FIRST customer deliveries of the latest, updated Kia Picanto are due to start before the end of the month, marking the 20 year since the Korean company's city car was first imported to the UK.

This week, the Picanto celebrates two decades of sales in the UK, having first been introduced to the UK market in the same year that Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook. In that time more than 260,000 Picantos have been sold here and the model has seen three all-new generations and four mid-life facelifts.

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

With more than quarter of a million sales since its introduction, it's the second best-selling model in Kia UK's history, behind only the Sportage.

So far in 2024 the Picanto is Britain's third best-selling car in the small car A-segment and second best to private customers with an all-time-high market share of more than 25 per cent.

And with the current Picanto undergoing a major mid-life update its' continued success looks to be assured.

With a more striking, aggressive design, particularly at the front where it takes design cues from Kia's larger premium models, the latest Picanto comes with improvements in onboard tech, safety systems, comfort and refinement, making it, believes Kia, one of the most advanced models in its class.

It's available with a choice of two engines and transmissions and comes in five different, well-equipped specification levels, including a new Shadow special edition which was revealed in June 2024.

Paul Philpott, president and CEO of Kia UK Limited says: "The Picanto is a statement of our continued commitment to the A-segment. We know that there remains a significant appetite for small, lightweight, cost-efficient vehicles, so we're investing in this important segment of the market to satisfy this demand."