Frankfurt 2017 Preview: Kia Picanto gets rugged with new X-Line

The latest generation Kia Picanto will have a crossover-inspired variant soon. Set to make its public debut at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show is the Kia Picanto X-Line. Slightly taller than standard models and propelled by a turbocharged 1.0-liter engine, the rugged Picanto X-Line combines a hatchback's small footprint, with the capabilities of a high-riding crossover.

“We launched the new Picanto in Europe earlier this year and it is already outselling its predecessor. Year-on-year, Picanto sales in the first half of 2017 grew 23% to 31,827 units, and globally it is one of our best-selling vehicles. The all-new X-Line will add to that momentum,” said Michael Cole, Chief Operating Officer for Kia Motors Europe.

Unlike standard models, the Picanto X-Line has a rugged exterior and gets SUV-style front and rear bumpers, as well as skid plates. Kia also made the X-Line taller than its contemporaries by raising its ride height by 15mm. Beyond that, the X-Line also comes with black plastic body cladding which further denotes the hatchback's more rugged profile and lime green highlights.

Inside, the X-Line features the same level of equipment one would find in regular models. These include the 7-inch touchscreen infotainment, navigation, Apple CarPlay, automatic climate control and a reverse camera as such.

Under the hood is a 1.0-liter T-GDI three-cylinder engine. It's the same motor found on the GT Line model and produces 100 PS at 4500 rpm along with 172 Nm of torque from 1500 – 4000 rpm. With a manual gearbox, it can sprint from 0 – 100 km/h in 10.1 seconds.

The 2018 Kia Picanto X-Line will be available in Europe by the end of the year.