Milestone as the Kia Picanto turns 20

This week the little Kia Picanto celebrates 20 years of sales in the UK, having first been introduced in the same year that Shrek 2 was the highest-grossing film.

The car first went on sale in Kia’s home market of South Korea in 2003 as the Kia ‘Morning’, a name it still retains in certain markets today.

The city car was renamed ‘Picanto’ before it hit European streets, injecting a little extra ‘spice’.

Despite being the smallest of Kia’s range of vehicles on sale in the UK, the Picanto has consistently punched above its weight in sales performance, and is Kia’s fourth best-selling model in the UK this year.

In August 2023, the Picanto reached the milestone of 250,000 sales in the UK, making it the second best-selling model in Kia UK’s history, behind only the Sportage.

In its 20th year on sale in the UK the third-generation Picanto has undergone a major mid-life update, further reinforcing Kia’s commitment to the A-segment.

Its striking new appearance borrows many cues from Kia’s larger, more ‘premium’ models – such as the EV9.