Kia has updated both its Picanto city car and Rio supermini with simpler model structures and upgraded equipment levels.
Kia Picanto updates
The Picanto range now comprises of just three trim levels: ‘1 Air’, ‘SE’ and ‘Sport’. The SE trim replaces the now defunct ‘2’ and ‘SR7’ trims, while ‘Sport’ replaces ‘3’ and ‘4’.
The entry-level ‘1’ trim has also been dropped, but the Picanto’s starting price of £8,545 remains the same and is now applied to the ‘1 Air’ trim. That means the Picanto now comes with air conditioning as standard at no extra cost. Even better, the Picanto 1 Air now also features Bluetooth, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and front seat belt height adjustment, again, at no added cost.
As for the SE trim, which starts from £10,395, it has all the kit that featured on the SR7 trim plus stop-start engine technology and automatic air conditioning.
The Sport trim, starting from £11,995, gets new stylish front and rear bumpers and a twin-tipped exhaust tailpipe. Picantos in the Sport trim are also finished exclusively in a red, black or white paintjob. Aluminium pedals with non-slip rubber pads, sat-nav and cruise control also feature.
Engines include a 65bhp 1.0-litre petrol, which is available for the 1 Air and SE grades. There’s also an 84bhp 1.25-litre petrol unit that’s available for the SE and Sport trims.
Kia Rio updates
Turning attention to the Rio, the five-door supermini’s line-up now consists of four trim levels: ‘1 Air’, ‘SE’, ‘3’ and ‘4’. Like with the Picanto, the Rio’s new SE trim replaces the ‘2’ and ‘SR7’ trims and the entry-level ‘1’ trim has been scrapped. The Kia Rio maintains its starting price of £10,945 even after making air conditioning a standard feature.
The Rio’s SE trim, which starts at £12,995, includes automatic air conditioning, cruise control and adjustable and heated door mirrors. The 3 and 4 trims are unchanged from before. Engines for the Rio still include a 1.25-litre petrol unit and 1.1-litre CRDi diesel.
Find prices for the Kia Picanto and Kia Rio