[2] The Picanto is primarily manufactured at the Donghee joint-venture plant in Seosan, South Korea,[3] though some countries locally assemble complete knock-down versions of the car.

[13] It was based on a shortened platform of the Hyundai Getz and was 3,495 mm (137.6 in) long, with a five-door hatchback body style.

[15] In Europe, a 1.1-litre three-cylinder diesel engine (based on the Kia Cerato's 1.5-litre four-cylinder unit) was also available, with direct injection and a variable geometry turbocharger, the power reaching 75 hp (55 kW) and a torque of 153 N⋅m (113 lb⋅ft).

In 2009, for the 2010 model year, the Picanto received some minor interior and exterior changes, including a new front fascia that incorporates the 'tiger nose' grille.

[26] The Picanto was available worldwide (except North America, Venezuela, China, and Singapore) as a 5-door hatchback while the European market received the exclusive 3-door variant.

[31] The 3-door version is the same length as the 5-door model, but it sports new windows and doors, different bumpers and a front grille with silver or red trim.

[32] In South Korea, the Morning is offered in a Sport Pack, which consists of the 3-door's front and rear bumpers, as well as a digital speedometer.

[39] The second-generation facelifted Picanto for the Pakistani market was launched at Pakistan Auto Parts Show (PAPS) 2019.

[44][45] As part of the marketing campaign for the Picanto, Kia produced a promotional video featuring the world's first nail art animation.

Kia UK released a series of viral videos on their YouTube channel to promote both the car and the programme.

[53] In South Africa, the Picanto took the Standard Bank People's Wheels Award for "Budget Buys - Affordability First" three years straight from 2011 to 2013.

Power and Associates awarded the Picanto on UK Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) in the City Car category.

[56] For the 2014 model year, the Morning in South Korea was updated to use the European three-door's front and rear bumpers with the headlights incorporating a new LED daytime running light system.

The new model was equipped with seven airbags, a Cornering Brake Control system, a handbrake alarm, and height adjustable seat belts.

[60] The facelifted Picanto debuted at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show in March and went on sale across Europe by the end of the month.

[70][68] The car features all-new safety features such as Torque Vectoring Brake Based (TVBB) system, Straight Line Stability (SLS), Forward Collision Warning System (FCWS) and Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB).

Kia Motors in South Korea debuted the Morning in January 2017 with a series of TV commercials featuring actors Shim Eun-kyung, Park Jeong-min, and Jin Kyung.

Interior updates includes a 4.2-inch instrument panel and 8-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto supports.

Safety and driver assist technology has been updated with features such as lane-keeping aid and emergency stop signal, the latter of which automatically turn on the car’s hazard lights in an event of sudden braking.

[91] In January 2013, the Picanto was named most reliable car in the UK, according to data published by Moneysupermarket.com in conjunction with Warranty Direct.

Following the 2017 season, the organization was changed to Kia Platinum Cup after PKN Orlen replaced Grupa Lotos as the title sponsor.