Words and Photos by Rob McSorley
City cars have become
increasingly popular over recent years due to their minuscule running costs and
tiny dimensions that make them perfectly suited to the busy, congested roads
found in most cities. Years ago these cars forced owners to live with significant
compromises that now seem quite amusing especially when it came to standard
equipment. Many models only had one wing mirror, no rear wiper, no central air
vents and some didn’t even come with a stereo never mind power steering which
seems crazy today. Now more than ever City cars have had to move with the times
and offer buyers more, especially with the recent trend in downsizing. Kia is
the latest manufacturer to launch a new city car, the Picanto which is now in
its second generation and promises to offer economy, comfort, refinement and fuel
efficiency in equal measures, I find out how it fairs and whether it is a
viable alternative to established rivals from Citroen, Peugeot and Hyundai.
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The Picanto is the second iteration of Kia's successful city car. This time Kia is trying to poach buyers from more established rivals with its blend of style, economy and practicality. The Picanto is based on the same platform as its cousin the Hyundai i10.Here we test the mid spec '2' trim in 1.25, 16v, 4 cylinder petrol form.
Rivals; Citroen C1, Peugeot 107 and Hyundai i10
Technical Data
Price as tested: £10,195
Engine: 1.25 16v 89bhp - 0-62mph: 12 secs - Maximum Speed: 106mph -
Economy: 53.3 mpg (urban) –74.3 mpg (extra-urban), 65.7 mpg (combined) - Emissions: 100g/km (Band A) - VED (12 months): £0
Dimensions: Length: 3595mm - Width: 1595mm - Height: 1480mm - Wheelbase: 2385mm
*data from Kia UK
Key Features
- 14" inch alloy wheels
- Daytime running lights
- Electric power fold mirrors
- Electric front and rear windows
- Bluetooth hands free connectivity
- Steering wheel mounted audio controls
- ABS with EBD
- Electronic stability control
- 7 year/100,000 mile warranty
The original Picanto’s styling was conservative to say the
least but the new car is a breath of fresh air. Kia has tried to give the car a
more mature appearance and they really have succeeded with its oversized front
lights, “tiger-nose” grill and pronounced lower bumper. The side and rear are equally
well resolved with a rising waistline, tiny but perfectly formed 14” alloy
wheels, neat swage lines and boomerang shaped rear lights. We also really liked
the Blue Breeze colour of our test car which suited it well and the chrome
effect door handles which add a dash of class.
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| Stylish cabin is built to last with all of the controls laid out logically. Cowled dials look great |
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| Modest boot space with an annoyingly high load lip |
Inside the Picanto is a world away from city cars of
yesteryear. The dashboard is attractively styled with individually cowled dials
that are clear and easy to read and all of the controls are logically cited.
Silver trim on the gear stick, steering wheel, door handles and dash front help
lift the cabin ambiance and there is no denying that the leather trimmed
steering wheel which is a good size and feels great to hold does look like a
grinning clown! Build quality is high without any loose trim or rattles present
on our test car and the choice of materials used are pleasingly tactile with
the main dashboard constructed of a slightly softer plastic than the rest of
the cabin but everything feels built to last and is on par with its rivals. Adjustment for the driver is good with a
height adjustable driver’s seat and rake steering wheel adjustment and all
round visibility is good with relatively thin A-pillars although the thicker
C-Pillars do sometimes get in the way. Space inside the Picanto is very good in the
front with ample head, leg and shoulder room, space in the rear is tighter but
not unreasonable for a pair of average sized adults helped by the wide opening
rear doors. Boot space is adequate at 200 litres but isn’t helped by the high
load lip but the rear seats can be easily folded to increase capacity to 605
litres. Equipment levels are among the
very best in class, our “2” spec Picanto came with electric windows front and
rear, a cd player with iPod socket and Bluetooth, ABS, EBD, ESC, electric folding
mirrors, air conditioning and steering wheel mounted audio controls. While on the subject of the stereo we found
the sound quality very poor as the speakers are mounted on top of the dashboard
producing a tinny sound completely lacking any bass that sounded more like a gramophone from the last century.
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| Rear space is decent for two average sized adults |
Our test car came with a lively 1.2l 16v 84bhp petrol engine
with 89lb ft of torque mated to a slick shifting 5 speed gearbox which is the
larger unit of the two on offer, the other being a 1.0 68bhp petrol engine.
With a 0-60 mph time of 11 seconds you could never call the Picanto fast but it
is sprightly enough with decent pulling power keeping up with traffic on faster
roads without much of a problem although overtaking does need to be well
planned as you would expect. As for the rest of the driving experience the best
word to use would be mature, the ride is extremely good shrugging off the
majority of bumps with only the worst surfaces compromising composure. The
steering is as light as a feather but unfortunately lacks any feel which can
make it hard to judge what the front wheels are doing most of the time but the
up side is that in-town manoeuvres are
handled with ease. The Picanto’s brakes also come in for criticism not due to
their stopping power which is excellent but because of their unprogressive,
grabby nature which takes some getting used but it is nice to see all-round
disc brakes on such a small car. Safety is also top notch with the Picanto
receiving a respectable 4 star Euro N-Cap rating backed up by Anti Lock Brakes
and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution. Refinement is impressive, very little
engine noise enters the cabin from the thrummy engine and both wind and road
noise are also noticeably absent. In terms of handling the Picanto is stable
and predictable with well controlled body roll and decent grip from the skinny
tyres only breaking into under steer when really pushed making it rather fun to
chuck around. We found the Intelligent Stop and Go (ISG) system fitted to our
EcoDynamics model unobtrusive starting the engine when dipping the clutch in
just a few milliseconds. Running costs as you would expect are very low with a
combined fuel consumption of 65.7mpg and falling into tax band A, this model
also falls into insurance group 9 which is ideal for new drivers.
Kicking off at £7,995 the new Picanto offers buyers a lot
for their money in an attractive, well designed package. Kia have improved the
Picanto in every area compared to its predecessor and the new found maturity is
a welcome addition. It may not be the last word in driver involvement on the
road but it is as comfortable and refined as many larger cars with a practical
cabin and impressively low running costs backed up by Kia’s industry leading 7
year 100,000 mile warranty. Overall the Picanto is one of the most complete city
cars in its class and makes many of its competitors look decidedly basic and
dated in the process.
You will like
- Great Styling inside and out
- Refinement on the move
- Economy
You won't like
- Overly light steering
- Imprecise brake pedal
- Rear boot space
Special Thanks to; Kia Motors (UK) Limited, 2 The Heights , Brooklands, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 0NY
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