Name: Kia Picanto Review
Item: Kia Picanto
Author: Gumtree.com

Kia’s smallest car, the Picanto, has been a favourite among city dwellers ever since its launch in 2003. Currently in its third generation, the Picanto is tailor-made for the daily commute and shopping trips. While there are few pure petrol engines left in the small car range, the Picanto stands tall against rivals like the Hyundai i10 in terms of practicality and ease-of-driving. With plenty of trims and personalisation options, including a Sports series, the Picanto offers lots of standard equipment and a stylish design package to make for a compelling city drive.

Visit the Kia Picanto model page to explore available cars and learn more about the specs.

What we think about the Kia Picanto

Another prominent addition in Kia’s incredible line-up, supermini Picanto has all the ingredients to make for a winning city car.

Pros

Lots of standard tech

Good engine line-up

Value for money

Cons

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Could do with more power on the motorways

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Firm low-speed ride

Throughout its three generations, the Kia Picanto has stayed true to its petrol-only tag. From 2017, it’s available in a choice of 1.0-litre and 1.25-litre engines, along with the recent addition of a 1.0-litre turbocharged engine. With plenty of trims to choose from, including the sportier X-Line and GT-Line variants, the Picanto is incredibly easy to customise to your needs.

Driving performance of the Kia Picanto

Our Driving Rating8 / 10

Smooth power delivery and gear shifts make the Picanto a pleasure to drive in the city – it’s quick and nippy while zipping through packed streets. All cars come with a slick five-speed manual transmission. However, you can upgrade to an automatic on most trims, except for the turbocharged variants. A firm suspension means that agility around corners is spot-on, while the longer wheelbase on the latest models has significantly amped up comfort. The entry-level engines do the job well for a city car, but you would want the turbocharged trims if you plan on taking to the motorways regularly. All in all, the Kia Picanto offers a smooth and quiet ride, be it in idle or cruise mode.

Safety and reliability of the Kia Picanto

Our Safety Rating7 / 10

All Picantos come with standard features such as hill start assist and six airbags. For the variants with Autonomous Emergency Braking, which preps the brakes to avoid or mitigate an impending collision, the latest gen Kia Picanto scored a solid four-star Euro NCAP safety rating. Only the entry-level ‘1’ trim does not offer this system as part of the standard kit, scoring three stars on the NCAP tests. It’s a reasonably priced upgrade nonetheless. The Picanto is fitted with alarms and an immobiliser for theft and vandal-proofing.

Under the bonnet of the Kia Picanto

Our Engine Rating8 / 10

The entry-level naturally-aspirated 1.0-litre engine producing 66 bhp takes 13.8 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph. It’s a good choice for those who only want to use the car on city roads. The bigger 1.25-litre unit produces 83 bhp. Although it’s slightly punchier, it still struggles on motorways. The top choice is, of course, the turbocharged 1.0-litre GTDi, which is capable of 0-60mph in 9.8 seconds. Note that this variant is not available in automatic transmission, but we reckon you wouldn’t enjoy the ride of this mini hot-hatch without the manual.

What you'll find in the Kia Picanto

Our Design Rating8 / 10

While previous generations were available in a three-door body style, the latest 2017 gen is only offered as a five-door (very much in keeping with the city-car trend). The perky Picanto focuses more on the curvier lines rather than angles and straight edges all-round, lending it a cosier appeal. Standard-fit LED daytime running lights and highlights on the grille look add a stylish touch. Opting for the GT variant will get you the sportier look, while the X-Line comes with extra features like 16-inch alloy wheels, a raised ride height, chunky off-road bumpers and wheel arch extensions.

Comfort and interiors in the Kia Picanto

Our Comfort Rating8 / 10

With each generation, Kia has vastly improved boot space, making the Picanto much more practical. On the latest gen, 255 litres of space makes it the class-leader. There’s plenty of legroom and headroom too, and you won’t find yourself constrained in any way, despite it being the smallest Kia in town. The interior quality isn’t quite plush but is well built and neatly placed to avoid the cluttered feel you often find in small cars. Little compartments everywhere such as the sunglasses holder, narrow door bins and cupholders add to cabin functionality, allowing for a comfortable ride during morning rush hour.

What features you'll find in the Kia Picanto

Our Features Rating8 / 10

As a city car that’s meant to be a daily workhorse rather than a chariot, the Picanto sticks to the back-to-basics brief. However, note that the build quality is not cheap by any means. You won’t see too many soft plastics and leather trims, but the cabin is will last a long time. The ‘2’ trim is a balanced buy, coming with Bluetooth, air-con, all-round electric windows and a four-speaker stereo as standard. Upgrade to model ‘3’ if you want a fully-functioning infotainment system with all the latest connectivity options. To make the ride more comfortable, Kia has put in a new engine cover and tweaked the engine mounts to help reduce noise and vibration.

What fuel efficiency to expect from the Kia Picanto

Our Fuel Consumption Rating7 / 10

The Picanto is one of the few remaining cars with an automatic that isn’t as efficient as the manual variants. The 1.0-litre and 1.25-litre engines with the manual gearbox bring in 54.3 mpg and 56.5 mpg respectively on the latest generation. Older generations are also comparable, falling between the 50 and 60 mpg range. Figures on the automatic tumble down to 43.5 mpg, which is quite significant. The turbocharged engine introduced in the latest 2017 generation delivers a very good 50.4 mpg. Pick a Picanto that has been taken care of, and you should have no problems with engine reliability.

Running costs of the Kia Picanto

Our Cost Rating9 / 10

Emissions on the turbocharged engine stand at 128 g/km. The manual transmission engines emit between 120 and 130 g/km, while the automatic pushes it up to 148 g/km. Entry-level Kia Picantos fall within insurance groups 1 and 5, depending on the trim. Expect to go up to insurance group 11 on the turbocharged engine. Throughout its run, there have been no known recalls on the Picanto. As with every Kia, the best part is the unbeatable seven-year/100,000-mile warranty giving you great peace of mind in terms of reliability.

Our verdict of the Kia Picanto

4.5 / 5 Gumtree rating

With efficient engines, stylish looks and an incredible reliability record, the Picanto is a nippy city car that's worth the price tag, whichever way you look at it.

Kia Picanto Review