The Kia Picanto, one of the most affordable cars available in the markets it is available in (such as Australia), is at risk of having its 5-star rating revised and possibly downgraded after reports emerged from other safety testing bodies that seem to conflict with its so-far commendable record.
The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) had run the car through its series of crash tests again, something it doesn’t often do, to confirm whether the little Kia was still worthy of its 5-star safety rating after a similar series of tests in Malaysia earlier this year yielded it a ‘0 star’ rating.
The concern that Australia authorities harbour about the Picanto stem from a possible gulf in structural integrity for left-hand drive models versus right-hand drive ones. The current-generation Picanto began appearing in showrooms Down Under earlier in 2016, equipped with six airbags and other safety features such as anti-lock brakes (ABS), emergency brake assist (EBA) , and electronic stability control (ESC).
ANCAP’s follow-up audit surrounds the determination of whether the cars sold in Australia are as a safe as those offered up for sale in Europe. Cars adjusted for sale in countries where they drive on the opposite side of the road sometimes have to undergo major structural changes, with strength and safety occasionally being the compromise.
The results, however, could take as long as a month for a comprehensive analysis, after which we would know whether the local Picanto’s 5-star safety rating stands or is downgraded.
In Europe, the current-generation Kia Picanto holds a 4-star safety rating from Euro NCAP. In those markets, the car is sold standard with an impressive amount of safety kit. By contrast, Latin NCAP also recently tested a left-hand drive Kia Picanto which, in that region, comes standard with no airbags and had led them awarding it a ‘0 star’ rating.
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