We just entered the second half of the year, and Kia was true to its word – the refreshed Picanto has been revealed.

Featuring a bold new look, the third-generation Picanto receives some substantial updates, plus new driver assistance systems to make driving in busy cities easier and more convenient.

As seen in the leaked photos from a month ago, the refreshed Picanto receives the new “Opposites United” design language – Kia's signature look that's seen on fully-electric vehicles such as the EV6 and the flagship EV9 SUV. It gets vertical LED headlights linked by a chrome bar, forming a rather busy front fascia with large faux intakes and inserts.

The rear bumper gets diffuser-like elements, while a horizontal light bar connects the pair of LED taillights. To finish off the look, the GT-Line variant gets 16-inch wheels, while lower variants get smaller sets of alloys.

Inside, the refreshed Picanto gets a digital display for the instrument cluster and an 8-inch touchscreen head unit that comes with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto connectivity. Also, the Picanto comes with over-the-air functionality for software updates, while the Kia Connect app includes features such as live traffic information, weather updates, as well as potential on and off-street parking.

The new Picanto is offered to customers with a choice of either a 1.0-liter or a 1.2-liter, naturally aspirated gasoline engine. Kia did not specify its power outputs, but both engines drive the front wheels via a 5-speed manual transmission or Kia's own automated manual transmission (AMT).

In terms of safety, the refreshed Picanto comes with seven airbags and ISOFIX anchors inside. It has Kia's vehicle stability management, hill start assist, and cornering brake control systems.

Despite being a small hatchback, the Kia Picanto comes with a wide range of advanced driver assistance systems such as forward collision warning, blind spot collision avoidance, lane keep assist, and rear cross-traffic alert.

As we found out recently, Kia Philippines currently does not have plans on offering the refreshed Picanto hatchback in its model lineup. And thus, we may be left admiring its new look from a distance.