Insurance Group: 3
MPG: 67.3
CO2: 99
0-62 Mph: 13.9 secs
BHP: 68 BHP
Range: 518 miles
PROS: Low price and rock bottom running costs with a decent equipment list. If you are on a tight budget but are determined to own a new car you could do worse.
CONS: Poor quality, painfully slow, numb steering, jarring ride
0-62 mph takes a fairly lengthy 13.9 seconds and the Picanto 1.0 5dr's top speed is 95mph. These mediocre figures are achieved thanks to the Picanto's awful 3-cylinder 1.0-litre engine. Producing just 68bhp and 70lb-ft of torque, the Picanto is gutless and you need to thrash the engine to get any sort of performance out of it whatsoever.
The Picanto's ride is jarring over most road surfaces and a lack of grip through the corners gives the driver no confidence in the Picanto's abilities.
On the other hand, the Picanto has a small turning circle which should also help with parking but the power steering is very vague and wooly.
With a pert rear end, creased flanks and bold headlamps, the Kia looks very handsome indeed. This Kia has been based on the blueprint of the Hyundai Getz (Hyundai and Kia are automotive partners) however this model has been shortened and narrowed to endow the Picanto with its small, urban-friendly footprint.
The cabin is smart and fresh, but the quality of the interior plastics is a little below par.
Equipment wise you don’t get loads for your money, but for a budget car it is more than acceptable. Gadgets include electric front windows, central locking and a CD player.
In terms of comfort, it looks like all the attention has been focussed on the front. There is ample leg and headroom up front, but in the back legroom is tight. The seats in the back also provide little support.
The rear of the cabin is a little narrow, making rear shoulder room a bit tight and passengers are unlikely to be comfortable on long journeys. The boot holds 200 litres which is a good enough space for luggage for a weekend away. Folding the rear seats flat expands this to 870-litres. A wide tailgate and low boot opening make loading simple. There is also a good sized gloved box and a number of handy cubby holes throughout the cabin.
The Picanto has previously been a very reliable car and there is no reason to believe that this new version will be any different. If anything should go wrong, buyers get a seven year/100,000 mile warranty.
In terms of safety kit, you get six airbags, stability control and anti-lock brakes as standard.
An engine immobiliser is also standard across the range, but there is no option to fit an alarm.
This entry level Picanto costs £7,995 which is very cheap, even for a car as small as this. However, it's not quite cheap enough. The Kia's rivals, such as the Fiat Panda and Citroen C1, cost around £500 more than the Picanto and they're much better cars.
Running costs should be very low, however. The Picanto will return 67.3mpg on the combined cycle and CO2 emissions of 99g/km mean free road tax and congestion charge exemption.
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