quite good for a non-national car. It does make the mix of cars in the A and B segment a little more colourful. The more choices we have as consumers, the better. Oh, speaking about colours, you can have the Picanto in Pop Orange, Lime Light, Honey Bee, Clear White and Titanium Silver (5 colours).
More details are in the Press Release and Spec Sheet below:
PRESS RELEASE
Naza Kia Malaysia Introduces the Modern, Innovative and
Sporty All-New Kia Picanto
Kuala Lumpur, January 10, 2018 – To kick-start the first chapter of 2018, Naza Kia Malaysia
today unveiled the All-New Kia Picanto. The launch by the official distributor of Kia vehicles in
Malaysia took place at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC).
Now in its third generation, the All-New Kia Picanto is the only new non-national brand in the
local A-segment and brings a new youthful and energetic character to the market. Boasting an
assertive new innovative design, better performance and a spacious new cabin, the latest model
also promises to be the most versatile car in its class.
“The Malaysian automotive A-segment market is one of the most fiercely contested segments.
With the introduction of the All-New Kia Picanto, we hope to tap on this lucrative market
segment and set the tone for our sales this year. We are confident that with this latest addition
to the local Kia line-up, we will be able to achieve the Kia Picanto’s sales target of 5,000 units.
This model is important as it would account to 50% of Naza Kia’s total sales target for 2018,“
said Dato’ Samson Anand George, Group CEO, Automotive Group, Naza Corporation Holdings
Sdn Bhd.
The All-New Kia Picanto is uniquely modern, designed with safety and power in mind, with
futuristic details and sportier image. Inspired by iconic designs, the latest addition to Kia’s line-
up is a stronger build with subtle edginess and a rich body volume to fulfil customer’s demands.
The All-New Kia Picanto dons a dynamic design with a modern rich cubic effect on its side
profile to create a strong yet sophisticated side-line treatment and bolder body lines for a more
fun urban drive look. Its open-link style radiator grille visually enhances the Picanto’s wide
proportions to achieve that modern sleek look.
“The Kia brand is a trendsetter in the global automotive sector. This was especially evident after
renowned automobile designer Peter Schreyer was appointed Chief Design Officer. Each Kia
model is masterfully crafted equipped with cutting-edge technologies and is engineered to have
its own personality without compromising safety and functionality,” Dato’ Samson continued.
With the wheelbase extended to 2,400mm (increase of 15mm), the wheels are pushed further
out to the corners of the car for a 25mm shorter front overhang, making the car look more
planted on the road.
The exterior of the All-New Kia Picanto is also complemented by new projection bi-functional
headlamps that project both high and low beams, with LED indicators and LED daytime running
lights. The bumper is also retained from its predecessor with added detail to enhance overall
aesthetics.
Inside the All-New Kia Picanto, Kia designers created a refined cabin with a modern lifestyle feel
as compared to the second-generation model, with new materials and layout, adding a greater
sense of quality. The predominantly horizontal design adds greater visual width to the interior,
highlighting the increased cabin dimensions.
For added comfort, the seats of the All-New Kia Picanto are revamped to provide better seating
for all occupants while maintaining all other interior space advantages. The seating height of the
first row seats are reduced by 10mm and moved backwards by 5mm to improve headroom by
3mm and legroom by 15mm. The optimised door trim also increases shoulder room by 10mm
for the 1 st row seats. Additionally, the latest model’s crash pad is now slimmer with its steering
wheel moved 10mm upwards to increase knee and foot room.
Those who value luggage space can now rejoice as the All-New Kia Picanto now boasts greater
luggage capacity and better space efficiency with its foldable second row seats (60:40 split),
giving up to 1,010 litres of maximised cargo space. It also comes with other value added
convenience which the market has come to appreciate in a car of this segment which includes
keyless entry, push start button, one touch triple turn signal, auto light control, RPAS (Rear
Parking Assist System), electric folding side mirrors and safety power window on the driver’s
side.
Dato Samson further commented, “The All-New Kia Picanto is tailored for the confident and
stylish urbanite youths with a preference for sporty uniqueness, fuel efficiency and modern
safety features. That is why the Kia tag line, “The Power to Surprise" represents Kia’s global
commitment to surprise the world by providing exciting & inspiring experiences that go beyond
expectations.”
The All-New Kia Picanto was carefully crafted with top-notch safety features. It is constructed
with double the proportion of Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS) compared to the outgoing
model and a selection of active safety technologies.
With a stronger body than ever before, 44% of the All-New Kia Picanto’s bodyshell is cast in
AHSS (up from 22%), reducing body-in- white weight by 23 kg while improving tensile strength
by 12%. The new, stronger steel reinforces the floor pan, roof rails and engine bay, as well as
the A- and B-pillars, strengthening the core structure around the car. The new bodyshell also
uses more than eight times the quantity of structural adhesive found in the previous model (67
metres of joints throughout the structure are now reinforced with adhesive). Overall, static
torsional stiffness has been improved by 32%.
For value added safety, the All-New Kia Picanto has six airbags strategically placed up front and
at the sides of all passengers, ISOFIX baby seat mounts, rear seatbelt pretensioners and active
safety systems like ABS and ESC.
Owners of the All-New Kia Picanto will now have access to some of the most advanced
infotainment and modern technology enhancement available in the A-segment, while still
enjoying the same high value for money expected of a Kia vehicle.
The large ‘floating’ 7.0-inch touchscreen at the centre of the dashboard houses a navigation
system with 3D map which connects to your smartphone; readily integrated using Apple
CarPlay and Android Auto with voice recognition features. This grants users access to their
smartphone functions via the Head Unit’s user interface to get directions, make calls, receive
messages and listen to music. Other multimedia features include an audio remote control,
Bluetooth and AUX & USB ports.
Powered by a 1.2 Kappa MPI engine, The All-New Kia Picanto has a Gated type 4AT with
improved NHV performance, better fuel efficiency and power delivery efficiency.
To further add value to Kia vehicles, Naza Kia Malaysia is also reintroducing the ‘NOVUS’ Kia
accessory bundle for all new Kia vehicles starting with the All-New Picanto, for the first time
ever, in the Malaysian market. There will be two NOVUS Accessories packages available,
exclusive for the newest Kia Picanto; the All-New Picanto NOVUS X and the All-New Picanto
NOVUS S, priced at RM5,618 (incl. GST) and RM3,498 (incl. GST) respectively. Accessories
included in the package are the NOVUS emblem, solar tints, stylish and sporty NOVUS
Bodykits, as well as leather seats and a DVR-digital video recorder among others.
The All-New Kia Picanto is now available in the Malaysian market in five different colours such
as Pop Orange, Lime Light, Honey Bee, Clear White and Titanium Silver, and is now on display
in authorised Kia showrooms nationwide.
*Only one variant of Kia Picanto is available for customisation.
Kia Picanto Product Specifications:
ENGINE
Type Kappa 1.2 MPI CVVT
Displacement (cc) 1,248
Bore X Stroke (mm) 71 x 78.8
Max. Power [Ps (kW)/rpm] 84 (61.8)/6,000
Max. Torque [NM (kg.m)/rpm] 121.6 (12.4)/4,000
Fuel Type Petrol
Fuel Tank (litres) 35
TRANSMISSION
Transmission Type 4-Speed Automatic
CHASSIS
Seating Capacity (Pax) 5
Body Type 5-Door Hatchback
BRAKING
Front Brake Ventilated Disc
Rear Brake Solid Disc
SUSPENSION & WHEEL/TYRE
Front MacPherson Strut
Rear Coupled Torsion Beam Axle (CTBA)
Wheel 14" Alloy
Tyre Size 175/65 R14
Spare Tyre Temporary Tyre
EXTERIOR
Head Lamp Projector Halogen with Auto Light Control & LED Daytime
Running Lights
Rear Combination Lamp LED Type
Fog Lamp Projector type front, rear bulb
Side Door Mirror
Electric Adjustable
Integrated LED side turn signal
Electric Folding
Body Colour
Outer Handles Door Chrome Coating
INTERIOR
Instrumental Panel Trip Computer
Segment-type Meter Cluster
Sun Visor Vanity Mirror
Audio Floating Type 7 inch LCD Colour Touchscreen
Apple CarPlay & Android Auto Ready
Radio/MP3/AUX/USB
Bluetooth, 6 speakers, Steering Audio Control & Rear View
Camera with dynamic guideline
Air Conditioner Manual
Front Seat Fabric with Driver Seat Height Adjuster
Seatbelt Front : 3-Point ELR Type with Height adjuster
Rear : with Pre-tensioner
Key Smart Key & Keyless Entry
Luggage
Rear shelf cover
255 litres capacity
Windows
Front and rear powered
Driver's auto up & down
STEERING
Steering
Leather wrap upholstery
Motor Driven Power Steering
Min. turning cycle Radius of 4.8m
Tilt steering
SAFETY
Airbags Dual front, side, curtain
Child Anchor ISOFIX
Sensor
Rear Parking Assist System with 3 Sensors
Speed & Impact Sensing Auto Door Lock
Vehicle Stability Management ABS, BAS, ESC, TRC
Hill-Start Assist Control HAC
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