Kia Picanto GT-Line: First impression

Kia Motors is doing pretty great in Malaysia. However, the competition in the automobile industry is very fierce, and it becomes stronger with each passing day. To survive in this heartless scenario, automobile brands come up with different ideas and new products to keep people engaged. Kia Malaysia has a good product lineup in the country, but it’s aware of the competitive environment. Therefore, to keep things fresh, Kia has added a new model in its portfolio- the Kia Picanto GT-Line.

Kia recently launched the Picanto GT-Line in the country to woo in more customers. Picanto itself is a car that looks like it would be more suitable to the younger population. So, the GT-Line is just a bit of that with a few more additions to make it even more desirable and ideal for the youth of the country. Here are our first impressions of the car.

Exterior

This is the area where most of the changes have been made by the company to make the Picanto GT-Line different than the standard model. The Picanto has always been a stylish car from all sides. The GT-Line has further enhanced that style quotient and sportiness.

At the front, the new car gets a redesigned bumper with a larger apron than before. There are integrated fog lamps that complete the overall look of the bumper. The remaining portion at the front continues to be the same. You still get the gorgeous headlamps, unique front grille, and clever red hues all around the car.

Moving towards the side of the new Picanto GT-Line, the side skirts are now deeper. Just like the front, they too have a red hue on top. Also, improving the side profile of the car are these new 8-spoke 16-inch alloy wheels that come in a dual-tone finish. Kia has done the proportions of the Picanto just right. Everything seems to be placed exactly where it should be.

The rear end of the Picanto is as sporty as the front. We like the design of the tail lights and also the fact that it has a small roof-mounted spoiler. The rear of the new Kia Picanto GT-Line remains mostly the same except the diffuser. It looks more aggressive in the new model and also comes with a twin pipe exhaust which looks very cool.

Interior

The interior of the new Picanto GT-Line will be a familiar place for you if you have been in the hatch before. There are the usual features like keyless entry, push-button start, a reverse camera, six speakers, and a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, etc. The GT-Line gets a few additional goodies that include a leather-wrapped flat-bottomed steering wheel, automatic air-conditioning, two-tone leather seats, sunroof, Supervision instrument cluster, front armrest, an illuminated vanity mirror, cruise control, and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

Engine

The Kia Picanto GT-Line specs are very much the same as that of the EX model, especially when we talk about the engine. Kia decided to go ahead with the same engine which is a 1.2-litre Kappa unit that produces 84 PS of max power at 6000 revs and generates 122 Nm of peak torque that kicks in at 4000 revs. This engine comes mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission. The GT-Line could have been made even sportier if it had a larger engine, but hey, it is still doing just fine.

Safety features

The GT-Line gets the standard safety features - six airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, stability control, hill start assist, and ISOFIX rear child seat anchor. However, a new safety feature - autonomous emergency braking (AEB) has been added.

The new Picanto GT-Line could be a perfect car for someone who’s looking for a stylish hatchback with a good number of features and an efficient engine. The Kia Picanto GT-Line price is obviously a bit more than that of the other usual models because of the added features. It comes with a RM 57,888 price tag which is RM 8,000 dearer than the base EX model. Three new color options available with the GT-Line model are - Titanium Silver, Clear White, and Aurora Black Pearl. Kia is also giving five years warranty with unlimited mileage with the new GT-Line.