THE ALL-NEW PICANTO has been widely recognised by the UK’s motoring press, having won a host of awards in late 2011. Most recently, Top Gear magazine named the Picanto Bargain of the Year at its annual awards, saying: “Here’s a Korean supermini that you might choose over, say, a Fiat 500. You want a bargain? The car we have here is a touch over ten grand, but you can have one for under eight. That’s two grand less than the cheapest Cinquecento, and – for our money – the better car.” The Picanto was also named Northern Car of the Year by the Northern Group of Motoring Writers. Derrick Grocock, Vice-Chairman of the Association, said: “Picanto was a clear winner thanks to its looks, quality and excellent packaging, which makes it such a perfect city car.” The Picanto was named Best Supermini in What Car? magazine’s Green Awards, outperforming the Ford Fiesta 1.6 TDCi 95 Econetic with its low emissions and fuel economy. Judges praised the Picanto’s interior:
“The cabin is surprisingly classy for such a cheap car and the driving position isn’t the sit-up-and-beg sort that blights budget motors. We think the ‘1 Air’ trim makes the most sense. It gets the all-important air conditioning, electric front windows and Kia’s famous 7 year warranty, but crucially doesn’t push the price into the territory of full-size superminis.” The Picanto was also recognised by the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers who named it Best Small Car at its 2011 Car of the Year Awards. Association President, John Murdoch, said: “Superminis remain Scotland’s biggest selling segment and 2011 has seen some cracking new arrivals boasting incredible economy coupled with low emissions. Not only is our top small car good to drive, easy to park, affordable to buy and cheap to run but it’s also good looking and benefi ts from the quality feel of its larger siblings. Add in the choice of 3- or 5-door body styles and it’s clear to see the appeal.”
“ Receiving the iF product design award for the new Kia Picanto is a great success for our design team and it is welcome recognition of our brand’s design-oriented strategy”
AWARD
PRESTIGIOUS DESIGN TITLE FOR SUPERMINI
The sporty, 3-door Picanto has been awarded the prestigious iF product design award 2012. The award recognises the model’s design, quality, innovation and eco-friendliness. The Picanto is the fourth Kia model to be recognised by the iF product design awards, with the Venga, Sportage and Optima awarded by the organisation in recent years. Commenting on the latest award, Peter Schreyer, Kia’s Chief Design Offi cer, said: “Receiving the iF product design award for the new Kia
Picanto is a great success for our design team and it is welcome recognition of our brand’s design-oriented strategy. The second generation Picanto displays a very purposeful, self-assured design, and its sportiness is particularly underscored by the 3-door version.”
Boasting bold and dynamic styling, high-quality interior fi ttings and a host of class- leading features, the new Picanto is the fi rst to be offered in a 3-door version.