Kia is adding high-spec models across its line up and making automatic transmission more widely available on the Picanto and Rio. The additions are in answer to customers seeking even greater luxury, and will help Kia maintain its phenomenal record-breaking sales growth in the UK.
Luxury touches and extra technology make the Sorento ‘KX-4’ the brand’s new flagship, offering customers features usually associated with high-price premium brands. New top-of-the-range Picanto ‘4’ and Rio ‘4’ variants introduce features never previously available on Kia’s smaller cars, while the stylish and sporty pro_cee’d is now offered in ‘SE Tech’ specification, with substantial equipment upgrades over the previous top version, the ‘SE’. At the same time the Picanto ‘3’ and Rio ‘3’ offer the option of a four-speed automatic gearbox, that will appeal to buyers who spend substantial amounts of time in heavily trafficked urban areas.
Sorento ‘KX-4’
The new addition to Kia’s larger SUV range still features the standard 2.2-litre CRDi turbodiesel engine common to the model with a CO2 figure of 178g/km. But customers will benefit from the extra technology and luxury added to the car to meet increasing demands from customer for a higher specification. Parallel Park Assist automatically monitors parking spaces through 10 sensors and automatically operates the steering wheel to neatly park the vehicle in the available space. The memory seat function on the driver’s seat allows two users to have automatically set adjustment. Stylish 19-inch alloy wheels, rear side door sunshade blinds and a silver front mesh grille and chrome surround add identifiable touches to the Sorento’s road presence. The Sorento ‘KX-4’ is priced at £36,495 and is in insurance group 22.
pro_cee’d ‘SE Tech’
The pro_cee’d ‘SE Tech’ is the most lavishly equipped version of Kia’s European-designed, European-engineered and European-built three-door hatchback. It is available exclusively with a 1.6-litre 126bhp CRDi turbodiesel engine and six-speed manual gearbox, and is priced at £22,795.
It has identical insurance, economy and performance figures to the pro_cee’d ‘SE’ fitted with the same engine – officially rated 65.7mpg on the combined cycle, CO2 emissions of 112g/km, 0-60mph in 10.5 seconds, 192lb/ft torque between 1,900rpm and 2,750rpm, and a 122mph top speed. The insurance category is group 13.
Standard equipment additions over the ‘SE’ include black leather seats with contrasting mesh inserts, an electric tilting and sliding sunroof with an automatic electric roller blind, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, front parking sensors and Kia’s Parallel Park Assist System (PPAS), that identifies suitable kerbside spaces and steers the car into them automatically.
The instrument cluster features a totally digital LCD colour display that graphically illustrates the chosen Flex Steer system mode and the operation of the PPAS. The font size can be enlarged if required and the display can be switched to kilometres per hour for European driving. The upgraded equipment is completed with an automatic parking brake that frees space in the premium centre console for a new sliding armrest and cup-holder. A Tyre Pressure Monitoring System is also standard.
Picanto ‘4’
The range-topping five-door Picanto ‘4’ is powered by a 1.25-litre 84bhp petrol engine driving through a five-speed manual gearbox linked to Kia’s fuel-saving ISG engine stop/start system. The car maintains the extensive equipment offered on the Picanto ‘3’ – including automatic air conditioning, 15-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights and LED rear combination lights, a premium Supervision instrument cluster and heated front seats – and supplements it with a number of luxury features.
The comfort and appearance are enhanced by an electric tilting and sliding sunroof and, for the first time in a Picanto, UV solar windshield glass to reduce glare and UV light in the cabin and privacy glass on the rear windows and tailgate. Usually the preserve of larger and more luxurious vehicles, a heated steering wheel also makes the standard equipment list as does a smart key entry system and engine start/stop button.
The performance and fuel economy details are: 62.8mpg on the official combined cycle, CO2 emissions of 106g/km, a torque output of 89lb/ft at 4,000rpm, 0-60mph in 11.0 seconds and a top speed of 106mph. The Picanto ‘4’ is in insurance group 12 and is priced at £11,995.
Picanto ‘3’ Automatic 5-door
The five-door Picanto ‘3’ Automatic is also powered by the 1.25-litre 84bhp petrol engine, producing 89 lb/ft torque at 4,000rpm, and is priced at £11,045. It is identically equipped to other Picanto ‘3’ variants, but features the four-speed automatic transmission previously available only on the three-door Picanto White and five-door Picanto ‘2’. In automatic form the Picanto ‘3’ is capable of 53.3mpg on the official combined cycle and has CO2 emissions of 125g/km. It accelerates from 0-60mph in 12.9 seconds, has a top speed of 101mph and is in insurance group 10.
Rio ‘4’
The new top-of-the-range Rio ‘4’ adds to the existing ‘3’ specification with convenience touches including a smart key with engine start button, a power sliding and tilting sunroof, black leather upholstery and a heated steering wheel.
Rio ‘4’ is available in petrol and diesel engine variants. At £15,495 the 1.4 four-cylinder 107bhp petrol version features a six speed manual transmission, CO2 emissions of 124g/km and an insurance group of 9. The six-speed manual transmission, 89bhp 1.4 CRDi diesel variant produces 105 g/km of CO2 and is priced at £16,595 with an insurance group of 7.
Rio ‘3’ Automatic 5-door
The Rio ‘3’ Automatic is also available only as a five-door model, has a 107bhp 1.4-litre petrol engine producing 101lb/ft of torque at 4,200rpm and costs £15,100. Standard equipment matches that of other Rio ‘3’ versions, but with the deletion of the ISG engine stop/start system fitted to manual-gearbox models. Combined fuel economy is 44.1mpg, with CO2 emissions of 150g/km. The car accelerates from 0-60mph in 12.7 seconds and has a top speed of 105mph. Previously, the four-speed automatic was offered only on the Rio ‘2’.
Warranty & Care-3 all-inclusive servicing packages
In keeping with every Kia, these new additions to the line-up come with the company’s industry leading seven-year or 100,000-mile warranty, subject to certain wear and tear conditions. It is fully transferable should the car be sold before the time or mileage limits have been reached.
All of these new versions are available with Kia’s Care-3 and Care-3 Plus servicing package, offering retail customers fixed-cost, inflation-proof servicing for the first three or five years. All work is carried out by trained technicians using genuine Kia replacement parts and specified oils. Packages cover the car, not the owner, so are transferable should the vehicle be sold. If a vehicle with a Care-3 package is sold on then the next owner may upgrade to the five year service package. Care-3 packages are priced from £299 – for the Picanto and Rio ranges – £329 for the pro_cee’d range and £349 for Sorento.
