In alphabetical order, the five-star winners are: the Audi A6, the BMW X3, the Chevrolet Aveo, the Chevrolet Orlando, the Citroen DS5, the Hyundai i40, the Opel Ampera, the VW Golf Cabriolet and the VW Jetta.
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Revealed alongside the second generation of the five-door model at the Geneva Salon this past March, the three-door Picanto will go on sale in the UK from the 1st of September with prices starting from £7,795 for the base 1.0 ‘1’ and rising to £12,295 for the 1.25 'Halo' with an automatic transmission.
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However, two decades is a very long time in the automotive industry. Since then Kia has changed remarkably on its way to become an important player on a global scale. In 2010, Kia sold a record 56,114 cars in the UK and, for the first time ever, more than 2 million units worldwide.
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Like all recent Kia models, the new Picanto benefits from a far more expressive design inside and out compared to its predecessor. It also promises to offer more space inside as the overall vehicle length has increased by 60 mm, and the wheelbase has grown by 15 mm. These increases, along with the enhanced interior packaging, offer an additional 36mm legroom for the front passengers while trunk capacity has increased by 27 per cent to 200 liters.
Buyers of the new Picanto will have a choice of up to four powertrains, with the exact choice depending on individual markets. The range includes three versions of the 1.0-litre, three-cylinder Kappa engine (petrol, flex fuel and bi-fuel) and a single 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol Kappa unit. The engines will be hooked up to a choice of five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmissions, depending on model.
Together with the facelifted 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe, the Hyundai - Kia Group today also performed the South Korean market launch of the updated 2010 Kia Morning citycar, which is sold in most parts of the world as the Picanto. This is the second facelift for the Korean mini following a gentle massage in 2007. Once again, the styling changes aren't too radical with the most visible differences concerning the reshaped front and rear bumpers, new side skirts, revised tail light clusters and a slightly altered front grille. 
Furthermore, for the Korean market, there's a new variant of the Picanto / Morning (pictured above) that boasts several unique styling cues such as the specific front bumper and chromed grille which is similar in design to the one found on the Soul crossover.
Kia's press release talks of minor revisions in the interior that include a new design for the three-spoke steering wheel and refreshed trim. The Picanto / Morning is offered with two engine options in Korea, an entry-level 1.0-liter LPI four pot with 67HP and an updated 1.0-liter gasoline engine with 72HP (8HP more than before).
Source: Kia , Via: Thecarblogger
