Kia might be bringing an electric version of its compact hatchback, Picanto, in the European market if they can lower the costs to make it a viable option
Picante in Spanish means ‘spicy’ or ‘hot’, and the Picanto (derived from Picante) certainly is true to its name. Seeing its popularity and the growing EV trend, the Korean carmaker is thinking of electrifying the Picanto.
Available in 8 different variants, the Picanto is the smallest offering in Kia’s international lineup. It has a length of 3,595mm, a width of 1,485mm, a height of 1,595mm, and a wheelbase which is 2,400mm long. Picanto shares its platform with Kia’s sister brand Hyundai’s i10 sold in the foreign markets.
Currently in its third-gen avatar, Picanto has a starting price tag of around €10,000 which goes up to €17,000. The cost of bringing an electric version would put the end product at about €20,000. However, Kia believes the price needs to be brought down to the €16,000-€17,000 bracket to make the Picanto EV marketable.
Kia is yet to comment on the launch date of the Picanto in the Indian market, but if it does, the Picanto will likely get multiple petrol-engine options. The Picanto that was brought to India for testing last year was powered by a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder petrol engine that puts out 67PS and 95Nm. Other engine options could possibly include a 1.25-litre 4-cylinder unit rated at 84PS and a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder turbocharged engine that makes 100PS.
The top variant, GT-Line S of the Picanto includes goodies such as a 7-inch touch-screen infotainment system with navigation, heated seats and steering wheel, a sunroof, cruise control. Expect the Indian version to miss out on most of these.
In the European markets, the Kia Picanto rivals the Hyundai i10, Volkswagen Up, Peugeot 108, Citroen C1 and Toyota Aygo. If it were brought to India, the Picanto would put up against Hyundai Grand i10 Nios, Maruti Suzuki Swift, Ford Figo and also Tata Tiago.