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Kia Picanto Review

Sam Worth
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What's good?

– Spacious
– Fun to drive
– Looks brilliant
– Long-term warranty

What's bad?

– Not a lot

What's the score?

9/10

Overview

The Kia Picanto is currently one of the best city cars. It’s got the looks, it’s cheap to buy and it’s economical. You could argue the VW Up! is just as good, although I’m not sure I’ll agree with you on that one.

The new Picanto is still the same length as the 2017 model year, being 3,595mm long. But the chassis’ wheelbase has been extended by 15mm, and the front and rear overhangs have been reduced. It’s not a massive increase, no. We’re talking about the width of your index finger here. But it does provide just a little bit more room inside. Considering the car is already small, every bit counts.

While we’re talking about space, it’s possibly a good time to point out Kia no longer offers a three-door body style for it, since only 10% of Picanto buyers wanted them. But that’s not necessary a problem. Yes, the five-door body may not look as good, but it means it’s more practical, which, for a city car is what you want.

Nevertheless, the Picanto comes in numbered trims, 1, 2 and 3, with sportier looking models to follow. Starting at £10,220 for the base trim 1 and £15,270 for the top spec GT-Line S. The Picanto stands its ground compared to the Up!, as it offers a four or five-seats version, both for the same price. The Up!’s base model starts at £12,705, which is £2,485 more, has two less doors as standard, with only four seats. You want an extra pair of doors in your VW I hear? That’ll be an extra £400, but you still don’t get that extra seat you were hoping for. Hmm.

Kia also offers a chunkier-looking Picanto, called the X-Line, which has a raised ride height and wheel arch extensions. I can’t say it’s the trim to go for, as the Picanto is a city car, not a mini crossover SUV-thing. The GT-Line is certainly the looker of them all and starts from £13,390 (same price as the X-Line). It comes with a slightly stiffer suspension, 16-inch wheels, sportier bumpers, and a rear diffuser with twin exhaust pipe tips. Just like the Fiat 500, you can customize the Picanto, too, with some body decals, side skirts, tailgate trims and wing mirror covers.

Drive

There are three petrol engines to choose from, two of them being a 1.0-litre three-cylinder with 66bhp (non-turbo) and 99bhp (turbo). There’s also a naturally aspirated 1.25-litre four-cylinder with 83bhp. I’d recommend either of the two punchiest engines, as the 66bhp may seem sluggish at a push. But at the same time, it may not be such an issue if you’re barely going out of town speeds.

The 1.25-litre engine comes with a five-speed manual and it’s fair to say, it has plenty of go in it around town. It’s also economical as well, getting around 50mpg. Out of town, for a car that has only 83 horses, it feels nippy – seeing as it only weighs 976kg. The Picanto can genuinely put a smile on your face, especially when you drop down a few gears and put your foot down. Really, it can. I remember I was laughing behind the wheel a few times because of how fun it was. You’re still probably think I’m having you on, right? I’m not, it’s brilliant.

The GT-Line gets slightly firmer suspension springs which help on tighter bends, but that’s not to say it corners brilliantly. It’s a comfortable enough car to use day-to-day and certainly not bad on the country roads considering it’s a city car.

Out on the motorway the engine can feel a little unpowered, but that’s expected. Alternatively, you could treat yourself to the 1.0-litre turbo, for that extra bit of kick. With your right foot hard on the accelerator, the 1.25-litre will get 0-62mph in 11.6 seconds with 90lb-ft and has a top speed of 107mph. Believe it or not, if feels slightly nippier than it may sound.

When it comes to parking, the Picanto is a piece of cake to park. It’s small, has light steering, good visibility, rear parking sensors, and a reversing camera. It doesn’t get much simpler than that. With that in mind, it should bring confidence for those who struggle to park at a local Tesco’s car park. Or on the other hand, just rip up the hand brake and slide it into a parking bay. Just kidding.

Interior

In the cabin area, Kia have dressed the GT-Line up a bit with partial red leather seats, red stitching, sporty trims, a grippy flat-bottom steering wheel and a few more finishing touches. Although the materials can feel a little cheap and plastic-ey, but did you really expect leather and soft-touch materials? No, me neither.

With the Picanto 3 trim level and up, you get a 7-inch infotainment system, compared to a 3.8-inch monochrome display as standard. For a city car, it’s perfect. The screen isn’t laggy or jittery and it comes with a six-speaker audio system, DAB, Bluetooth, USB, Aux, Sat Nav and is compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Sweet. Not only that, but it’s more than easy to operate, as down each side of the screen we have buttons. Yes, buttons, remember those things you press? So, you don’t have to take your eyes off the road to find that icon on the touchscreen.

Once you’ve done your weekly shop, you’ll find the Picanto isn’t half bad when it comes to practicality. The rear doors open out wide giving you more accessibility to the back seats and the boot isn’t small either. It has one of the biggest boot sizes in its class, along with the Hyundai i10. Being 255-litres with the seats up and 1,010-litres including the rear seat area.

Verdict

So, is the ‘cool-looking’ GT-Line the trim to have? I’m struggling to say no, as the GT-Line is the best-looking city car out there. Especially for the price and not forgetting that 100,000miles/7 years warranty, which comes with every Kia model. But not everyone wants to put the words ‘best-looking’ and ‘city car’ together. Most buyers just want the basics from a city car, maybe with a few extras to make your daily life more convenient. But, for the sake of an extra £3,170 for the GT-Line, you get a load of features and it looks as good as it drives.