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Kia has confirmed the brand has no plans to axe the Picanto – the cheapest new car on the Australian market – any time soon.
Despite being one of the few brands to offer a new car for under $20,000, Kia Australia will continue to sell the Picanto – the cheapest model in Australia – indefinitely.
According to Kia Australia’s head of product planning, Roland Riviero, the affordable pint-sized hatch will remain in the brand's portfolio amid a decline in demand for smaller cars.
“[The Kia Picanto] is here to stay for many years. I don’t have a definitive [answer] for its long-term future, but the Picanto nameplate isn’t going anywhere anytime soon,” Riviero told Drive.
Additionally, the Kia Australia executive affirmed the Picanto manual variant – which starts from $19,140 before on-road costs, the cheapest new model in the country – will remain a fixture on its local line-up despite the transmission generally dwindling in popularity.
“At the moment, there's no plans to axe the manual Picanto. It's a limited number that do purchase it but [the car is] for the [consumers] who are a bit more price sensitive and can drive a manual.
"And it also allows us to get into that price point [under $20,000] as well. I think we can still keep holding onto that manual price point," he added.
Though Australia’s new car market is dominated by SUVs and dual-cab utes, the Kia Australia's head of product planning said the Picanto is still important to the car maker as it continues to be a gateway for new car buyers wanting to experience the brand’s products.
“You can argue that both micro, light and small passenger cars are very much on the decline in totality, but we don’t just look at it that way. We look at it as, we’ve got a good product that can add value to the brand and that’s what the Picanto does for us," Riviero told Drive.
“It’s an entry into the Kia brand. For some it might be their first car, for others it might be their second car on the side. It’s still a product that allows us to showcase what it’s like to own a Kia product.
“If they [Picanto buyers] can hopefully get a positive seven year experience or less depending on how long they want to hold onto their vehicles for, perhaps the next consideration if they want to upgrade in size is that they then move into another Kia product like a Sportage for example," he said.
While the South Korean marque has introduce new hybrid powertrain options in popular models such as the mid-sized Sportage SUV, Rivero remained coy on whether the Picanto will receive the same treatment, only that "it may get some powertrain considerations in the future".
Ethan Cardinal graduated with a Journalism degree in 2020 from La Trobe University and has been working in the fashion industry as a freelance writer prior to joining Drive in 2023. Ethan greatly enjoys investigating and reporting on the cross sections between automotive, lifestyle and culture. Ethan relishes the opportunity to explore how deep cars are intertwined within different industries and how they could affect both casual readers and car enthusiasts.
