Test Car Specifications
Model: 2024 Kia Picanto '2'
Price: From £15,595
Engine: 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol
Transmission: five-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power: 63hp
Torque: 93Nm
Emissions: 116g/km
Economy: 54.3mpg
0-62mph: 15.4 seconds
Top speed: 90mph
Boot space: 255-1,010 litres
Styling
Kia says the new Picanto is designed to look like the EV9, which is quite a statement given the size difference. But Kia is aware of that, so it has simply borrowed some of the larger car's styling cues and replicated them on the Picanto's smaller body. The new front bumper, new lights and new rear end give the car a slightly boxier look (that's the EV9 influence for you) and a bit more modernity, both of which are welcome on a car that was beginning to show its age a little. The new model looks great, even in this cheapest specification with tiny 14-inch alloys.
Interior
Far fewer changes have been made inside, where the Picanto has much the same cabin as its predecessor, albeit with a few well-judged upgrades. The central eight-inch touchscreen is now standard across the range, providing a reversing camera and satellite navigation on all models, while there's a digital instrument display for the driver. In truth, neither display is especially cutting edge, but they're both clear, easy to use and wholly competent, and they give the car a little extra modernity.
Kia has also upgraded the Picanto with some new materials including bio leather on the steering wheel and gear knob, as well as the seats on more upmarket models. But the quality is much the same as before, and that's good news for Kia, because everything inside the Picanto fits together snugly and feels well made. Sure, there are some cheap plastics knocking about, but that's true in anything in this class, so we won't criticise Kia too harshly for that. Instead, the knowledge that everything has been bolted together properly is more than sufficient.
Practicality
Unusually for cars of this size, the Picanto comes with five seats and five doors as standard, which makes the rear part of the cabin much more usable. Admittedly, space back there is far from palatial, but you can squeeze two adults in there without too much complaint, particularly on a short journey. And kids will be perfectly happy back there, especially with two child seat mounting points on the outer rear seats.
The Picanto's boot is similarly adequate without being exceptional, and the 255-litre capacity won't wow customers, but nor will it put too many off. It's fine for shopping trips, school runs and commuting, and that's exactly what the Picanto is for.
Performance
The Picanto is offered with a choice of two engines at launch, with the basic 1.0-litre ‘MPI’ three-cylinder petrol engine joined by a slightly more powerful 1.2-litre petrol option. Both come with five-speed manual gearboxes as standard, although automated manual options are available, and both drive the front wheels.
But both engines are very much set up for economy over performance. With power outputs of 63hp and 78hp respectively, neither the 1.0- or 1.2-litre engines have much in the way of straight-line speed. The 1.0-litre Picanto we tested offered a 0-62mph time of just over 15 seconds, and that feels slow when you’re trying to join a motorway. But when it’s returning around 65mpg – an improvement on the official figure – without trying, you can forgive that power shortage. And it makes a surprisingly throaty noise, which makes it feel eager and willing.
Ride & Handling
Just as the engines are tuned for economy, the Picanto's driving experience is tuned for urban areas. The controls are all very light, which makes it much easier to drive in traffic, and the compact dimensions and decent visibility ensure it's easy enough to park and manoeuvre in tight spaces.
But it's also quite good fun to drive, in a very old-school sort of way. The Picanto is very agile, light and responsive, so you can chuck it about a bit and it rewards you. Sure, there's plenty of body roll and you have to wring the 1.0-litre engine's neck, but it's entertaining in a non-threatening way. Grip is ample and the aforementioned roll will scare you away from the limit long before the tyres let go.
Naturally, the Picanto isn't quite so enjoyable on the motorway, where that lack of power really shows through, but it's fine once it's up to speed and it's surprisingly comfortable for such a small car. It doesn't glide along, but it soaks up the bumps ably enough. And refinement isn't too bad either, albeit nowhere near the levels of luxury saloons.
Value
The Picanto is Kia's cheapest car, but with prices ballooning in recent years, its £15,595 asking price doesn't feel all that cheap. But it's only a little more expensive than a Hyundai i10, and it's cheaper than a basic Fiat 500 Hybrid. And that money pays for quite a lot, including the digital instrument display, the touchscreen with satellite navigation, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and the reversing camera. Rear parking sensors, automatic headlights and electrically adjustable door mirrors all ensure even this basic '2' model doesn't feel too cheap, although we'd have liked to see automatic climate control to round off the spec sheet. That's only standard on the '3' and GT-Line S models.
Speaking of the rest of the range, it still offers great value. The most expensive model, the GT-Line S, starts at £18,445, which is still no more than you'll pay for a top-of-the-range 500, and the Picanto is way more fun to drive.
Verdict
With considered and surprisingly upmarket upgrades, the new Picanto is everything we hoped it would be. Comparatively cheap, fun to drive and reasonably practical, it will tick a lot of boxes for a lot of would-be customers, and we would have no hesitation in recommending it. Even in its cheapest form, it's still a cracking back-to-basics small car that somehow manages not to feel like an entry-level choice.