Kia Picanto now in automatic for convenient city commuting
“The introduction of an automatic version of the Picanto 1.2 SMART is a direct result of market feedback,” said David Sieff, Marketing Director of Kia Motors South Africa, earlier this year when the Korean marque indicated its own research strongly pointed to the demand for an automatic Picanto.
“With urban congestion only getting worse, many customers are realising just how perfect the Picanto is for the daily commute to work. Our research among both current and prospective owners have confirmed this, and we’re confident that the addition of an automatic Picanto 1.2 SMART will cement the Picanto’s position as a customer favourite,” he added.
Until late January this year, the Picanto Smart could only be bought with a manual transmission.
Kia said in a statement announcing the automatic Picanto that the model’s popularity is confirmed that they have regularly been able to swing more than 700 units every month since the Picanto’s launch in the middle of last year. The current model range is the third generation Picanto available in southern Africa.
Kia said many new customers are joining the KIA family as the trend of buying down continues. A combination of compact dimensions, smart styling and smart features make the Picanto the perfect companion for every day urban driving.
The Picanto 1.2 SMART Automatic is powered by a four-cylinder 1.25-litre MPI engine that produces peak power of 61 kW and 122 Nm of torque. The proven Kia 4-speed automatic transmission ensures smooth acceleration and boosts fuel efficiency.
Kia’s engineers have optimised the valve timing of the engine’s dual continuously-variable valve timing)system, and designed a new cooling system with a shut-off valve that reduces the time it takes the engine to warm-up from a cold start. Low-friction coated piston rings also help to reduce cylinder friction for greater efficiency.
The KIA Picanto 1.2 SMART Automatic retails for around N$215,000 which includes Kia’s unlimited kilometre, 5-year warranty. A service plan is optional.
