Insurance Group: 3
MPG: 67.3
CO2: 99
0-62 Mph: 13.9 secs
BHP: 68 BHP
Range: 518 miles
PROS: Clean looks. Spacious. It has a smooth, lively engine. Very affordable and comes with an attractive warranty.
CONS: Could do with a little more grip and refinement.
The Kia Picanto 1.0 Air 5dr is alert and quick enough to cope with city traffic with very little body roll even around tight corners. The Picanto's small size makes parking a doddle.
The 3-cylinder 998cc petrol engine is really only at home on city streets. On the motorway, the Picanto is out of its depth, with the 68bhp engine feeling sluggish and asthmatic. With a 0-62mph time of 13.9 seconds, the Picanto feels nippy around town but the top speed of 95mph means that on faster roads, the Picanto is near the limit of its performance capabilities.
The suspension is soft enough to give a comfortable ride but bumps can be felt in the cabin on poor quality road surfaces. The clutch and brakes are overly sensitive and the power steering is light and imprecise, a problem shared with many small cars.
Wind and road noises are quite intrusive but the engine only becomes loud when revved hard.
Large mirrors ensure that you enjoy good visibility all round.
The Picanto 1.0 Air 5dr is a small car, measuring only 3595mm x 1595mm. Fixing five doors on such a tiny frame was going to be tricky and it shows – the 5-door Picanto is not as appealing as its 3-door sister. But its chunky, modern, hatchback outline does give it a stylish look.
The interior is refined and neat, except for the hard plastics on the dashboard which feel rather cheap. There is an air of roominess in the cabin, thanks to the wide wheel-base and large mirrors.
Kia offers only basic equipment as standard in the Picanto 1.0 Air 5dr. Electronic power steering, central locking, air con, electric front windows, driver airbag, passenger airbags, front side airbags, immobilizer and CD player are all that is on offer. Metallic paint is available as a cost option, for £415.
The Picanto 1.0 Air 5dr is fitted with all the safety features that matter: stability control, electronic brake force distribution, anti-lock brakes and six airbags should all keep you safe.
Kia’s performance in reliability tests has been consistently good and the Picanto 1.0 Air 5dr got 4 stars out of 5 for overall safety in the Euro NCAP crash tests. Kia offers all Picanto buyers an unrivalled 7-year warranty up to 100,000 miles, with service intervals of 10,000 miles.
Kia has been generous with space in the Picanto 1.0 5dr. There is plenty of head and legroom in the front and rear. The front seats are very supportive but the same cannot be said of rear seats. Driver comfort is ensured through the supportive seat which can also be adjusted to different height levels and slid back or forth. The steering wheel has height adjustment only, but the ideal reach can be attained by shifting the seat.
Boot space is decent at 200 litres and can be increased to 870 litres by folding the rear seats.
At £8,595, the Picanto 1.0 Air 5dr is attractively priced and offers low running costs. Carbon emissions of 99g/km exempt the Picanto from VED and congestion charging and group 5 insurance should mean low premiums.
Resale values are weak but the fuel economy of 67.3mpg is extremely good, even for a small car, meaning that trips to the pumps will be few and far between.
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