.JPG?rmode=crop)
.JPG?rmode=crop)
.JPG?rmode=crop)
.JPG?rmode=crop)
.JPG?rmode=crop)
.JPG?rmode=crop)
.JPG?rmode=crop)
Quick overview
- Lots of fun to drive
- Compact size
- Roomy cabin
- Broad trim range
- No hybrid or EV option
- Small boot
- Rear seats don’t fold flat
- Base model misses some safety kit
Quite a few city cars have fallen by the wayside in recent times, but not the Kia Picanto. It continues to provide buyers with a compact car on the outside, yet one that has plenty of space inside. It’s not gone down the hybrid or full EV routes with its engine options, like the Fiat 500 or Renault Zoe. Nor has it succumbed to the trend towards small SUVs, such as the Ford EcoSport and Nissan Juke that appeal to those who want something small that also has a hint of a raised driving position.
Understandable as that is given current trends, there is still a huge amount in favour of the Kia Picanto. Prime among the reasons to consider this city car are the affordable prices across the model’s spectrum. Compare them with most others and you’ll struggle to find better value, especially when the Kia Picanto comes with Kia’s superb seven-year warranty cover.
If you’re looking for other reasons to put the Kia Picanto on the to-consider pile, think about the way it drives. Town cars should be agile, nimble, easy to park, and also a bit of fun to drive. The Kia Picanto is all of these things and its cabin is roomy, looks good, and is well made. That counts for a lot when you could be spending a lot of time looking at it when trickling through heavy traffic. You also get a decent amount of tech to pair with your phone, so the Picanto doesn’t offer affordability at the expense of connectivity.
Sure, there are downsides to a city car, though the Kia does its best to minimise these. For starters, there are two engine options, and the less powerful motor is also offered with an automatic gearbox to be an even better city slicker. Which means the Kia Picanto still adds up to a very good city car and one we’re very fond of.
Prices
The Kia Picanto range starts off with the very keenly priced 1 trim from £12,250, which is only offered with a five-speed manual gearbox. Next is, logically enough, the 2 trim that starts at £13,750 for the manual or for £700 more you can have the automatic gearbox. This price premium for the auto is the same with all the other trim levels where it’s offered. A Picanto Shadow asks £14,650, while the 3 starts from £15,250 and an X-Line goes from £14,900. To upgrade to X-Line S comes with a list price from £16,300, while the GT-Line begins at £14,900. The GT-Line is the only model offered with both engine options and upgrading to the 99hp 1.0-litre turbo petrol motor adds £1000 to the price. For the GT-Line S that only comes with the more potent engine, you’ll pay from £17,050. If you do a bit of digging, there are savings of between £500 and £1000 on brand new Picantos depending on which trim level you choose. Go for a nearly new Picanto and prices start at £10,500 for cars with little more than delivery mileage to their names. A two-year old Picanto with average mileage will cost from £10,000.
Infotainment, comfort and practicality
Kia has pulled of something of a magic trick by conjuring up so much cabin space in the Picanto despite the car’s compact exterior dimensions. What this means for the driver is a very roomy environment in which to spend any journey, short or long. All but the basic 1 trim has height adjustment for the driver’s seat and this chair moves back more than far enough so that even tall drivers will be happy. The only demerit is the steering doesn’t move for depth, but it can be altered for height and most people will still be more than satisfied with the Picanto’s seating arrangement.
Only the S versions of the X-Line and GT-Line have heated front seats, and you need to choose a Shadow or higher trim to get the centre armrest between the front seats that doubles as a storage cubby. Other space for odds and ends comes from the door bins, a tray in front of the gear lever, and the small glovebox.
In the 1 and 2 trims of the Picanto, you make do with a 3.8-inch monochrome display for the stereo. Take any of the higher trim models, though, and you get an 8.0-inch colour touchscreen for the infotainment, and this is further upgraded with integrated sat-nav in the 3, X-Line S and GT-Line S. Every Picanto with this infotainment screen also has a reversing camera, which seems an extravagance in a city car, but it also means you can slot the car into the tightest of spaces with casual ease. Coupled with the rear parking sensors fitted to the 3 trim and above, and the Picanto is parking boss. Also included with the infotainment screen is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so you can access apps from your phone, and both can be worked with voice controls.
The main dash display for the Picanto uses two round dials and the 1 trim makes do with a small 2.6-inch monochrome display in between for basic driving data. In the other Picanto models, you get a larger 4.2-inch display that’s easier to read and can show a greater variety of useful information on economy, fuel, and radio settings.
Moving into the rear of the Picanto’s cabin, it’s just as generous with space as the front. As the Kia only comes as a five-door, access is good and most adults will find enough room to be comfortable. Anyone over six-feet might struggle on longer trips, but kids will be perfectly happy and the view out is good thanks to the reasonably large rear door windows. A trio of three-point belts keeps rear occupants securely in place, and there are Isofix child seat mounts integrated into the bases of the two outer rear seats in all models.
The only disappointment in the rear of the Kia is there’s not much storage as the doors have no bins. That leaves the boot as your only option for stashing most items and it’s the one area where the Picanto falls a little short on how much space it offers. At 255-litres, it’s one of the small city car load bays, and there’s a bit of a drop from sill to boot floor that makes lugging heavier items in and out more laborious than it might be if the floor sat flush with the entrance. However, the rear seat tumbles 60-40 to free up more room, though there is a big step Ieft in the floor where the seat hinges that makes it tricky to fit in longer items as easily as in some others.
Which 2017 Kia Picanto model should you buy?
Trim levels for the Picanto kick off with the 1, which has 14-inch steel wheels, remote central locking, plain black cloth upholstery, and electric front windows. It has a 3.8-inch display for the stereo and makes do with two speakers. Safety is accounted for with six airbags, but automatic emergency braking is an option for this model whereas it’s standard on the rest of the range. Choose a Picanto 2 and you get alloy wheels and heated door mirrors on the outside. Inside, there’s driver’s seat height adjustment, air conditioning, electric rear windows, and leather covering the steering wheel and gear knob. The 2 also gains a couple of extra stereo speakers, and the larger 4.2-inch main dash information display. Next is the Shadow trim that has 15-inch alloys, rear privacy glass, and front foglights. It comes with man-made leather upholstery, storage cubby between the front seats, six speakers and the larger 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen. On top of that, you get a reversing camera, too.
With the 3 trim for the Picanto, Kia provides electrically folding door mirrors, rear parking sensors, automatic air conditioning, cruise control with speed limiter, and sat-nav. The X-Line comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, and a flat-bottomed steering wheel. The S version adds body-coloured door mirror caps and chrome door handles, keyless ignition, and heated front seats and steering wheel. The GT-Line has some silver accents for the exterior, as well as red stitching for its faux leather upholstery, and the S version has the same upgrades as the X-Line S.
Value for money: how much does a 2017 Kia Picanto cost to buy and run?
Insuring a Kia Picanto can be as cheap as it gets as the range goes from group 1 and then extends to group 11 for the most expensive model. Other running costs are similarly affordable as the 66hp 1.0-litre manual engine emits 110g/km of carbon dioxide to attract a first-year road tax rate of £170. It also returns a combined economy of 58.9mpg. With the automatic gearbox, this engine gives 54.3mpg and 118g/km of CO2, so has a £190 first-year road tax payment. That’s the same for the 99hp 1.0-litre engine with its 119g/km, and it delivers average economy of 53.3mpg.
Verdict: Should I buy a 2017 Kia Picanto?
It’s hard to fault the Kia Picanto as a city car, and it certainly warrants your full attention if you’re shopping in this sector of the market. It’s zippy performance around town, controlled ride and comfort, and the generous amount of space in the cabin for people make it hard to ignore. There are also low running costs to consider, which makes it easy on the budget.
There are some areas to think about with the Picanto, such as its small boot. You also need to skip the lower couple of trim levels if you want to enjoy a better level of equipment and infotainment, as well as some vital safety kit. However, overall, the Picanto is a great city car that does its job well beyond the original brief.