Kia has comprehensively up to date its child Picanto metropolis automotive with a recent look and extra tech. Our household of testers pattern the $23,490 driveway GT-Line.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
IAIN: The Kia Picanto’s among the best new vehicles on sale at present.
JULES: Are you insane? It’s tiny, the cabin’s plasticky, the boot’s a shoebox and the engine’s from the darkish ages.
IAIN: Whoa. Let me clarify. We should decide a automotive on how fit-for-purpose it’s, and the way effectively that’s been executed.
JULES: Like worth, goal market and typical use?
IAIN: Precisely. Kia should maintain the Picanto inexpensive, however protected and feature-packed.
JULES: What’s the finances?
IAIN: The most cost effective mannequin is a $20,690 drive-away Sport guide, whereas our fancier GT-Line’s $22,490 drive-away. It’s $1000 extra with auto gearbox. These costs are about 10 per cent greater than earlier than.
JULES: Just a few years in the past you possibly can drive away in a heap of vehicles for lower than $20,000. No longer even a Picanto?
IAIN: Nope. Its sole remaining metropolis automotive rival is the $10,000 pricier Fiat 500. And the brand new MG3 is rather more costly than the automotive it replaces.
JULES: The Picanto’s titchy, however appears to be like fashionable, sharp and sporty on its 16-inch alloys.
IAIN: Importantly, it doesn’t look low cost. It’s chunky and I really like its flat-sided rear with full-width LED lightbar.
THE LIVING SPACE
JULES: It feels low cost. There’s no sensible key so the doorways don’t unlock mechanically and you should put a metallic key within the ignition.
IAIN: Previous World attraction? It’s speculated to be low cost and cheerful, however there are faux-leather seats, digital devices and Kia’s glorious 8-inch infotainment display with wi-fi CarPlay and Android Auto.
JULES: The tech and connectivity’s nice – first automotive consumers will love that – however seats are too agency and the fabric doesn’t quiet down effectively.
IAIN: I desire them to low cost material. The Sport steering wheel feels good, however there’s arduous plastic on the doorways, sprint prime and centre console.
JULES: There are correct knobs for the aircon and a guide handbrake. Maybe I’m nostalgic, however the simplicity of those is good for an inexpensive metropolis automotive.
IAIN: The cabin’s mature and effectively designed. Storage is okay, there’s a correct armrest and rear house is nearly tolerable for adults.
THE COMMUTE
JULES: I’ve come to depend on adaptive cruise management – it makes journeys far much less demanding – however this Picanto does with out. Boo.
IAIN: That’s a disgrace, however there are stable security inclusions resembling blind-spot and lane-keep help.
JULES: I really like this factor on the town. It’s so tiny you zip between vehicles and it activates a dime. A giant digital speedo’s very helpful too.
IAIN: However the engine’s a weak level. Different metropolis vehicles use zesty three-cylinder turbos to get the job achieved, however Kia’s caught with a non-turbo four-cylinder placing out simply 62kW and 122Nm.
JULES: It’s match for objective, however rattling noisy while you ground it.
IAIN: Ours has a four-speed auto, which feels a gear quick. At 110km/h it sits at a loud 3200rpm.
THE SHOPPING
JULES: I’ll be truthful. The boot dealt with the weekly store regardless of how small it’s and because it’s deep so the groceries didn’t fall out after I lifted the tailgate.
IAIN: Its compact dimensions make it a deal with to park. It feels half the scale of utes dominating our automotive parks. However the rear digital camera’s horrible high quality for a contemporary automotive.
SUNDAY RUN
JULES: I often love metropolis vehicles however the Picanto’s engine spoils the occasion.
IAIN: It’s a little bit of a sloth, eh? The five-speed guide is a greater choice – engine efficiency is way simpler to take advantage of while you’re in cost.
JULES: For such a tiddler, the general trip’s snug and the steering gentle and simple.
IAIN: Plus it’s enjoyable to throw round. At lower than a tonne it adjustments route sharply and sticks effectively in corners nevertheless it runs out of energy shortly.
THE FAMILY
JULES: Our tweenagers grumble about tight rear house, however the Picanto provides simply sufficient. There are not any air vents, although, only a USB-C port.
IAIN: I reckon it’s effectively packaged for a metropolis automotive. The rear seats and boot are completely usable, and with seats folded my bike squeezed in.
JULES: I’m bothered there’s no ANCAP score nevertheless it has auto emergency braking and rear cross-traffic alert, that are reassuring.
IAIN: The vintage engine and gearbox imply a 6L/100km return, which we simply bettered on take a look at. The guide model manages 5.4L/100km, whereas providers are expensive at greater than $2000 for the primary 5. Kia’s seven-year guarantee’s an enormous incentive, although.
THE VERDICT
JULES: In case you’d handed me this Picanto as a P-plater I’d have fallen in love. It appears to be like cool, has the required tech and feels stable and protected. But it surely’s dwarfed by all else on the street. I would like one thing greater.
IAIN: I disagree. We want extra Australians to get up and realise Picanto-sized vehicles are completely appropriate for a lot of. And this Kia’s a winner on worth, options and expertise.
KIA PICANTO GT-LINE
PRICE: From $22,490 drive-away (good worth)
WARRANTY AND SERVICING: 7 years/limitless km guarantee (glorious), $2069 for five years/75,000km (expensive)
ENGINE: 1.2-litre 4-cyl petrol, 62kW/122Nm (a bit weak)
SAFETY: Six airbags, auto emergency braking, rear cross-traffic help, lane observe and maintain help, blind-spot help (good)
THIRST: 6.0L/100km (OK)
SPARE: Area saver (not perfect)
BOOT: 255 litres (tiny)