By now, you’ve probably heard that the Kia Picanto has been quietly dropped from local lineup. But while the mini hatchback is no more in the Philippines, it’s a different story in its home market of South Korea.
Over there, the Picanto is called the Morning, and it just received a huge update for the 2024 model year. There are major changes to its exterior, along with interior updates and upgrades, and the addition of driver assist technologies.
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Starting with the exterior, the new Picanto draws inspiration from Kia’s latest electric crossover, the EV9. The entire front end and fenders have been reshaped to accommodate the vertical headlights. Because of the new light arrangement, Kia also changed the front bumper for a smoother, more streamlined look. All in all, the mini hatchback features a more aggressive look over the pre-facelift version.
But the changes aren’t just relegated to the front end. Also new in the Picanto are the wheel designs with top-spec models getting two-tone wheels wrapped in low-profile rubber. Over at the back, it gets a more angular bumper and a lightbar that runs across the tailgate to connect the taillights. Kia is also introducing new colors to the Picanto, namely Adventurers Green and Signal Red. The rest of the body is carried over unchanged.
Inside, the dashboard design is similar to the pre-update Picanto, but it now has a new layout for the center stack. The 2024 Picanto gets a taller ‘floating’ touchscreen with added functionality. It also gains a fully digital instrument cluster for the higher trim levels. Seat trims are also new for 2024, along with two additional color options of brown and dark green.
The 2024 Picanto is available with advanced driver assist systems, at least for the South Korean market. It features navigation system-based adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, cyclist and pedestrian detection, and high-beam assist. It even comes with a remote start system to cool down the cabin after it’s been parked under the sun.
Under the hood, the South Korean market Picanto uses a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine that produces 68hp and 95Nm of torque. The sole transmission option is a four-speed automatic. Kia claims a fuel consumption figure of 15.1 km/L under mixed conditions.
