2024 Kia Picanto prices up, but more safety kit added

Picanto prices, published by Redbook, start at $17,890 before on-road costs for the new base Sport manual – up $1600 on the 2023 S manual.

As previously confirmed, the flagship GT is dead, taking its turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine with it. All surviving Picantos come with a naturally aspirated 1.25-litre four.

The Sport auto is also $1600 higher than the S auto, while GT-Line models see price increases of $1950.

The base Sport sees a significant increase in the amount of standard safety equipment.

In addition to the already standard autonomous emergency braking (AEB), it gains active blind-spot assist, lane-keep assist, and rear cross-traffic alert.

While the Korean-market Morning, as the Picanto is known there, can also be had with adaptive cruise control, that doesn't feature in the local-spec Picanto.

The spec guide doesn't detail changes to the AEB system, but in Korea the Morning/Picanto features pedestrian and cyclist detection.

Other additional kit includes power-folding exterior mirrors, LED rear fog lights, and a leatherette-wrapped steering wheel and shifter. GT-Line models also gain LED headlights.

Unusually, per Redbook the combined cycle fuel consumption claim for both the manual and auto Picanto is up.

Manual models now use 5.4L/100km (up from 5L), while auto models use 6L/100km (up from 5.8L).

Outputs for the 1.25-litre four are unchanged at 62kW of power and 122Nm of torque. It continues to be offered with either a five-speed manual or four-speed auto.

The 2024 colour palette comprises:

Honey Bee yellow and Pop Orange have been removed.

The price increases may see the Picanto cede its status as Australia's cheapest car. The 2023 Picanto S manual has a nationwide drive-away price of $18,890, while its larger but much older rival, the MG 3, now costs $19,990 drive-away.

But the current MG 3 has no active safety technology, while the next-generation model due in 2024 is unlikely to get blind-spot assist and rear cross-traffic alert.

The new Chinese hatch will likely, however, finally get AEB as well as traffic sign recognition, lane-keep assist and tyre-pressure monitoring.

The Picanto has a four-star ANCAP rating that will expire at the end of this year, while the MG 3 has no ANCAP rating and only a three-star Euro NCAP score from 2014 for reference. MG has said the new MG 3 is unlikely to get a five-star ANCAP rating.

All prices exclude on-road costs.

MORE: Everything Kia Picanto

Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au