Naza Suria: the Kia Picanto built for Malaysia

The Naza Suria was the Malaysian version of the first-generation Kia Picanto. The small five-door hatchback was locally assembled and sold under the Naza name, and on 30 October 2009 it was updated and renamed the Naza Picanto.

Naza Suria at a glance

The Naza Suria is the Malaysian-assembled first-generation Kia Picanto; it is described in a short section of the English Wikipedia article on the Picanto, which is the only source used here.

History of the Naza Suria

Kia revealed the first-generation Picanto at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show. The city car was built on a shortened version of the Hyundai Getz platform and measured 3,495 mm from bumper to bumper, with a five-door hatchback body only. It was designed to fit South Korea’s “light car” class, which gives tax incentives to cars under 3,600 mm long and 1,600 mm wide.

Two petrol engines were offered: a 1.0-litre unit of 61 hp and 86 N·m, and a 1.1-litre of 65 hp and 97 N·m, both with multi-point injection. In Europe there was also a 1.1-litre three-cylinder diesel derived from the Kia Cerato’s 1.5-litre four, with direct injection and a variable-geometry turbocharger, giving 75 hp and 153 N·m. Combined consumption was 5.1 and 5.2 l/100 km for the two petrol engines and 4.4 l/100 km for the diesel. A four-speed automatic with a torque converter was optional on the petrol cars.

In Malaysia the Picanto was rebadged and sold as the locally assembled Naza Suria. The car was facelifted in 2007, when the light clusters, bumper and front grille were changed and the power steering switched from hydraulic to electric; a 2009 facelift brought a new front end with Kia’s tiger-nose grille and was not exported to Europe. On 30 October 2009 the Suria was updated and its name changed to Naza Picanto.

Design and features

• Light-car dimensions: 3,495 mm long, inside South Korea’s tax-incentive class.
• Getz-derived platform: a shortened floorpan shared with the Hyundai Getz.
• Two petrol engines: 1.0 and 1.1 litres, with a diesel in Europe.
• Frugal running: around 5.1–5.2 l/100 km combined on petrol.
• Local assembly: built in Malaysia and sold under the Naza badge.

Naza Suria versions

• Naza Suria (2003–2009): the locally assembled Picanto in its original form.
• 2007 facelift: new lights, bumpers and grille, electric power steering.
• 2009 facelift: tiger-nose grille, sold in Malaysia only.
• Naza Picanto (from 30 October 2009): the same car under its new name.

The Suria was the smallest car in Naza’s range, below the Naza Citra and Naza Ria. More cars are in the Naza collection.

Sources

• Kia Picanto, English Wikipedia: first generation, engines, Malaysian rebadging