This is Kia’s new baby, the Picanto

We’re not sure what was done to upset the new Kia Picanto so much, but it looks pretty bloody furious. Those frowning headlights. The pouting, upturned grille. The red highlights around the bumpers and sills. Cute is out. ‘Quite Angry’ is in.

Kia’s showing off its new city car, aiming to bother the likes of the Hyundai i10, VVW Up and Suzuki Ignis, in top-spec GT-line form. Hence the ‘grrrr’-ness of it. Though the new car’s no longer than the old Picanto, it’s got a slightly stouter wheelbase for better cabin space. And the wheels themselves appear to be based on Union Jack flags. 

Inside, it looks pretty much the same as the new Rio – same Audi-ish climate control bits, another floating nav screen, and claims of being the biggest, most spacious interior in the class. It’s not at all cross inside. It’s just a practical little city car.

We’ll see more of the Picanto in March at the Geneva motor show. Maybe it will have calmed down by then. As long as it’s as chuckable to drive as the old one was, we’ll learn to like the grizzled expression.