Kia serves up three special-edition variants

BY JUSTIN HILLIARD | 14th Nov 2018

KIA Motors Australia (KMAu) has again commemorated its major sponsorship of the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament, this time with the release of three special-edition variants including the crossover-inspired Picanto X-Line micro hatch.

Priced from $16,990 driveaway with a five-speed manual transmission or $17,990 with a four-speed automatic, the X-Line is based on the Picanto’s entry-level S variant but is upgraded inside and out.

Unique standard equipment includes a 15mm-higher suspension, 16-inch alloy wheels, projector headlights, LED daytime running lights and tail-lights, front foglights, power-folding side mirrors, X-Line badging, green accents, dual exhaust tailpipes and a bodykit (bumpers, side skirts and body mouldings).

Inside, red-accented premium seats, a premium steering wheel and gear selector, and alloy sports pedals feature, while five paintwork colours are available, with extra-cost hues attracting a $520 charge.

As with the S, the front-wheel-drive X-Line is motivated by a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol that develops 62kW of power at 6000rpm and 122Nm of torque at 4000rpm.

According to KMAu chief operating officer Damien Meredith, the Picanto has been a sales success since its launch, with the X-Line expected to extend this momentum.

“Since we first introduced Picanto into what we were warned was a dead segment, this little star has captured the imagination in a way which is nothing short of amazing,” he said.

“It has not only revived the segment but regenerated interest every time a new model or derivative has been introduced. The X-Line is continuing that trend.”

Sales of the Picanto have boomed this year, with 4550 examples sold to the end of October – a 65.5 per cent increase over the 2749 deliveries made during the same period in 2017.

The Picanto dominates the micro-car segment, commanding a 67.0 per cent share ahead of the Mitsubishi Mirage (14.0%), Fiat 500 (9.9%) and recently discontinued Holden Spark (9.1%).

Meanwhile, the Sportage mid-size and Sorento large SUVs are now available in Australian Open Special Edition forms, with both based on their respective range-opening automatic Si variants.

The Sportage starts from $30,990 driveaway with a 114kW/192Nm 2.0-litre atmo four-pot petrol and front-wheel drive, while a 136kW/400Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder diesel with all-wheel drive costing $5400 more.

Alternatively, the Sorento kicks off from $43,990 driveaway with a 206kW/336Nm 3.5-litre naturally aspirated V6 petrol and front-wheel drive, while a 147kW/441Nm 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-pot with all-wheel drive is $2500 dearer.

Both the Sportage and Sorento pick up 18-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights and integrated side steps in Australian Open Special Edition guise. Six paintwork colours are on offer for either model, costing $520 and $595 respectively.

While the Sportage has followed the Picanto’s lead and increased its sales in the year to date (11,843 units, +2.0%), the Sorento has backtracked, with its volume dropping by 3.1 per cent, to 3812 units.

2018 Kia Picanto X-Line driveaway pricing