In Korea, the car Kia sells as the Picanto in the UK and Australia is called the Morning (모닝). The name is only the first difference. On Kia’s own pages, the Korean car has a different power figure from the UK car, a smaller engine than the Australian car and no manual gearbox. It also comes as a van.
We compared Kia Korea’s 2027 Morning pages with Kia UK’s Picanto pages and Kia Australia’s 2027 Picanto page on October 20, 2026. Here’s what each one lists.
How we compared
We used Kia’s official pages: Kia Korea’s Morning spec and price pages, Kia UK’s Picanto overview and specification pages, Kia Australia’s Picanto features page and Kia’s US vehicle lineup. A dash in the tables means the page we checked didn’t show that figure. It doesn’t mean the figure doesn’t exist.
Figures in parentheses (hp, Nm and inches), the PS equivalent of the UK power figure and the mpg figure are our own conversions.
Morning vs Picanto at a glance
| Korea: Morning | UK: Picanto | Australia: Picanto | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 1.0 gas, 998 cc | 1.0 GDI gas, 998 cc | 1.2 MPI gas |
| Power | 76 PS (75 hp) at 6,200 rpm | 68 bhp at 6,000 rpm | – |
| Torque | 9.7 kgf·m (95 Nm) at 3,750 rpm | 96 Nm at 4,000 rpm | – |
| Gearbox | 4-speed automatic only | 5-speed manual or 5-speed automated manual (AMT) | 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic |
| Length | 3,595 mm (141.5 in) | 3,605 mm (141.9 in), from the GT-Line dimension drawing | – |
| Body | Passenger car and 2-seat van | 5-seat passenger car | 5-seat passenger car |
| Trims | Trendy, Prestige, Signature, GT-Line (van: Trendy, Prestige) | Pure, GT-Line, GT-Line S | Sport, GT-Line |
Kia UK labels its engine “1.0 GDI (67bhp)”, but its drivetrain table gives 68 bhp. We’ve used the table figure. Width (1,595 mm), height (1,485 mm) and wheelbase (2,400 mm) match between the Korean spec page and the UK drawing.
Korea’s official combined fuel economy for the Morning is 14.7 km/L, about 34.6 mpg US. Kia Korea notes that this is a standard-test figure and that real-world economy varies. Test methods differ by country, so we haven’t set it against UK or Australian figures.
Three spec differences
1. Power from the same displacement
Both the Korean and UK cars use a 998 cc engine. Korea lists 76 PS, while the UK lists 68 bhp, which is about 69 PS. Torque is almost the same, at about 95 Nm in Korea and 96 Nm in the UK.
Kia doesn’t explain the gap on either page, so we haven’t guessed at a reason. Australia goes a different way altogether, with a 1.2-liter MPI engine. Kia Australia also says the car was tuned for Australian roads.
2. No manual in Korea
Kia Korea’s spec page lists one gearbox, a 4-speed automatic, and the price list shows no manual option. The UK offers a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT, and Australia offers a 5-speed manual on the Sport grade, with a 4-speed automatic available on both grades.
If you drive a manual Picanto at home, expect an automatic if you buy a new Morning in Korea.
3. Ten millimeters of length
Kia Korea lists the Morning at 3,595 mm. The dimension drawing on Kia UK’s spec page, shown on a GT-Line, gives 3,605 mm.
The gap is small, but it falls on either side of a Korean limit. The light-car class (경형) caps length at 3.6 meters, and Kia Korea lists the Morning in that class. By our own subtraction, the Korean figure is 5 mm under the cap and the UK figure is 5 mm over. Kia doesn’t say why the figures differ. Our Kia Ray guide sets out the full light-car limits and how the Ray, Morning and Casper fit them.
The Morning van
Kia Korea’s price list has a separate tab for the Morning van, labeled 1.0 가솔린(밴) (1.0 gas van), and the spec page lists it as a 2-seat version. It comes in two trims, Trendy and Prestige.
Neither the UK nor the Australian page we checked shows a van version of the Picanto.
Morning prices in Korea
These are Kia Korea’s list prices by trim, dated October 1, 2026. Options are priced separately on the same page.
| Version | Trim | Price (KRW) |
|---|---|---|
| Passenger car | Trendy | 14,210,000 |
| Passenger car | Prestige | 16,010,000 |
| Passenger car | Signature | 18,160,000 |
| Passenger car | GT-Line | 19,110,000 |
| Van | Trendy | 13,860,000 |
| Van | Prestige | 14,510,000 |
On the Prestige passenger trim and the trims above it, the price list includes a Hi-Pass toll payment unit. Kia notes that the unit doesn’t apply toll discounts on its own, and that discounts need a separate registration. Our guide to Korean highway tolls and Hi-Pass explains how the system works.
Is the Picanto sold in the US?
Neither the Picanto nor the Morning was listed on Kia’s US vehicle lineup on October 20, 2026. That doesn’t mean the car can’t be found there, and the page doesn’t say why it’s missing.
Our list of Hyundai and Kia models missing from the US, UK and Australia covers Korean-market cars you won’t find on any of those three lineups.
Searching for a Morning in Korean
Korean listings and reviews use 모닝, not Picanto. Some add a prefix such as 더 뉴 (The New), which usually marks a facelift rather than a different car.
The Hyundai and Kia name lookup table pairs current Korean model names with their US and UK names where they exist, and its search box accepts Hangul.
Where to check the current specs
Kia’s figures can change between model years, so check these pages before relying on one:
- Korea: Kia Morning specifications and prices (in Korean)
- UK: Kia Picanto specification
- Australia: Kia Picanto features
- US: Kia US vehicle lineup
Last checked: October 20, 2026. Sources: Kia Korea Morning specification and price pages (prices as of October 1, 2026), Kia UK Picanto overview and specification pages, Kia Australia 2027 Picanto features page, Kia US vehicle lineup. Light-car limits from the Enforcement Rules of the Motor Vehicle Management Act, Annex 1 (checked October 9, 2026, for our Kia Ray guide).
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