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The 2021 Kia Picanto range of configurations is currently priced from $13,999.
Our most recent review of the 2021 Kia Picanto resulted in a score of 7.5 out of 10 for that particular example.
Carsguide Deputy News Editor Tom White had this to say at the time: Really when you boil everything away, the Picanto is probably all the car you need around one of Australia’s capital cities. This little car is brilliantly equipped on the multimedia front, is smartly packaged with a long warranty, and even offers a decent drive experience too.
You can read the full review here.
This is what Tom White liked most about this particular version of the Kia Picanto: Excellent value, Seven year warranty, Makes the most of its size
The Kia Picanto is also known as Kia Morning, Kia EuroStar, Naza Suria, Naza Picanto in markets outside Australia.
The Kia Picanto 2021 prices range from $10,230 for the basic trim level Hatchback S (PE) to $17,820 for the top of the range Hatchback GT (turbo) (pe).
The Picanto's interior is light on fancy trims, but high on technology. This small car sports an impressive touchscreen and a plethora of connectivity options, despite being one of the most affordable new vehicles in Australia. Base cars get largely plastic trims, while higher spec levels get leather-look seats and extended soft-touch materials on the doors.
For the 2021 model year the Kia Picanto features an 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a colour multifunction display in the dash cluster, 14-inch steel wheels, halogen headlights, and auto emergency braking as part of its base fitment on the S. The GT-Line adds 16-inch alloy wheels, projector headlights, a more aggressive bodykit, leather-look seats, and re-styled interior trims with a centre console box.
Kia Picanto Model | Body Type | Height x Width x Length | Ground Clearance |
---|---|---|---|
GT (turbo) (pe)
|
Body Type: Hatchback | Height x Width x Length: 1485x1595x3595 mm |
Ground Clearance:
141 mm
|
GT-Line (pe)
|
Body Type: Hatchback | Height x Width x Length: 1485x1595x3595 mm |
Ground Clearance:
141 mm
|
S (PE)
|
Body Type: Hatchback | Height x Width x Length: 1485x1595x3595 mm |
Ground Clearance:
141 mm
|
There are still plenty of great small cars around within your budget, Agnes, and they all have good safety packages (or we wouldn’t recommend them). Look at offerings such as the Suzuki Swift Navigator (with the optional autonomous emergency braking) for around $17,000 (plus on-road costs) or the Kia Rio S at around $19,000 or Kia Picanto S (one size smaller than the Rio) at closer to $16,000. Both the Kias also feature the brand’s excellent seven-year warranty, capped-price servicing and free roadside assistance which is great peace of mind.
The Volkswagen Polo is a classy drive but a little more expensive at closer to $21,000 for the 85TSi Comfortline. Actually, to be honest, you’ve missed the boat on bargain small cars by a couple of years. Firm favourites such as the Toyota Yaris and Mazda 2 have both been updated relatively recently and have recorded big price jumps in the process. The cheapest Yaris with an automatic transmission is now around $23,000 (it was less than $17,000 back in 2018) while the Mazda 2 Maxx went from being a sub-$17,000 proposition in 2018 to a $23,000 car by the time you add an automatic transmission in 2020.
The cheapest new Kia is the Picanto S Manual listed at $14,190. For more info on the latest models check out our pricing and specs page, and you'll find all Kia reviews and news here.
The Holden Spark has been discontinued in Australia, with the company citing low volume as the main issue. But if that doesn't deter you, it's still a solid buy at under $15,000. Dealers have plenty of stock still on showroom floors, and you can get really good prices on 2017-plate models for less than $15k, drive-away. Shop for the LT if this is the car you like most, because it has a better features list than the LS.
Probably best to steer clear of the regular Barina, which is admittedly bigger, but definitely not better. The current-generation model could find its way to the automotive graveyard this year, too.
The Mirage isn't as good as either the Barina or Spark, so unless you just want a very inexpensive car, it's not high on our recommendation list. The Yaris is lagging behind the times in terms of features, but there's a reason it's a go-to for many budget car buyers: it's a strong offering for space and comfort.
All of that said, the Kia Picanto is the budget car we'd most likely recommend, because it has a strong and long warranty and is the only one in the mix with auto emergency braking (AEB). Plus it has a reversing camera as standard (the base model Spark doesn't).
Kia Picanto Model | Body Type | Front Tyre Size | Front Rim | Rear Rim |
---|---|---|---|---|
GT-Line (pe)
|
Body Type: Hatchback | Front Tyre Size: 195x45 R16 | Front Rim: 6.5x16 in |
Rear Rim:
6.5x16 in
|
S (PE)
|
Body Type: Hatchback | Front Tyre Size: 175x65 R14 | Front Rim: 5.5x14 in |
Rear Rim:
5.5x14 in
|
GT (turbo) (pe)
|
Body Type: Hatchback | Front Tyre Size: 195x45 R16 | Front Rim: 6.5x16 in |
Rear Rim:
6.5x16 in
|
Despite its modest 62kW and 115Nm the Picanto weighs in at around 1.0-tonne, you can expect the diminutive Kia to accelerate from 0-100km/h in around 13 seconds for the auto, and maybe a little quicker in manual form.
Despite its small dimensions, the Kia Picanto makes the most of its footprint with impressively packaged seats which can comfortably seat a 182cm tall adult in every position bar the middle. Seats are manually adjustable regardless of variant
Every Picanto has two ISOFIX and three top-tether child seat mounting points across the rear seats.
Kia Picanto Model | Body Type | Specs | Braked Capacity |
---|---|---|---|
GT-Line (pe)
|
Body Type: Hatchback | Specs: 1.2L ULP 4 SP AUTO |
Braked Capacity:
0kg
|
S (PE)
|
Body Type: Hatchback | Specs: 1.2L ULP 5 SP MAN |
Braked Capacity:
0kg
|
GT (turbo) (pe)
|
Body Type: Hatchback | Specs: 1.0L ULP 5 SP MAN |
Braked Capacity:
0kg
|