2020 Kia Picanto Reviews

The Kia Picanto commands almost half of all micro-car sales in this country, so what makes it so compelling? Price? Looks? Quality? Being fun to drive? Safety gear? Or could it be all of those things?

Is the new generation Kia Picanto a can-do or a can’t-do car? We spent a week living with the Picanto S manual to find out.

Kia's Picanto is cheap. But that doesn't mean what it used to mean. It looks nice, is filled with safety things, and will mirror your smartphone on a big screen inside. So it's cheap, but not 'cheap.'

Andrew Chesterton road tests and reviews the new Kia Picanto with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the 2016 Kia Picanto with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Richard Berry road test and reviews the Kia Picanto with specs, fuel consumption and verdict at its Australian launch.

The Kia Picanto is custom made for England's tight, twisting country roads and impossibly narrow village lanes. As we head along the Cornwall coast the little Korean is in its element, ducking and weaving like a quick-footed featherweight as trucks and delivery vans hurtle towards us in the early morning drizzle. A

The world's city car market is growing and will reach about 2.5 million a year within the next few years, and one of its top movers is the Kia Picanto a model still foreign to Australia.The little A-segment hatch has been readily received in most markets across the globe for the past seven years and has now been totally revised in its second generation. Slightly longer and wider than before, the once cute hatch now has the distinctive Schreyer lines that give it a much classier look.Its wide stance, 'tiger's nose' grille and 'eyes of the tiger' headlights with built in LED daytime running lights, make it a real head-turner. The longer wheelbase has also given it a bit more passenger space and a 27 per cent bigger boot, a full 200 litres. It's a smoother car too, with better aerodynamics than many vehicles in bigger categories.At the premium end of the tiddler market, the five-door Picanto comes with two engine and two transmission choices and in two grades: LX and EX. There's a 51kW/94Nm three-cylinder and a brand new 1.25litre four-cylinder that puts out 64kW/124Nm. The gearboxes are a five speed manual or a four-speed automatic.DESIGNInside, the seats are quite firm and rather flat, but give better comfort than expected and we had no problems after a couple of hundred km across a slice of Korea last week. There's a nice thick-rimmed steering wheel, a clear three-dial dash display and easy to use controls.Spec levels vary enormously depending on their markets, but there's still a very long list of options so owners can bling them up to whatever level they can afford. Our New Zealand-spec EX came with electric power steering, a tilt-adjustable steering, chromed grille surround, remote central locking, Bluetooth and auto aircon.DRIVINGA small engine and an automatic gearbox might raise some eyebrows, but this Kappa engine is a lively little jigger that thrives on revs and it can take the 1340kg car to 100km/h in 11.5seconds. And the self-shifter was smooth and quick.Fuel economy is an average 6.1litres/100km.The car has a quality feel and comfort levels were impressive for a super-compact. Lots of sound-deadening materials, which even included sound blocks in the outside mirrors and roof-mounted aerial, made for a quiet, refined interior. We had no trouble keeping up with the traffic on Korea's super new freeways (the Picanto is good for 170km/h) and steering and brakes were fine. Our car also had the optional 15-inch alloys.KIA PICANTOPrice: Est. from $13,000Warranty 5 years, unlimited kmResale: n/aService interval: 15,000km or 12 monthsEconomy: 5.0 l/100km; 119g/km CO2Safety equipment: six airbags, ESC, ABS, EBD, EBA, TC.Crash rating: not testedEngine: 64kW/120Nm 1.2-litre petrolTransmission: Five-speed manualBody: 3-door, 4 seatsDimensions: 3595 (L); 1595mm (W); 1490mm (H); 2385mm (WB)Weight: 855kgTyre size: 175/50R15Spare tyre: Space-saver

It's 1-litre engine is smaller than most touring motorcycles but the Kia Picanto shows the way with performance far beyond its size. Indeed, it will even get better fuel economy that these motorcycles.Drive the Picanto and it feels like most small cars - peppy away from the traffic lights, eager through the gears and ignorant to service station bowsers.But it stretches its abilities to places other small cars dare to tread. Even in transit across part of the south-west of Germany on high-speed autobahns, the 1-litre, three-cylinder petrol Picanto held steady at 160km/h and felt capable of more.Autobahns are not, however, Kia’s favoured ground for the Picanto. Rather, this is a light car that will comfortably and efficiently transport up to four adults across town. It will become a preferred shopping trolley, a cost-effective commuter and even a fun car for the young at heart.The big stumbling block concerns its arrival in Australia - in fact, we may never see it.Kia Australia spokesman Kevin Hepworth says Kia wants it here and is pushing hard.“It’s certainly a car we want to have in Australia,’’ he says. “But no decision has been made yet.’’Kia makes the Picanto in Korea and Slovakia. The small hatchback comes with five or three doors, diesel and petrol engines, manual and automatic transmissions - so the field is ripe to pluck a model or two for Australia.There are three petrol engines - 1.0, 1.2 and 1.4-litres - but Hepworth says Australia is more likely to get the 1.2-litre and 1.4-litre petrol models in manual and automatic.“But I can’t see us taking the diesel,’’ he says of the highly-praised 1.1-litre three-cylinder turbo-diesel that gets a remarkable 3.2 litres/100km and a CO2 output of a mere 85 grams/km.“The diesel is a wonderful concept and is brilliant on fuel but the problem is that Kia may have trouble supplying it to our market. It is in huge demand in Europe and they’re taking every one that’s made. So our chances are very slim.’’We don’t know the price - but I reckon it’s a $13,000 opener and up to about $14,500 for the whole Monty - and the delivery date if it comes (but mid-2012 isn’t impossible). It’s probably well worth waiting for.Okay - so we don’t know the price but if we say $13,500 for one with some decent kit, then it’s up against the Nissan Micra and other light cars. It’s in a whole different arena to the Suzuki Alto - which is more about budget motoring - and the Hyundai i10 on which it’s based but not sold here.For me, the Picanto is really biting at the heels of the Volkswagen Polo. If Volkswagen send out tits new sub-Polo small car, the Up, then that will become its natural rival. That’s a rare statement putting a high-tech German up against a newbie Korean.Features are yet to be specified for us, though the highlights included the iPod integration, Bluetooth, generously proportioned and comfortable seats, good build quality and excellent driving position. I didn’t like the hard plastic trim throughout the cabin.This is one of Kia design boss Peter Schreyer’s handiworks. It has a lot of the new Rio hatch within its lines, though is a tad bolder with the side crease line. The new Kia grille is a shrunken version of that used by other Kia models and looks more like a fascia adornment than a functional intake. The five door I drove had easy access to the rear and space - for short trips - for two adults. The boot is small - no surprises there - through the rear seat can fold forward.Making small engines work across the demands of modern motoring is very difficult. The 1-litre petrol tested here is promoted by Kia as the world’s first three-cylinder car engine with dual-variable valve timing. lt’s a beauty and it’s a pity it’s not on Australia’s shopping list.The 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol was also driven, this time attached to a four-speed automatic. This works, despite the four cogs, thanks to a strong flow of low-rev torque. Steering is electric-assist and it’s not bad. Certainly it is light at low speeds - so will suit inner-city driving - but it has good stability at high speeds.Kia says that if the Picanto gets down under, it will recieve localy-adapted steering, brake and suspension work in line with the successes the company has had with localised Sportage, Optima and Cerato models.No crash testing data was available but it’s believed the car would have the full suite of safety gear and six airbags if it gets here.This is so easy to pedal, weaving through the manic Frankfurt afternon rush hour with absolute ease. The 1-litre petrol as the optional Eco version that gets stop-start and a dashboard gearshift indicator to maximise fuel efficiency. The steering is really light but the car responds positively and feels well connected with the road.The engine is really eager off the mark and it’s only when you crank it up to start the autobahn test that you realise the pick up in speed is quite leisurely. Far better is the 1.2-litre - even attached to the four speed auto - that spins quickly to 6000rpm before upchanges and sounds rorty and purposeful. Ride comfort was very good but the German roads are a lot smother than the harsh, coarse Australian asphalt.So good was the quietness that I could hold a near-whisper conversation whle cruising at 160km/h. Cabin room for the two front occupants is sufficient, but recognise that this fits in the light-car class and is more compact than the small-car segment.