2012 Kia Picanto: Is this the new i10?

By Kaustubh Shinde

The Kia Picanto is no new bird to the Indian Market. And although you may have never heard about this car over here, I am sure you have sat in it at least once in your life. Yes, it is nothing but a Hyundai Getz in Kia clothes.

But the 2012 model which is set to debut at Geneva Motor Show in March 2011 tells a different story. It seems that the Kia has decided that this entry level hatch needs to be mature and in tune with the current time; being just a vanilla offering is no good anymore.

The new Picanto features a design language and platform that is borrowed from its elder sister – Hyundai i10. The rear of the car is borrowed from the Hyundai Verna hatch that debuted at the Guangzhou Motor Show. The wheelbase is slightly longer than the current model. The power is provided by a four new powertrains with displacement ranging from 1.0 to 1.2L which are essentially the Kappa engines of i10.

So will this car replace the elder sister i10 in the Indian Market? We know that the i10 was recently refurbished due to which it is doing pretty good sales numbers. But product cycles are getting shorter day by day and Hyundai has told IAB that two years down the line, i10 diesel variant can be on the market. The diesel variant could be this new Picanto with cosmetic alterations and Hyundai badges.