Kia Picanto marked for death as new hybrid is deemed impossible
Kia bosses tell us the brand will update the city car for as long as possible, but there are no plans for a next-generation model
It seems the end is nigh for the Kia Picanto, as bosses tell us there is simply no way to fit hybrid tech into the humble city car and that there are no plans for another generation.
Ted Lee, executive vice president and head of global operations division at Kia, revealed to Auto Express that there’s no way of cramming the electric motors and other components for a hybrid system into the already tightly packaged Picanto.
Under the current ZEV mandate, all combustion cars on sale after 2030 must feature some form of hybrid assistance. Then from 2035 onwards, every new car in showrooms must be fully electric. Those rules could change of course, but as it stands the pint-sized Picanto will be forced out by the end of 2029.
However, Lee promised us that the little runabout will be made to meet the new Euro 7 emissions standards and Kia will apparently continue to update the Picanto for as long as possible to keep it fresh. It’s a similar strategy to what the Volkswagen Group is doing with its small petrol-powered cars, such as the VW Polo and Skoda Fabia.
Whenever the Kia Picanto does leave our shores and showrooms, it will be a sad moment. The reigning Auto Express City Car of the Year has been one of the brand’s best-selling models in the UK since it was introduced back in 2004, with more than 260,000 examples sold here – including around 13,500 last year alone – and approximately three million worldwide.
The Kia Picanto is now the last purely petrol-powered city car on sale in the UK, and is available through the Auto Express Buy A Car service from £15,831. Its cousin, the Hyundai i10, was discontinued earlier this year, while the Toyota Aygo X and Fiat 500 have both been fitted with different types of hybrid set-ups recently.
If you’re looking for a small urban runabout, the way to go now is clearly electric. There’s the new Renault Twingo and Volkswagen ID. Lupo arriving next year, plus Kia is working on its own cut-price, entry-level electric car that will in effect take the place of the Picanto in its line-up. All three models should be priced from well under £20,000.
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