With the popularity of crossovers in a wide range of price points, small hatchbacks like the Kia Picanto have become something that we see less and less of nowadays.

But as it turns out, the Picanto is not yet going down for the count. Leaked images of the refreshed Kia Picanto show the small hatchback drawing some similarities to the Sportage, Niro, and even the flagship EV9 electric SUV.

The front end of the refreshed Picanto now has vertical headlights, and are linked by a chrome bar. Also, the look is more expressive with the large faux intakes and inserts that make up a rather busy front end for the refreshed hatchback.

The wheels also appear to be inspired by the EV9, at least for the GT-Line variant that had its images leaked on the internet. The Picanto's alloy wheels are finished in black and chrome two-tone. At the back, the refreshed Picanto has adopted a full-width light bar that connects the two LED taillights. To make things a bit sportier, the GT-Line variant also gets diffuser-like elements in the rear bumper.

On the other hand, the interior remains largely familiar, with a few small changes. First is a digital instrument cluster, and new graphics for the 8-inch infotainment system.

Other details regarding new powertrains and new driver-assist features are yet to come out, but we expect Kia to carry over a lot of things from the pre-facelift model, such as its 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine.

Kia's smallest model will make its global debut by the second half of this year.

Source: Carscoops / Autospy