Kia revealed all the details of its new baby model, the 2017 Picanto ahead of its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show.

The company’s new city car enters its third generation with a fresh design, a roomier cabin and more on-board technology than ever.

The wheelbase is now longer by 15mm with the overall length remains unchanged at 3,595mm. Kia says that the bodyshell of the new Picanto uses two times more high-strength steel than its predecessor, resulting into the safest A-segment model they’ve ever produced.

The new Picanto’s range will be spearheaded from the new turbocharged 1.0-litre T-GDI version with 99hp and 126 lb-ft (172Nm) of peak torque. Paired to a five-speed manual gearbox, the sportiest version of the new baby Kia is able to accelerate from 0 to 62mph (100km/h) in 10.1 seconds and onto a top speed of 180km/h (112mph).

The rest of the engine range includes a 66hp 1.0-litre and a 83hp 1.2-litre petrol units, paired to a five-speed manual gearbox. Kia claims that the entry-level 1.0-litre model emits 89g/km of CO2 emissions with the Start/Stop system fitted. A four-speed automatic gearbox will be an option for the 1.2-litre model.

For the new Picanto, Kia’s engineers wanted a more precise driving experience by adding stiffer anti-roll bars front and back, a reshaped and lighter rear torsion beam and a quicker by 13 percent steering rack which now features 2.8 turns from lock to lock.

Kia was also able to make the new Picanto more refined, thanks to targeted measures designed to further isolate the cabin from vibrations and road noise. These include a new soundproofing panel beneath the dashboard and in the cabin’s floor while expendable sound-absorbing foam has been applied to the lower sections of the A- and B-pillars among others. Thanks to these measures, Kia claims the new Picanto offers the quietest cabin in its class, both at idle and at a steady cruise.

Inside there’s a large 7.0-inch infotainment system with 3D navigation and optional Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Other optional features include a rear-view camera and wireless charging, making the new Kia Picanto one of the first models in its class to offer such a wide array of on-board technologies.

The new Kia Picanto also features impressive safety equipment levels, as it comes with six airbags as standard and an optional knee airbag, standard ESC and optional Autonomous Emergency Braking.

Kia will start selling the new Picanto across Europe from the start of Q2 of 2017 but if you’re gunning for the range-topping 1.0-litre T-GDI version you’ll have to wait until the end of the year when it’ll join the rest of the range.

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