Italian Supermarket Chain Begins Selling Kia Cars?

Kia’s Italian distributor is unhappy that supermarket chain Auchan is selling 200 units of the Picanto minicar at steep discounts two stores in Italy.

France-based Auchan is offering the 1.0-liter Picanto Spirit model, equipped with metallic paint and CD player, for 7,950 euros -- a 25.7 percent discount off the 10,701 euro sticker price. The cars, which have only a few kilometers on the odometer, are on sale at stores in Mestre and Venaria, Italy.

“It is unthinkable these Picantos are coming from official Italian dealers”, said Nuccio Bitti, Kia Motors Italia S.p.A. CEO, in a phone interview with Automotive News Europe.


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Auto_expert - 9/10/2007 1:56:13 PM

+2 Boost

What's unthinkable is someone actually buying this hideous turd of car.

EnnNorak - 9/11/2007 9:03:56 AM

+1 Boost

This car has a lot of character and I'm glad consumers are getting a big break from Italian discounters. I long for the day when all manufacturers will sell directly to the consumer over the Internet and dealers exist purely for the service business. There is no good reason for dealers to have 5- and even 25-million- dollar buildings just or the image. They than have to rip off customers to recover the investment that the factory has forced them to make.

EnnNorak - 9/11/2007 9:06:08 AM

+1 Boost

P.S. only the 3-spoke wheels are ugly -- reminds me of some of the older gimmicky wheel designs from GM's Pontiac division.

iepurilah - 9/10/2007 2:49:49 PM

+1 Boost

that's hilarious! hey, I'm going to the super murket to get myself a new car :))

Rupert - 9/10/2007 6:10:52 PM

+1 Boost

Funny...I thought Auchan was a French super/hypermarket chain.

toolatetorace - 9/10/2007 11:38:32 PM

+1 Boost

Actually they should sell them out of vending machines . "This(vending) machines take check cards"and spits out a licence plate when you have been approved One lane over an express lane for 15 items or less.