Now even the cheapest Picantos can be cool

Kia has moved quickly to address grumbles about the steep price of air-conditioning on its otherwise appealing new Picanto, due to hit UK showrooms in June.

The Picanto impresses with value for money and style but the keenly priced entry-level model, the £7,995 1.0-litre with the basic “1” trim level, doesn't include air-conditioning, a feature that was originally only going to be available to buyers prepared to pay an extra £1,600 for the mid-range “2” version.

Now a new addition to the Picanto line-up has been announced – the 1 Air, which costs only £600 more than the base car. The 1 Air, by addressing the only significant gap in the otherwise well kitted out 1's equipment list, promises to be the pick of the Picanto range when it joins its sister models in September this year.