2021 KIA Picanto Introduced: The Much Loved Urban Mini Just Received A Facelift

Everyone's favourite Korean Mini, the Kia Picanto has just received a facelift, and from what we can see from the details on Kia's Korean website, the Picanto has not only received a facelift, it has also had some upgrades that'll make its competitors look a bit shy. 

First up is that swanky looking exterior. Some plastic surgery has really enhanced the look to what was already a handsome looking little mini, with new headlights featuring projector lens with signature LED daytime running lights as part of the unit. A reshaped grille that looks like the GT Line from the previous vehicle has also been included, as well as a new front bumper that gives the updated Picanto an even more aggressive appearance. The rear has not changed much as Kia only tweaked the tail light a little and included some fake dual chrome pipes that also takes its cue from the GT Line. 

Under the bonnet, the facelifted Korean market Picanto comes with only a 1.0-litre 'Smartstream G' four-cylinder petrol engine with 75hp and 95Nm of torque. It is mated to a four-speed automatic that helps the car reach a claimed fuel consumption of 6.3L/100km. If the vehicle does eventually turn up on our shores, we're unsure whether it will come with this engine or the current 1.2-litre four-cylinder unit with 83hp and 122Nm of torque in the current Malaysian Picanto.

Now, the piece de resistance for this facelifted Picanto is its safety attributes and cabin experience. Safety wise, the Picanto now comes with Driver Fatigue Monitoring, Lane Keeping Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert with Rear Cross Collision Prevention Assist, which basically can stop the car if the driver doesn't, and the car's forward Auto Emergency Braking (AEB) system will also be capable of pedestrian detection.  Blind spot monitoring will also be included- that's a lot of safety gear for such a small car, fantastic!

The Picanto's cabin is definitely something its competitors will be jealous of as from the pictures; it looks absolutely top class. There is a new 4.2-inch TFT LCD driver information screen with digital speedometer, as well as an upgraded 8' touchscreen media system which is an inch larger than in the current car. Top-spec models also get Sat Nav as well as impressive seat cooling for the driver's seat.

There's no indication from KIA Malaysia on when the facelifted Picanto will arrive, but it has to sit in a queue as KIA Malaysia planned to launch the Seltos before COVID-19 attacked Malaysia. There's also the new K5 which launched globally before the Picanto, so it's a little hard to guess when we'll see this little Kia on our roads.