Kia Motors South Africa has expanded its LCV offering with the introduction of the new Kia Picanto Runner, a compact and cost-effective urban delivery vehicle offering all the comfort, convenience and safety features the Picanto is known for, combined with the practicality of a functional load bay. Whatever the package, the Picanto Runner is a cost-efficient ‘runner’ for when you need to deliver, and deliver it quickly.
Compact capability
Because not all payloads are created equal, the Picanto Runner is designed specifically for businesses that need to deliver a large number of packages quicker and more cost-effectively. The new Picanto Runner also offers a practical alternative to service providers that don’t necessarily require the bigger space of traditional delivery vehicles.
“When you consider the rise of e-commerce, small businesses and services-on-demand, especially under the ‘new normal’ brought about by the global Covid-19 pandemic, there is a clear need for a compact delivery vehicle that can deliver goods practically, quickly and at a more manageable cost,” says Stephen Crosse, sales director, Kia Motors South Africa.
The evergreen Kia Picanto offers the perfect base for such a vehicle: edgy styling, excellent fuel efficiency, low maintenance costs and – importantly – higher levels of driver comfort and safety, especially when compared to traditional delivery vehicles: all wrapped up in highly manoeuvrable city car proportions.
Based on the Kia Picanto Start, the Picanto Runner loses the rear seat bench to create a flat loading area. Sturdy metal cargo dividers are added to keep cargo in place while in transit, while the rear windows are laminated to keep whatever load is being transported secure and out of sight. Depending on the need, a business can therefore brand the Picanto Runner either with contravision on the windows, or do a full wrap – both at a much more affordable cost thanks to the car’s compact dimensions. The Picanto Runner offers approximately 820 litres of practical space, with a payload of up to 350kg.
Running at pace
“The Kia Picanto Runner has been created to be a safe and comfortable urban business partner,” adds Crosse. “As such, we have paid equal attention to capability, efficiency, comfort and running costs.”
The Picanto Runner is based on the Picanto 1.0 Start, and is powered by a 1,0-litre in-line three-cylinder, 12-valve DOHC petrol engine, paired to a five-speed manual transmission. With 49 kW of power and 95 Nm of torque, the Picanto Runner is nimble enough to conquer the challenges of the urban jungle while still returning nippy performance and excellent fuel efficiency.
The Kia Picanto Runner also pays close attention to driver comfort and safety. Equipped with driver and front passenger airbags, central locking, ABS and Data Dot, amongst others, the Runner offers top-notch safety specifications in its segment.
As far as standard comfort and convenience features go, the Runner offers steering wheel controls, air-conditioning, Bluetooth connectivity, an AUX / USB connection and Radio/MP3/RDS. The seats and steering can also be adjusted to suit individual preferences.
Peace of mind
Regardless of the scale of the business or the size of its fleet, a business needs peace of mind that things will be taken care of quickly and efficiently when things go wrong. As such, a warranty and service plan that covers all bases is paramount, as is after sales support.
The Picanto Runner not only sprints out of the blocks with the same unlimited kilometre, five-year warranty that is standard on all Kia vehicles, but also includes a two-year/30,000km service plan. In addition, the Runner is also covered by Kia’s Corporate Fleet Care Package, designed specifically for ‘working’ vehicles.
The Fleet Care package includes access to the Kia one-hour Express Service, courtesy vehicle rental and Premium Roadside Assistance, which includes minor mechanical assistance, emergency fuel delivery, flat tyre assistance, battery jump-start and towing, to name only a few – invaluable benefits to a business that relies on fast and efficient deliveries.
Pricing
The Kia Picanto Runner is available on order from all Kia Motors South Africa dealerships, and is priced at R198,995.
