• Picanto five-door range starts from £7,995 OTR
• 100g/km CO₂ or less on most models – Free RFL and Congestion Charge exemption
• New engines deliver stronger performance, lower fuel consumption and CO₂
• High levels of specification across the range
• 3-door version to join the line-up for the first time later in 2011

The new, second-generation Kia Picanto is in the Phoenix showroom now and sets out to prove that small cars can offer more of everything without ballooning in size and cost.

Kia’s smallest car offers stronger performance with lower fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions than its predecessor; more style with much higher quality, without a premium price tag; more space, despite barely increasing in size; and huge steps forward in safety and luxury.

The car goes on sale with brand-new 1.0- and 1.25-litre Kappa-family petrol engines, which deliver fuel consumption improvements of up to 8.5mpg with CO₂ reductions of as much as 15g/km – yet in every respect performance is significantly better. The larger engine is available with Kia’s EcoDynamics fuel-saving technology – an Intelligent Stop & Go (ISG) engine stop/start system, or, alternatively with an automatic transmission.

The three-cylinder 1.0-litre unit develops 68bhp and 95Nm of torque and has an outstanding combined fuel economy of 67.3mpg. The 1.25-litre four-cylinder version of the Kappa engine is offered in three guises, all developing 84bhp and 121Nm of torque. In standard form it averages 60.1mpg. With a four-speed automatic transmission fuel consumption is an impressive 53.3mpg. Finally, there is the EcoDynamics version with fuel consumption at 65.7mpg.

New Picanto v previous model (standard five-speed manual)

For more information on the Specification and Features of the new Kia Picanto