This white latest generation Kia Picanto (model code TA) was snapped by reader Sean Ooi on the Guthrie Corridor Expressway this week. Notice the stickers on the rear? It looks like a showroom car from another country. This isn’t the only new unlaunched Kia that’s been sighted on test in Malaysia in the past few months – we saw the Kia Rio on the road too, back in March 2012.
I’m not completely sure if it’s Naza Kia testing the Picanto, as the Kia Rio we saw had its badges taped, but this one didn’t, which gives me the impression that whoever put it on the road doesn’t really care much about the impression the public gets from seeing it on the road.
A long time ago I would just assume that if a Kia Picanto is on the road with trade plates, it meant the distributor is putting some miles on the car to see if it suits the Malaysian road environment, but not any more. This is because we’ve previously seen the Toyota Passo Sette (the originator of the Perodua Alza) and the Nissan March being tested on the road before, but not by Perodua and Nissan respectively – instead we identified the trade plates as belonging to Proton, so I suppose they were conducting some benchmarks.
Does anyone recognise the B1400A trade plate? Does it belong to Naza Kia?
I’d reckon it is Naza Kia, Koreans have an interesting way to generate hype, just like Ford did with the Ranger.
Picanto is a car for the kids to drive to college and back. Not much expectations except price must be affordable.
Of course. I think parents will buy for kids if its price is good and its safe.
This car looks ugly, Myvi much better.
plz drive ur MyVi forever then…cheer~!!
You like to assume what car people drive, eat too much kimchi are you?
Myvi look better coz die faster when accident.
MyV technology is outdated. Low in safety.
Actually, MyVi looks miles better than this Korean Junk
Ya ya this car is ugly,MYVI even more uglier.
Perodua sucks.
truee =(, cover signal warna orange,nmpak lama..tidak sngt menyukainyaaaa
Aiya, shut up la.
Kalo cantik pun tak guna jugak kalo handling macam sampan
Dari sesi nmpk gah..tp bila belakang alamak spoile le pulak kn… ^^”
quite fishy because nazakia usually use kedah trade plate and not selangor like in this picture.either picanto is very near to the launch or proton use it for benchmark for their GSC due to launch late 2013
Looking at the back view, I spot the Kia 5 year care sticker… Its not Singapore, they don’t have it there…
Googled this car up earlier on, damn!! It’s a great looking car… Interior and exterior much much nicer than the stupid ugly current myvi
Paul, I think next time I should send you all the pics of new car launched in Saudi Arabia as spy shots.. This Picanto is running on the road here for quite some time easily 4 months now..here there is no ho ha here about new car being launched..no spy shots etc unlike in Malaysia where the curiosity level is high..suddenly you see new model on the road..like the 2012 Camry and 2012 Civic…over here car is just another property….
Yaa Syeikh,
Over here car is not another property – it is just a toy, that’s why we Malaysians are curious and go oohh and aahh for new car launches, just like little kids ogling over new toys.
In Malaysia, lands and houses are considered as properties and we don’t go oohh and aahhh over them (we only go and jump from high building looking at their prices these days hehehe)
Dear Henry
You think I am an Arab.. I am a Malaysian working in Jeddah since 2008. Come here and you will see people do not really care about your car. I have seen numerous S class being abandoned on roadside for reasons known to the owners only..small scratches on Porsche Cayenne..in Malaysia the old W124 is cared with lots of TLC..here I keep banging my head each time I see an uncared W124…
i thought arab land tends to have american cars?
If NAZA Kia, they would get their test cars direct from Korea, not through other country dealers. And this has no camouflage at all, that obviously means they don’t care if this new car is seen by the public.
I reckon this is bought by Proton for benchmarking purposes…
There goes the Kimchi crowd.. Something awful looking like this, they say its beautiful and comparing it with a decent looking and larger, stable and much reliable Myvi… sigh.. what has Kimchi land and their kimchi cars done to our Malaysians!? I never get it!?
haha, Myvi is stable? You sure about that? I haven’t see any decent reviews of Myvi outside Malaysia, and this Picanto has scored quite good in Autocar’s review.
Noob.
And yet the Kimchis managed to come out and built a car rather than hiding behind a computer,typing on crappy keyboard,giving shitty comment on paul tan.
Beauty is rather subjective and the fight between Myvi vs Picanto TA in Malaysia certainly in favor of the local. Given the even playing field, Picanto is outright winner if price is factored in. the diesel too, very cool- about 80mpg
If Naza in limbo between the bigger Rio vs Picanto, bring Rio instead.
KIA is always look better than Hyundai, and much2 better than other national product. Now wheres the new Ceed?
It’s seems that there’s a lot of NAZA supporters here. They’re either Naza salesman or just those people who love to bodek Datuk Wira SM Faisal. Anyway, most of Kia cars are suck big time. I didn’t say all ok, only most of them. I know that you know it. Haha..
Like Kia means support NAZA, you stay in Malaysia means you like the current government??? Do you see the logic, your logic got problem.
Most Kia sucks… Please name those that you think it sucks and compare to which brand it is sucks.
10 years, there were still a lot of people using Nokia and Sony Ericsson and complained a lot about Samsung and other Korean made mobile phone, look at the market now, lots of people are using Samsung, do you see the different? Korean’s car are improving and they improve massively, how about Japanese car in Malaysia, I don’t see much improvement…
hopefully nazaKia will launch tis car so soon.. ^^
They should also brought in Soul! A very cool and chic car for urban use…
too little too late, got an i10.
Myvi owner please go away and keep your mouth shut, u criticize other cars because you could not afford them. Sad group of people.
it is already available in indonesia…duh
already launched in south korea so much earlier….
hahaha
saw quite many kind of new generation picanto when i was in korea. they look really cute in the flesh. can’t wait to get my hands on one.
If not because of proton wira in the second pic, I’ll think that this spyshot is not from Malaysia..
FUGLY piece of junk
I will buy one if they bring in MT 1.25L Kappa…
Ok, this car looks weird.
We want Kia Cee’d!!
Another piece of junk anticipate to fail like all it’s previous generation picanto/suria, if i10 no match for mighty myvi picanto would be another death Korean scrap myvi going rolled over.
its ugly,come dislike me.
for ur guys info,this car is a benchmark car for perodua future model..they are testing this car for benchmarking purposes..i heard they bought this car from korea and other model as well..this is an insider information from perodua.
Small econoboxes could use some injection on the looks department. Would probably sell quite well if priced correctly….and given market positioning, this could very well slot in under the i10’s price…. which would be a very competitive price, given how this looks.
Now, Kia, when are you bringing in the Rio hatch/sedan? Sure that rips off VAG products, but gosh, it sure is a looker. Kia seems to be on a roll when it comes to the looks department.
If only Naza fixes its general poor perception…. Kia would do well.
Cant bother unless below 30k..
Ugly and lousy piece of crap
The best looking Kia for me for sub-C to C-segment certainly Kia C’eed; hatchback or estate. If the car priced prudently and competitively around VIOS, it will sell well. Say, RM70,000 for C’eed for the basic.
If they bring 1.4CRDi or 1.6CRDi, RM80,000 is possible.
no matter how good kia cars will be, not many malaysians will buy. especially those suffered by nasty experience dealing with their after sales service over the past 10 years.
too bad, but the worse thing is NazaKia itself does not realise this.
agree, not the brand but the one who distribute it is the problem. add one thing, malaysians jus buy car for the looks, not the ride……typical…..buy a nice looking car but never enjoyed the handling n ride…
Sometime, we must be fair to every car makers. Personally, I think the car is quite nice… & ehmmmm, it is definitely ‘slightly’ better than Myvi.
spot the car during morning rush hour traffic to Perodua & Tan Chong last week, maybe belongs to Perodua R&D..
Please compare Picanto 2004 and MYVI 2005
and compare again Picanto2012 and MYVI lagi best edition.
I see the improvement in Picanto and nothing in MYVI.
Nice!!!
good car, the diesel eco version can do a hybrids busting 88mpg = 32km/l….hmm, since shell well be introducing the shell diesel v power, why not bring the super frugal diesel
Look at all these kimchi lovers! omg so cute and so angry! :P
When a Honda fan says something good about a Honda car, the kimchi calls them Honda Salesman..
When a Kimchi fan says something good about a Kimchi car, the whole Kimchi population in Malaysia supports with great enthusiasm.
When myself, a neutral, says that this car is ‘OK’ but still ugly, the whole Kimchi land fights back like its WW2.
bitch please,i still know you are lolkat from the comment above.
I hate Korean cars:
Owned a Spectra, worse buy ever.
Owned a Civic later, reliable but boring drive
Owns a Kia K5 bcoz Korean-car fans said its so cool, beautiful but thats it.. worse milage, bad service and the cabin rattles after just 1108KM.
Now wife got a brand new company car Hyundai Sonata – but she opted to drive our old civic instead.. A reason many kimchis will hate.
You hate Korean cars, and why did you even bother to buy the Optima, and rant about its rattling dashboard? Obviously, you dont deserve to have a car, you should buy an appliance instead since you complain so much.
i saw this car earlier when i was servicing my car at perodua service centre, i did ask them about this car.
was told that the car is for consumer survey for perodua to improve the build quality. Some perodua drivers were invited to test drive this car.
This car is cute though. Maybe gonna be my first car ever. I don’t know but the quality though. :S but it’s cute.
Everywhere I go On paultan , on any Korean car site ,it’s always the same people who condemn the car….interesting
I see korea have improve a lot in this industry.Look nice this model.For those who like local brand please read more review before judge other brand.I also support local brand before but after read so much bad review I start dissapointed.Even proton preve also have problem.
Hyundai i10 is much more desirable than Myvi.Though 1.25cvvt engine is dearer than Myvi 1.3 the car has smooth engine, feel solid drive and comfortable.