NAZA Kia Malaysia Sdn Bhd, the official distributor of Kia vehicles in Malaysia, launched the third generation Picanto early this year.
In less than two months, Naza Kia has received 1,000 orders and delivered 400 units.
The company organised a media drive to Melaka recently.
The new Kia Picanto is powered by a Kappa 1.2-litre MPI DOHC engine. It is hooked to a four-speed automatic transmission. The mill produces 82hp at 6,000rpm and 122 Nm of torque from 4,000rpm.
The diminutive Picanto stands at 3,595 mm in length, 1,595 mm width and 1,485 mm height with a wheelbase of 2,400 mm. It has 255 litres of boot space and a 35-litre fuel tank.
Kia says the Picanto is safer than before, thanks to the use of double the amount of advanced high strength steel as before.
The Picanto comes with LED daytime running lights with position lamps, fog lights, auto headlights, LED rear combination lamps, floating type seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple play and Android Auto function, multifunction leather steering wheel, front and rear fog lamps, six-speaker car audio system, electric folding side mirrors, as well as the keyless entry with push-to-start button.
Safety features include six airbags, rear-view reverse camera, rear parking sensors, anti-lock braking system, brake assist system, electronic stability control, traction control and ISOFIX child seat anchor mounting points. It has also achieved a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating.
The Picanto is priced at RM49,888 without insurance and is covered by a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty.
THE DRIVE
We gathered at the Kia Red Cube PJ on a bright sunny morning. After a short briefing, we were flagged off in the Picanto.
The arrangement was two persons to a car, and a total of 13 Picanto made way to Senawang for our first driver change.
The design of the Picanto’s dashboard was straightforward and the material used was solid. Even after we had engaged the gear to Drive, the gearbox was not flimsy and gave a firm feeling.
Initial driving impressions as we headed out to the Federal Highway after the flag-off was that the engine responded effectively to the throttle input. It accelerated smoothly and the gearshift was not laggy.
The Picanto is able to reach above the legal speed limit with ease, despite being powered by a humble 1.2-litre engine.
The convoy continued to Senawang through the rural roads of Semenyih and used the Silk highway near Seremban.
On the twisty rural roads, the medium hard suspension and absorber setting of the Picanto overcome most damaged and rough road condition with ease.
The Picanto grips tenaciously to the road during high speed and sharp corners. It feels positively glued to the tarmac with minimum bodyroll.
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The interior can easily fit in a large frame adult with sufficient headroom and legroom. However, if the front seats are push backwards to its limit, it is quite difficult to fit any rear occupant comfortably.
It came as a surprise that the cabin of the Picanto was rather quiet. Kia engineers had done a fabulous job in reducing the wind and tyre noises even at high speed.
Nevertheless, the engine roars loudly under full acceleration and the noise was noticeable.
After more than an hour’s drive, we reached Senawang for our change. The convoy then proceeded to Melaka for a photoshoot session before returning to Kuala Lumpur.
The Picanto sits securely on the road even when traversing puddles. When we were overtaken by long trailers on the highway during the downpour, we didn’t feel the pressure wave of air pushing the Picanto, which is a common issue for most compact A-segment hatchback.
The Picanto is a solid A-segment contender, but there is still space for improvements. We felt that the Picanto’s door panel should come with some soft-touch material, to enhance the comfort level inside.