Kia Picanto Hatchback

1.2 Shadow 5dr [2025]

It is over twenty years since Kia first launched the Picanto. Unveiled in 2003, its name is taken from the Spanish word' picante', which means 'spicy' (the same in Italian, albeit with a double 'c').

Few would have called the first generation spicy, but the ‘second coming’ of the Picanto certainly had added character when it arrived in 2011.

The third-generation model was unveiled six years later, and Kia has finally launched a facelifted version.

It is about time, too, as the Picanto has been in its current form for seven years.

Most car manufacturers operate on a life cycle of approximately eight years – but they usually give the vehicle a makeover around halfway through this period. Hence, the Picanto's updates have kicked-in around three years later than expected.

This suggests that Kia is trying to stretch out the lifespan of the Picanto, with the Korean automaker known to be keen on electrifying it at some point. So, this could be the final combustion-engined iteration.

An electrified Picanto will require a new platform, so it’ll survive for a few more years before Kia replaces it with an all-new model or calls its replacement the 'Picanto EV'.

As the smallest Kia in the range, it has a vital role to play for those wanting a nippy city car.

So, is this revised petrol-fuelled Picanto enough to tide us over until an electrified version comes along? We took it for a spin to find out.