What is the ground clearance of the KIA Picanto?

The KIA Picanto has 155 mm of ground clearance — enough for SA speed bumps, gravel driveways, and light dirt roads without catching the underside.

What engine is in the KIA Picanto?

The KIA Picanto comes with a 1248 cc engine, putting out 61 kW (82 bhp). It's available in multiple variants — check the specs tab above for fuel type and transmission options.

What fuel consumption can I expect from the KIA Picanto?

The claimed figure is around 17.2 km/l. Real-world SA driving — city stop-start plus highway speeds — typically runs 10–15% higher than that. Diesel variants tend to pull ahead over longer distances.

KIA Picanto 1.2 EX+ Manual Price in South Africa 2026 – ZAR307,995 | Specs & EMI

KIA Picanto — 1.2 EX+ Manual

The Kia Picanto EX Manual — and EX+ Manual, which shares this specification level — brings a 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine producing 61 kW to the city car segment, paired with a five-speed manual and a comprehensive equipment list including leather, alloys, cruise control, and a reverse camera. The EX+ adds a panoramic sunroof as its single distinguishing feature.

The Picanto EX Manual marks the point in the range where the engineering brief changes meaningfully. Below EX level, the 1.0-litre three-cylinder manages urban duties adequately — honestly, without pretension, and with excellent fuel economy. At EX, Kia South Africa steps up to the 1.2-litre G4LA four-cylinder petrol unit, and the difference is tangible from the first time you pull away from a Johannesburg traffic light with confidence in reserve that the smaller engine cannot provide. The EX and EX+ Manual are distinct in only one way: the EX+ adds a panoramic sunroof. All other mechanical and equipment specifications are shared, and both variants use this variant slug in the Kia South Africa product architecture. The 1.2-litre G4LA produces 61 kW at 6000 rpm and 121 Nm at 4000 rpm. Compared to the 1.0-litre's 49 kW and 94 Nm, these numbers represent a 24 percent power increase and a 29 percent torque increase in a car that weighs only marginally more than the LS. The result is a Picanto that feels genuinely different to drive: fifth gear on the highway is not a survival ratio but a comfortable cruising gear with acceleration in reserve, the urban traffic gap that requires a gear drop in the 1.0-litre is covered confidently in the 1.2's power band without downshifting, and the overall character of the drive shifts from economically focused to genuinely enjoyable. The five-speed manual gearbox fitted to the EX is the same unit as used across the Picanto range. Shift quality is identical — light, precise, with short throws that make gear selection in fast-moving suburban traffic almost automatic in execution. What changes with the 1.2-litre is the character of the engine in each gear: the four-cylinder pulls more smoothly through the lower rev range, with less of the three-cylinder's characteristic urgency requirement to reach peak torque. The 1.2-litre's four-cylinder smoothness is also apparent acoustically — at high revs, the engine is less agricultural in character than the 1.0-litre, a meaningful quality improvement for buyers who spend extended highway time. Combined fuel consumption for the EX Manual is 5.8 litres per 100 kilometres — only 0.2 L/100km more than the 1.0-litre manual despite the significantly larger displacement. This is testament to the 1.2-litre G4LA's efficient design, and it means the EX Manual buyer receives a substantial performance upgrade for a minimal efficiency penalty. On the N1 between Johannesburg and Pretoria, the 1.2-litre settles into a comfortable fifth-gear cruise at 120 km/h at lower revs than the 1.0-litre, reducing engine stress and acoustic intrusion simultaneously. The EX equipment list is where this variant most clearly distinguishes itself from the LX. Leather upholstery replaces the cloth of the lower trims — not premium automotive leather, but genuine bonded leather in a dark finish that elevates the tactile experience of the interior meaningfully. Alloy wheels replace the steel wheels and plastic covers, giving the EX a visual presence in a car park that the LS and LX cannot match. Cruise control is fitted — an active-speed limiter operated through a stalk on the steering column — which transforms the EX's highway character from the active driver-managed experience of the LX into a genuinely relaxed long-distance proposition. A reverse camera joins the rear parking sensors for comprehensive parking assistance: the driver sees the physical space behind the car on the infotainment display with distance guidelines, rather than relying solely on audible sensor feedback. The six-speaker audio system fitted to the EX represents a meaningful upgrade over the basic units in the LS and LX. Audio quality in the Picanto EX's cabin is genuinely enjoyable for music and podcast listening at highway speeds, where wind noise at LX level can overwhelm a less powerful system. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard from LX, so the EX retains full connectivity; the upgrade at EX is purely in audio output quality and speaker count. The interior leather and the alloy wheels work together to give the EX a finish quality that punches above its price tier. Parked next to a Polo Vivo at a Johannesburg Sandton parking bay, the Picanto EX does not look like the cheaper car — the alloys, the specific trim execution, and the modern front-end design give it a visual maturity that the steel-wheeled LS and LX cannot achieve. This matters to a subset of buyers for whom the car is also a social signal, not only a transport tool. The EX+ adds precisely one feature over the EX: a panoramic sunroof. In South Africa's predominantly clear-sky climate — particularly relevant to buyers in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town, and the inland regions — the panoramic sunroof transforms the character of the Picanto's cabin from enclosed to open-air adjacent. The glass roof floods the interior with natural light that makes the interior feel substantially larger than its physical dimensions, and in mild weather with the panel cracked open, it delivers fresh air circulation without the buffeting associated with lowered windows at speed. For some buyers, the panoramic roof is a strong emotional pull; for others, it is irrelevant to their usage pattern. The EX+ pricing premium over the EX is the only consideration that separates these two variants mechanically and in terms of base equipment. The seven-year, 150,000km warranty remains a constant across the EX and EX+ — Kia's warranty advantage is not diminished by trim level, and the same comprehensive coverage that applies to the LS applies to the fully specified EX+. This is particularly meaningful at EX level because the leather, alloys, and additional equipment represent a higher acquisition cost, and the warranty provides proportionally more financial security for a larger investment. Competitor analysis at EX specification is instructive. The Toyota Agya at equivalent trim and engine level delivers similar performance but with less equipment breadth and a shorter warranty. The Volkswagen Polo Vivo at GT specification is priced above the Picanto EX and competes on performance and brand prestige rather than value. The Renault Kwid at equivalent specification has a shorter warranty and a less sophisticated safety package. The Suzuki Celerio at top spec lacks the leather and alloy combination that the EX delivers. For a South African buyer who wants the complete city car package — connectivity, leather, alloys, cruise, camera, warranty — at the most accessible price point, the Picanto EX Manual is the current benchmark in this segment.

Who buys this: The Picanto EX Manual targets South African buyers who want the maximum specification available in the city car segment at a price that remains below the Polo Vivo and Toyota Yaris cross-entry level. This buyer typically earns between R25,000 and R45,000 per month, lives in an urban or suburban environment in Johannesburg's northern suburbs, Cape Town's southern suburbs, or Pretoria East, and drives a mix of urban commuting and regular highway runs — Johannesburg to Pretoria weekly, Cape Town to Stellenbosch monthly, Durban to Pietermaritzburg periodically. They want cruise control for the highway, leather for the interior finish, and alloy wheels for the visual impression the car makes at their workplace parking. The EX+ buyer adds to this profile a specific appreciation for open-sky motoring — they are more likely to be in the younger professional bracket aged 26-38 who values the lifestyle signal of a panoramic roof even in a city car. The seven-year warranty is a significant consideration: at the EX's higher price point, warranty coverage provides proportionally more financial security, and the peace of mind over a seven-year period aligns exactly with the typical South African vehicle finance term.

City

In urban environments, the Picanto EX Manual benefits from the 1.2-litre's additional torque in a way that changes the feel of driving through Johannesburg's northern suburbs. The gap in Sandton's Rivonia Road traffic that the 1.0-litre needs a downshift to exploit cleanly is covered by the 1.2-litre in third gear without gear selection anxiety. Parking around Cape Town's V&A Waterfront is made complete by the rear camera plus sensors combination — the camera's visual feed confirms the physical gap the sensors are measuring, eliminating residual spatial uncertainty. The leather seats warm to body temperature quickly in Johannesburg's cooler winter mornings and clean easily after Cape Town's dusty Cape Doctor wind fills the cabin during a window-down urban drive. The EX Manual's urban driving character is confident and complete: the right engine, the right connectivity, the right parking assistance, and the right interior quality for a buyer who wants more than the functional minimum.

Highway

On South Africa's national highways, the Picanto EX Manual's 1.2-litre engine and cruise control combination delivers a meaningfully different experience from the LX. Cruise control set to 120 km/h on the N1 between Johannesburg and Pretoria removes the speed management burden from the driver, leaving attention available for traffic monitoring. The 61 kW engine maintains cruise speed on moderate gradients without the downshift urgency the 1.0-litre occasionally requires. Fuel consumption under steady cruise conditions at 120 km/h is approximately 5.3-5.5 L/100km, translating to a practical highway range of around 860-870km before the fuel light activates. The six-speaker audio system delivers clear sound at highway speeds, and CarPlay's audio streaming through the system sounds appreciably better than through the base LS speaker setup.

Off-Road

The Picanto EX Manual is not designed for off-road use. The 145mm ground clearance covers rough urban surfaces and light gravel roads. EX alloy wheels are more vulnerable to kerb damage on South Africa's potholed urban roads than the steel wheels of LS and LX.

KIA Picanto — Quick Facts

Starting price in South Africa: ZAR 307,995 ex-showroom
Engine: 1248 cc
Power output: 61 kW (82 bhp)
Ground clearance: 155 mm — handy for those South African potholes
Claimed fuel economy: 17.2 km/l
Body style: Hatchback

KIA Picanto Variants & Prices

Pick up to 3 variants, hit Compare Variants and you'll get a proper side-by-side spec breakdown.

Maximum 3 variants reached
Uncheck one of the selected variants below before choosing another.

Variant	Trim	Fuel	Transmission	Price
1.0 LS Manual	Base	Petrol	Manual	ZAR 236,995
1.0 LS Auto	Base	Petrol	Automatic	ZAR 256,995
1.0 LX Manual	Mid	Petrol	Manual	ZAR 260,995
1.0 LX Auto	Mid	Petrol	Automatic	ZAR 278,995
1.2 EX Manual	Top	Petrol	Manual	ZAR 284,995
1.2 EX Auto	Top	Petrol	Automatic	ZAR 302,995
1.2 EX+ Manual	Flagship	Petrol	Manual	ZAR 307,995
1.2 EX+ Auto	Flagship	Petrol	Automatic	ZAR 325,995

Variant	Trim	Transmission	Price
1.0 LS Manual	Base	Manual	ZAR 236,995
1.0 LS Auto	Base	Automatic	ZAR 256,995
1.0 LX Manual	Mid	Manual	ZAR 260,995
1.0 LX Auto	Mid	Automatic	ZAR 278,995
1.2 EX Manual	Top	Manual	ZAR 284,995
1.2 EX Auto	Top	Automatic	ZAR 302,995
1.2 EX+ Manual	Flagship	Manual	ZAR 307,995
1.2 EX+ Auto	Flagship	Automatic	ZAR 325,995

2 variants selected

1.2 EX+ Manual — Should You Buy It?

The fully specified Picanto — 1.2-litre engine, leather, alloys, cruise control, camera — backed by seven years of warranty certainty, at South Africa's most accessible fully-loaded city car price.

The Picanto EX Manual is the variant for buyers who want everything the city car segment can offer within a budget that remains accessible. The 1.2-litre engine's additional power over the LS and LX is genuinely useful in South African driving conditions, the leather and alloys elevate the ownership experience beyond the functional, and the cruise control and reverse camera address the two most significant usability gaps of the lower trims. At 5.8 L/100km combined, the efficiency penalty for the extra performance is minimal. The EX+ buyer who adds the panoramic sunroof gains the most distinctive feature in the range for a modest premium. Both variants are comprehensively covered by the seven-year warranty. The EX Manual is the car for buyers who refuse to compromise within the city car segment's boundaries.

What's Good

✓The 1.2-litre G4LA four-cylinder produces 61 kW and 121 Nm, delivering a 24 percent power increase over the LS that transforms the Picanto's highway and hill-climbing character in South African conditions.
✓Cruise control fitted as standard addresses the EX's most significant highway comfort gap versus the LX, making long Johannesburg to Pretoria or Cape Town to Paarl runs genuinely relaxed rather than actively managed.
✓Leather upholstery throughout the EX cabin elevates interior quality over the cloth-trimmed LS and LX, providing better cleanability in South Africa's dusty conditions and improved long-drive comfort.
✓Alloy wheels give the EX a visual presence and polish in South African parking areas that the steel wheels of the LS and LX cannot achieve, making the car a more complete visual proposition.
✓Reverse camera with distance guidelines complements the rear sensors, providing visual confirmation of parking clearances in the tight urban bays common across Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban.
✓Combined fuel consumption of 5.8 L/100km for the 1.2-litre manual represents only a 0.2 L/100km penalty over the 1.0-litre at a 24 percent power increase — exceptional efficiency relative to the performance gain.
✓The EX+ panoramic sunroof floods the small cabin with natural light, making the interior feel significantly more spacious and enhancing South African outdoor driving character on sunny inland days.
✓Six-speaker audio system delivers sound quality that is genuinely enjoyable at South African highway speeds, where wind noise would overwhelm the less powerful systems in LS and LX.
✓Seven-year, 150,000km warranty covers the 1.2-litre four-cylinder drivetrain and all EX equipment additions through the full finance term, providing comprehensive cost certainty at the highest trim level.

Watch Out For

✕Alloy wheels are more vulnerable to South Africa's potholed urban road surfaces than the steel wheels of LS and LX, with kerb and pothole damage potentially requiring costly alloy wheel repairs or replacement.
✕The 1.2-litre engine's 5.8 L/100km combined consumption is marginally higher than the 1.0-litre's 5.6 L/100km — a small but real fuel economy penalty for the performance upgrade.
✕The EX's higher acquisition price versus LS and LX means monthly finance instalments increase meaningfully, which may be a significant constraint for buyers with fixed budget parameters.
✕The EX+ panoramic sunroof adds cost without mechanical performance benefit; buyers who do not value the open-sky experience pay a premium for a feature that delivers no powertrain improvement.
✕Rear passenger headroom is reduced by the sloping roofline, making the Picanto unsuitable as a regular family car for tall adult rear passengers regardless of the trim level.
✕No lane-keeping assist or blind-spot monitoring is available in the Picanto range at any trim level; active safety technology is limited to ABS, EBD, and airbags.
✕The five-speed manual requires driver engagement in South Africa's most congested urban traffic; buyers who find this fatiguing should consider the EX Auto variant at the same 1.2-litre specification level.
✕Hard-touch lower dashboard plastics remain even at EX level, representing a specification area where competitors sometimes achieve a more premium feel at equivalent trim points.
✕Rear seat passenger space remains constrained by the city car body dimensions even at EX specification; the Picanto EX is not a suitable primary family vehicle for regular adult rear-seat use on long journeys.

The Picanto EX Manual represents the point at which the city car category stops feeling like a compromise and starts feeling like a considered choice. The 1.2-litre G4LA four-cylinder's 61 kW and 121 Nm step change over the 1.0-litre trims is immediately apparent — the engine is smoother, stronger, and less acoustically demanding at high revs. This matters on South Africa's national highways, where the EX's cruise control allows the driver to set speed and focus on traffic rather than the speedometer, and where the 1.2-litre's additional power handles uphill gradients without the anxious gear-selection management that the 1.0-litre requires. In urban conditions, the additional torque means third gear is usable for more traffic situations, reducing the gear-changing frequency in Johannesburg's variable-pace suburban traffic. The leather interior is a genuine quality step — it cleans more easily than cloth in South Africa's dusty summer conditions and presents better after extended ownership. The alloy wheels are more than aesthetic: they provide marginally better heat dissipation under braking and give the EX a visual polish that the steel-wheeled variants cannot achieve. The reverse camera removes the last remaining uncertainty in tight parking situations by putting the physical reality of the space behind the car on-screen rather than leaving the driver to interpret audible sensor tones spatially. The six-speaker audio system delivers appreciably better sound quality at highway speeds where wind noise would otherwise overwhelm a less powerful setup. Against competitors, the EX's combination of warranty, equipment, and 1.2-litre performance remains unmatched in the South African city car segment at its price point. The EX+ simply adds the panoramic sunroof for buyers for whom the open-sky feeling justifies the additional cost — a thoroughly South African consideration given the country's exceptional natural light and predominantly clear skies. Both variants are strong choices; the decision between them reduces to whether the panoramic roof is worth the premium to the individual buyer.

Buyers researching the KIA Picanto often compare it with rivals such as Honda Fit , Hyundai i20 , Suzuki Baleno , Suzuki Ignis , Toyota Starlet . Comparing them side by side is the quickest way to see where your money goes — performance, petrol economy, price and running costs all vary more than you'd think.