Fewer and fewer manufacturers are offering small cars – which is why they are in demand as used vehicles. With the current Kia Picanto, buyers can’t do too much wrong. He looks good and hasn’t made any serious failures at the TÜV so far.
The current Kia Picanto has been around since spring 2017. The small car, now in its third generation, shows that short doesn’t necessarily have to mean doing without.
body and interior
Kia’s smallest stretches to a length of 3.60 meters. The designers have given the five-door a chic sheet metal dress. Thanks to short front and rear overhangs, it sits squarely on the road. If you are looking for a sporty looking car, the best thing to do is look out for a GT-Line variant. This is where the Picanto can show its muscles. Large air vents in the front, sporty light-alloy rims, side skirts and a rear diffuser with twin-pipe exhaust all draw attention. If you want it to be more SUV-like: As the “X-Line”, the small car comes with off-road-style bumpers, underbody protection with a metal look and wheel arches covered in black.
The front and rear are quite comfortable for the length, but the space for 4 people is not exactly ample. The seats are comfortable and offers a comparatively large seat cushion. Depending on the position of the asymmetrically split 60:40 rear seat backrest, the luggage compartment volume is between 255 and 1010 liters.
engines and propulsion
The range of engines includes three petrol engines. The basis is a one-liter three-cylinder with 49 kW/67 hp that does not require turbo support. The vacuum cleaner is sufficient for city traffic and short overland journeys. Kia specifies the standard consumption as 4.2 to 5 liters. A 1.2 liter naturally aspirated engine with 62 kW/84 hp mobilizes at least 122 Nm and thus 26 Nm more than the one liter unit, and is suitable for longer journeys on country and federal roads as well as for detours on the motorway.
However, you should not have great driving ambitions. At Tempo 173 it’s over. On average, between 4.5 and 5.2 liters of petrol flow through the lines. If you like it a little more lively: the one-liter turbo with 74 kW/100 hp plays in the VW up GTI league and brings a lot of driving fun to the Picanto. The sprint from 0 to 100 km/h takes around 10 seconds, and the top speed is limited to 180 km/h. The standard consumption of the three-cylinder of 4.7 liters can only be achieved with a very relaxed driving style.
All engines are powered by a manual five-speed gearbox, with the 1.2-litre and turbo optionally available with an automatic.
equipment and security
From simple to luxurious: Kia offers a wide range of comfort for the Picanto. Beyond the entry-level “Attract” variant, which pushed the base price below 10,000 euros at the market launch, the Picanto was and is offered in the other well-known Kia equipment lines such as Spirit, Edition 7 Emotion and Dream-Team Edition. In addition, there are the aforementioned GT-Line and X-Line versions.
Depending on the equipment, there are numerous customization options to choose from; these include LED daytime running lights, a 7-inch map navigation system, connection to Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, reversing camera and an inductive charging station for smartphones. In addition to the 14-inch standard steel rims, light-alloy rims up to 16-inch are and were on offer. In the 2017 NCAP crash test, the base version of the Picanto achieved a three-star rating. Driver assistants and an airbag for the driver’s knee could and can be ordered as an option by the first-time buyer.
quality
The Picanto did well in its first main inspection (HU) at TÜV. The small car mastered the test criteria chassis and environment without any problems. However, the TÜV inspector often found the low beam negative and the foot and parking brakes were also criticized.
Conclusion: Small cars are very practical, especially in the city with limited parking spaces. The Kia Picanto is one of the good-looking specimens and has not yet made any major mistakes at the TÜV. Anyone interested in used cars must invest at least 8,000 euros.
