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The Kia Picanto range has been tweaked, but now it’s more expensive

Kia’s city car has a new range structure matching its larger siblings

Kia Picanto - front tracking

Kia has announced changes to its Picanto city car range for the 2026 model year. The new line-up now matches the structure of the brand’s larger models, being split into three trim levels. The Kia Picanto is one of only a few models of this size still on sale in the UK, fewer still being petrol-powered, and remains our favourite having recently won our 2025 Best City Car of the Year award. 

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The range, which is available to order now, kicks off with the Pure model at £16,695. It includes 14-inch alloy wheels and an eight-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s also heated and folding exterior mirrors, reversing sensors and even a reversing camera as standard. 

The mid-range £17,845 GT-Line adds different styling, 16-inch wheels, privacy glass, upgraded cabin materials with leather-look trim on the seats, LED headlights and an LED front lightbar. Topping the range is the GT-Line S at £19,545, which adds in a sunroof and more advanced driver safety features including blind-spot monitoring.

There’s just one engine available across all three models, a 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine that produces 67bhp. A five-speed manual transmission is standard, but Kia also offers a five-speed automated-manual option for a £400 premium. 

Configure your perfect new Kia Picanto through our Find a Car service now. Alternatively, check out the best deals out there on a new Kia Picanto from stock or top prices on used Kia Picanto models...

The only other change for this 2026 model year update is the addition of a new Yachting Blue colour, bringing the paint options to six. All but the basic white are a £600 option. 

Deals on Kia Picanto rivals

Hyundai I10
Leapmotor T03
Dacia Spring
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Senior staff writer

Senior staff writer at Auto Express, Jordan joined the team after six years at evo magazine where he specialised in news and reviews of cars at the high performance end of the car market. 

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