New turbocharged engine joins Kia Picanto range

Kia has now added a turbocharged engine to its Picanto line-up, completing the range which was updated in 2017. The new 1.0-litre powerplant produces 99bhp and 171Nm of torque — making it the most powerful Picanto to date.

The new engine is available as an upgrade for cars in GT-Line and GT-Line S trims, and sits above the existing naturally aspirated engines – a 1.0-litre three-cylinder and 1.25-litre four-cylinder with 67bhp and 84bhp respectively.

The new engine is capable of 0-60mph in 9.8 seconds and has a top speed of 112mph. That’s just on par with the 89bhp Volkswagen up! TSI, but the 109bhp Renault Twingo GT tops it by a few tenths. The Picanto is capable of returning impressive fuel economy figures though – with a combined figure of 55.4mpg and CO2 emissions of 117g/km. It’s fully compliant with Euro 6d emissions regulations, too.

This fresh unit does come at a price, as it’s only available on the top-end GT-Line and GT-Line S trims. Both add dynamic details to the Picanto, including a sports body kit, red highlights on the grille, air intakes and side sills, a rear diffuser and twin exhaust pipes.

S models add in extra luxury in the form of an electric sunroof, climate control, heated front seats, a wireless phone charger and sat-nav with TomTom connected services.

In the best Kia tradition, the Picanto comes with an industry-leading seven-year warranty, compared with just three years on most rivals.

The GT-Line model equipped with the new engine starts at £13,320, while GT-Line S models come in from £14,720. The challenge for the Picanto is that this price puts it in line with the significantly more powerful Volkswagen up! GTI, which starts from £13,255.