Kia Picanto

The new Kia Picanto reviews are very positive. There are a few slight niggles here and there, but overall the general consensus from the experts is that it's one of the best city cars on sale. The excellent reviews for Kia’s Picanto is proof, if any more were needed, that the Korean maker really is one to seriously consider these days.

Interior

Quite a few testers were impressed with the build quality of the Picanto’s cabin – the plastics do feel cheap, but they’re of fairly high quality for the class standard, and everything is well screwed together. Most critics were also fans of the layout of the controls and the design of the dash, though some weren’t fond of the steering wheel’s peculiar styling!

The Picanto is by no means the most practical car you’ll ever come across, but it’s still quite. There are a few decent storage cubbies up front, head room all round is decent, three adults can just about fit in the back and the 200 litre boot is one of the largest in its class, plus the lip is low so getting things in and out will be easy.

Driving

Thanks to the dinky dimensions, light controls and excellent all-round visibility, the Picanto is an easy car to drive in towns and cities. However, the Kia isn’t just useful as an urban runabout – quite a few critics were surprised with the car’s refinement at higher speeds, even with the small 1.0 engine. The ride quality is also quite impressive for the class standard.

That being said, there were some areas where the Picanto was a bit disappointing. On rougher surfaces, the ride can get a bit fidgety, especially on the 15 inch wheel option, and a majority of testers weren’t fond of the ‘nervous’ and numb steering.

Engines

Kia only offers a pair of petrols in the Picanto – a 1.0 three cylinder and a 1.25 four pot – and both seem to be very good little engines. They’re not exactly bristling with power, and you do have to work them fairly hard in order to get up to higher speeds, but the two motors are more than adequate in urban driving conditions, and are quite smooth and civilised for such small engines. They’re also cheap to run as well.

If you spend most of your time driving in towns and cities, then the 1.0 engine will be the more appropriate choice. However, if you regularly do longer journeys, in particular on motorways, then you may want to consider plumping for the pricier but punchier and more refined 1.25 engine.

Value for money

The Kia Picanto has always been a ‘cheap and cheerful’ kind of car, and even though it’s noticeably more expensive than the outgoing model, that ideology persists. The pricing is competitive, most of the models get a fair bit of kit as standard and shouldn’t be too expensive to run. The seven year warranty is also a notable plus point.

However, the top spec Picantos do start to encroach on the territory of more desirable and upmarket rivals. It’s also worth pointing out that the most basic ‘1’ trim level does without gadgets such as air conditioning and electric windows, and the super frugal ‘EcoDynamics’ model is only available with the 1.25 motor in ‘2’ spec.

Worth noting

Don’t pick the 1.0-litre car if you regularly do longer journeys, as it isn’t best suited to motorway travel. Around town though, it should be fine. For even better economy, go for the Ecodynamic trim level.

There is an automatic gearbox option for the Picanto, but most testers reckon it’s not really worth paying extra for – the manual is seen by many to be more than good enough, and the Picanto costs more to run when equipped with the auto.

Under the skin, the Kia is almost identical to the Hyundai i10 – both cars share the same engines and transmissions, and are almost as practical and as spacious as each other. The Kia looks better inside and out, and is a bit more comfortable than the i10, but it’s worth pointing out that Hyundai is the cheaper car to buy.

Conclusion

Overall, the Kia Picanto is a great little car with plenty of positive aspects and quirks. It’s cheap to buy and run, the space and refinement on offer is impressive for supermini standards, the styling is smart and it can hold its own in narrow streets and on dual carriageways.

It isn’t the outright best car in its class to drive, and, surprisingly perhaps, there are rivals out there that are actually cheaper to buy than the Kia. However, the Picanto is certainly a well sorted little runabout with a broad breadth of talents, and we can easily recommend it if you’re in the market for an affordable and stylish little hatchback.