FIRST LOOK: 2018 Kia Picanto in Malaysia – RM49,888

The 2018 Kia Picanto that was launched last week is the only non-national offering left in the A-segment space. This time around, only one variant is offered, the 1.2 litre EX AT – priced at RM49,888 (OTR without insurance) with a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty.

Under its bonnet is a 1.2 litre Kappa II naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine that makes 84 PS at 6,000 rpm and 122 Nm at 4,000 rpm. This is mated to a four-speed automatic transmission – the five-speed manual from before is no longer available – that drives the front wheels.

Notable features here include the sleek projector halogen headlights with U-shaped LED daytime running lights and LED signal indicators. Kia’s signature “tiger nose” grille has also been widened to meet the headlights. Round the side of this 3,595 mm-long supermini, you’ll find a set of 14-inch alloys, and the back gets a new pair of LED-combination lamps and reverse camera.

While familiar on the outside, the cabin has been completely revamped, and comes with a seven-inch touchscreen head unit with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support. Safety is comprised of six airbags, ABS with EBD, brake assist and stability control – all of which were already offered on the preceding model.

For now, enjoy the short walk-around tour of the new Picanto. And as an added bonus, we’ve got the older model alongside it to see just how much the little Kia has progressed over time. You may also browse the new model’s full specifications and equipment, only on CarBase.my.

GALLERY: 2018 Kia Picanto


GALLERY: 2018 Kia Picanto with Novus X package

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Matthew H Tong

An ardent believer that fun cars need not be fast and fast cars may not always be fun. Matt advocates the purity and simplicity of manually swapping cogs while coping in silence of its impending doom. Matt's not hot. Never hot.

 

Comments

  • Razali on Jan 18, 2018 at 5:50 pm

    We must thank the previous Picanto. Because it was this car that started the ball moving for everyone to give VSC and 6 airbags.

    5 years ago, our previous Picanto gave us VSC and 6 airbags. It brought a lot of shame to gomen owned Proton and Toyota cause their cars had no VSC and just 2 airbags

    Thank you Koreans for showing us the way to safety. And thank you Koreans for lowering your Picanto prices.

    Amazing our own Proton cannot reduce prices but a Korean car company can reduce prices for Malaysians

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 98 Thumb down 32
    • Too late Picanto. If u had launched the previous version at this prices, u wud have been the game changing car. Instead, u competed against Csegment Preve and lost kawkaw. And Iriz stamped its mark in history as not only a game changer, it became a market changer that all cars big & small now follow in its footsteps. And all thanks to the incredibly amazing but humble Iriz. MY pipu on the roads r much safer thanks to u.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 46 Thumb down 65
      • John Ohwai on Jan 18, 2018 at 7:52 pm

        then why iriz sales are so bad? even proton says 80 percent of their sales come from saga and persona

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 32 Thumb down 15
        • John Paopao on Jan 18, 2018 at 8:14 pm

          Iriz is 3rd gen from previos Tiara n Savvy. So u knw lar.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 4
          • JB_KIA on Jan 18, 2018 at 9:01 pm

            Tbh… this the only car, everybody need to have on their driveway. KIA to surprise

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 3
          • Albert Yong on Jan 18, 2018 at 10:17 pm

            Iriz sales are so bad until they want to make it Grab Uber official car.

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 1
          • optometrist on Jan 18, 2018 at 10:20 pm

            Can see many iriz on road, you got eyes prob?

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 17 Thumb down 3
        • Who said Iriz had bad sales? The CEO said 80% comes from Saga3, IRIZ, & Persona2. Iriz sales tookdown Mivi2 sales so badly that P2 need to throw everything including the kitchen sink into Mivi3 just to claw back the lead. And thats all thanks to Iriz or u will still get dinosar specs from P2 foreva.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 29 Thumb down 34
          • RM500/bulan kereta Oppa Korea oo…

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
          • Albert Yong on Jan 18, 2018 at 10:16 pm

            Pls show evidence the CEO said 80% sales include Iriz. I checked all archives and CEO never said such a thing. He said 80% comes from Saga, Persona and Ertiga.

            So where did you get Iriz from?

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 37 Thumb down 29
          • Come on. Its in PT archive. Dun be lazy and search urself. Just admit it, Iriz was such a phenomenal car that it paved the way and was THE benchmark for all other small cars to follow. Otherwise u still be driving P2 junks. Oh wait, they still junks.

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 33
          • Albert Yong on Jan 19, 2018 at 9:23 am

            how can 30 million rakyat be wrong? If P2 is junk, why are sales of just Myvi alone in 2 months same as Proton sales for 1 whole year for ALL its models

            Also, Perodua can sell 200,000 cars last year.

            Surely rakyat cannot be wrong….oh wai

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 4
          • Albert Yong on Jan 19, 2018 at 9:25 am

            already searched. 2 weeks ago Proton CEO said 80% sales come from Persona, Saga and Ertiga. No mention of Iriz there.

            Still trying to spread fake news?

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 17 Thumb down 1
      • No proton no basher on Jan 18, 2018 at 8:24 pm

        This!
        Sales figure for IRIZ is 100k every year since it’s launch
        Will hit 1million sales in no time
        True story yo!

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 9
        • Mivi2 sales din even reach 80k for its lifecycle

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 14 Thumb down 53
          • Albert Yong on Jan 18, 2018 at 11:01 pm

            This sounds like a fake news. Didn’t Perodua recently announce that they just sold 1 million Myvis?

            https://paultan.org/2017/06/13/perodua-myvi-reaches-one-million-unit-milestone/

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 21 Thumb down 0
          • Read what they said, Mivi means all the generations of Mivi lah. So who is fake news now, hmm?

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 27
          • Albert Yong on Jan 19, 2018 at 10:39 am

            Cannot understand how Myvi sales only 80k in its lifecycle.

            Perodua sells at least 100,000 Myvis per year for the past 8 years. That is why Myvi crossed 1 million mark last year.

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
        • Albert Yong on Jan 18, 2018 at 10:19 pm

          2018 Myvi 2 month sales equivalent to Proton’s 1 year sales of ALL models

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 18 Thumb down 1
          • Nope. When tambah Geely sales, its equivalent to 2X whole of MY sales.

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 17
          • Albert Yong on Jan 19, 2018 at 9:27 am

            Ha ha ha now try to use China and geely name.

            We definitely need more mainland china people into Malaysia to treat the brain drain

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
  • Leafable on Jan 18, 2018 at 6:28 pm

    Impressive infotaiment system. IT use the global platform of UVO. Kudos Kia Malaysia kudo. At least they don’t use aftermarket infotaiment for cheap car.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
    • They din get ori kimchi infotainment, looks like some china made judging from the left side biased controls. Bad choice Kia.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 17 Thumb down 29
      • It’s the original Kia system you get elsewhere in the world. Tested it the other day, very nice and intuitive

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 0
        • Really? Either kimchis driver sits on the left or their global infotainment system was lazily sourced from China.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 15 Thumb down 20
          • Kimchi drivers indeed sits on the left, such a fact is easily accesible through google but I guess a troll like you wouldn’t bother anyway

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
          • tiadaid (Member) on Jan 19, 2018 at 7:27 am

            Korea is LHD market.

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Holofanboi on Jan 18, 2018 at 6:45 pm

    Impressive….it kinda looks really bad in the photos, but great in the video. Guess i’ll take a look in one of the showrooms then.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
    • Kocera on Jan 18, 2018 at 9:07 pm

      Kudos to Kia vendors & suppliers for such high quality parts & finishing at such low prices.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
      • Boyue fan on Jan 18, 2018 at 11:44 pm

        I visited kia road show at Ipoh today. I sat inside the kia picanto front seat and found the interior finish quality is very good and the dashboard design looks modern for this price range A-segment model. But only let down is the back seat space…is too small or narrow especially for 180cm people like me…if space and fuel efficiency is ur priority the myvi is the best choice but if looking for something different like handling or engine performance and high quality interior can consider picanto.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 0
        • i did not have problem sitting behind during the test drive earlier this week in Glenmarie. And I’m 5’11” and 110kg. Somehow rather, i find myself having easier time to enter the Picanto, front and back, compared to the Myvi advance which i test drive immediately after the Picanto..

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
  • tokmoh. on Jan 18, 2018 at 6:50 pm

    Really nice liao new Picanto.

    Sad thing it won’t be popular, but those that take the leap of faith, I’m sure they’ll be rewarded handsomely by the car’s great performance.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
    • seancorr (Member) on Jan 18, 2018 at 10:01 pm

      The previous generation wasn’t great in the FC department and I bet this will be the same considering there isn’t any change in the drivetrsin department.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 1
      • It wasn’t class leading but it wasn’t particularly bad as well. A 1.25l engine can’t get anymore thirsty

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
      • I had just put down a downpayment for this car as a replacement to my 308Turbo for city use. Went to test drive this car and the new Myvi Advance and decided that this is a better buy. The build quality, entertainment system, handling and engine response seems to be so much better than the Myvi. The only drawback is lack of ASA which i don’t think is that crucial .

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 0
        • tokmoh. on Jan 19, 2018 at 9:40 am

          In return for lacking ASA, you gain hot pressed steel that’s far stiffer than Myvi’s high tensile steel. A typical hot pressed steel can have tensile strength of about 1,500+-MPa vs Perodua’s rumored high tensile steel at 590MPa, that’s nearly THREE times stronger.

          The interior is more practical too with front central cupholders. The charging port is in better spot too, Perodua’s not good to put it at the side of driver’s seat, many have broken it as can be seen in fb owner’s page.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 1
          • Holofanboi on Jan 19, 2018 at 1:22 pm

            Whoa. I so want more comments on PT to be like this.

            Whats your background?

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
          • logica on Jan 19, 2018 at 1:45 pm

            Holo dude, volvo for u ?

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
          • tokmoh. on Jan 19, 2018 at 2:32 pm

            I’m a Geely loyalist?

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
          • Tokmoh, I definitely agree with your statement

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
          • Smarttess on Jan 20, 2018 at 2:25 am

            Unless terms like stress-strain curves, modulus of elasticity, springback and annealing are in ones vocabulary, a simple tensile strength figure comparison between competing steels quoted in isolation is simply marketing hyperbole.

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 1
      • tokmoh. on Jan 19, 2018 at 9:32 am

        Paging Jonathan Lee to help us find out Picanto’s fc, Jon, what’s your typical fc and traffic condition?

        His car is manual though, so a general idea of auto’s fc is perhaps about 1 or 2 km/L lower than his fc.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • I have always liked the Picanto even from generation one. That one actually won best small car in the UK by AutoCar Magazine I think.

    This new generation seems less sporty compared to the previous one, but you can’t beat that price. Well done, Kia.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • Bernard on Jan 18, 2018 at 7:39 pm

    Should have a slick shifting manual gearbox. Also, the steering is too big. But nevertheless it’s a great car!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 2
  • I test drove the picanto and myvi on the same day last Sun. (Kia showroom next to Perodua showroom in Glenmerie).

    Quality and refinement in the Kia is another level compared to the Myvi. The myvi itself is good for a perodua, there’s definitely improvements over previous gen, but certain details will still tell you it’s a local car especially the poor nvh and handling.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 17 Thumb down 0
  • seancorr (Member) on Jan 18, 2018 at 9:59 pm

    Downgrading to 14 inch rums is a step back from the previous generation Picanto which had a segment leading 15 inch rims. Maybe that explains the cheaper price tag to stop the onslaught of the new Myvi.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • 14 inch wheel = less bumpy ride and lower fc

      you can upgrade to any 15 inch sport rim anytime as you like

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 0
    • yA… I really don’t like the new rims.. I much prefer the rims on the Picanto GT… those rims look very cool… what happened to Hyundai? They stopped manufacturing the i10 and abandoned this segment?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • tokmoh. on Jan 19, 2018 at 9:48 am

      But at least this time the size is cheaper and easier to replace. This uses 175/65/R14 which is the default size of Myvi, Axia, Bezza, Iriz 1.3, etc.

      Previous auto used 175/50/R15, less common and likely pricier to replace. Since majority car owners don’t fix what isn’t broken, the new 14″ wheels is more convenient and cheaper for them, that’s a plus!

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 1
  • transformer on Jan 18, 2018 at 11:07 pm

    Recently Kia launched local-assembled Carnival, with extra goodies. This Picanto is local or imported from where?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Boyue fan on Jan 18, 2018 at 11:32 pm

    No complaint la…it is the most cheapest non national brand nw…within Rm49k price range but a lot better than same segment Axia advance. If compared spec and features with Axia this picanto can say sure win la…but lost to B-segment same price range Myvi premium X.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • qualitymatters on Jan 19, 2018 at 12:55 am

    The interior quality of this KIA Picanto greatly surpasses the Hideous and low grade interior quality of the now useless Jazz GK5 for sure.
    Sorry to all butthurt Jazz GK5 owners but it is true.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 0
  • janicec on Jan 19, 2018 at 1:02 am

    To all fresh graduates here like myself who cant afford or dislike the Jazz GK5’s poor built quality inside and out, don’t like Perodua’s poor brand image, should get this New Picanto instead.
    It carries a reasonable price tag and has decent safety kit and ultimately has very impressive quality compared to Honda’s cheapskate parts throughout the car.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 0
  • Ben Yap on Jan 19, 2018 at 11:28 am

    i couldn’t help laughing when i read that it comes with a 4 speeder.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 13
    • Safety1st on Jan 19, 2018 at 2:41 pm

      You need a 9 speed gearbox for this tiny city car? Or you intend to use it as a touring car highspeed drive interstate…for that i shall laugh back at you

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 16 Thumb down 0
  • new myvi tahun 2017 still using 4 speed gear box
    malu la

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Jason on Mar 18, 2018 at 11:21 am

    Same engine? previous picanto’s comment on fuel consumption was bad and was much much differ from what had they claimed. New Picanto’s FC also the same or worst?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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