Even the Dacia Sandero, Britain’s cheapest car, now costs more than £10,000, while the entry-level Ford Fiesta has edged closer to £17,000.
New cars are getting more expensive – but Kia aims to offer an exception to the rule with a well-equipped special version of its Picanto city car.
Priced from £13,845, the new Picanto Shadow includes premium features such as rear privacy glass, LED front and rear lights, and standard metallic paint.
It also has an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a reversing camera and ‘faux leather’ upholstery that some upmarket brands would be tempted to call ‘vegan leather’.
Casting a Shadow
Other standard features include air conditioning, electric and heated door mirrors, and automatic emergency braking.
Kia insists the Picanto Shadow ‘eclipses its rivals’, with the extra features adding just £845 to the price of the Picanto 2 it’s based upon – a car that was facelifted earlier in 2021.
Power comes from a 66hp 1.0-litre petrol engine, which is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox.
Kia has sold more than 11,000 Picantos in the UK so far in 2021, making it the second best-selling city car behind the Fiat 500.
Ordering is open now and deliveries of the Picanto Shadow begin in early 2022.
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