Kia Picanto X-Line UK Price and Spec announced

The new Kia Picanto X-Line – a butch take on Kia’s City Car – goes on sale in the UK with prices starting at £12,595 and a single 1.25 litre petrol engine option.

Turning cars in to pseudo SUVs has become big business for car makers as they pander to the seemingly insatiable appetite for high-riding, butch transport.

So the arrival at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show of a butch take on the Picanto City Car – the Kia Picanto X-Line – was hardly a surprise. And now it’s on sale in the UK.

Kia has taken the very decent Picanto and added a bit of urban warrior rufty-tufty to the mix with a raised ride height, bigger bumpers, skid plates and plastic cladding to create a Picanto which does look more purposeful, and actually rather good.

The X-Line is only available with Kia’s 1.25 litre four-cylinder engine (we thought it would get the 1.0 litre 99bhp three-pot) with a  five-speed manual as standard or a four-speed (yes, four-speed) auto for an extra £650.

Standard spec (there is only the standard spec) includes lime green highlights for stuff like the grille and fog surrounds, 16″ alloys, privacy glass, LED running lights, green stitching, faux leather, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 7″ touchscreen, Climate and Keyless.

The Kia Picanto X-Line goes on sale at Kia’s UK dealers today (9 January 2018).