Kia Picanto (2011-2017) Review and Prices

Kia only offers a pair of petrols engines in the Picanto – a 1.0-litre 68hp three-cylinder  and a 1.25-litre 84hp four-cylinder unit – both seem to be very good little engines. They’re not exactly bristling with power, and you do have to work them fairly hard in order to get up to higher speeds, but both are more than adequate in urban driving conditions, and are quite smooth and civilised for such small engines. They’re also very cheap to run with official fuel economy figures not dropping below 62mpg unless you choose an automatic model.

If you spend most of your time driving in towns and cities, then the 1.0-litre engine will be the more appropriate choice. Don’t pick the 1.0-litre car if you regularly do longer journeys, as it isn’t best suited to motorway travel and needs working hard, to the detriment of its 67mpg official fuel economy.

The 1.25-litre engine is the better option if you regularly travel at higher speeds and it still returns up to 65.7mpg – all larger-engined models come with Kia’s ISG fuel-saving technology that includes engine start/stop.

The automatic gearbox option for the Picanto, isn’t worth paying extra for unless you really need it.

The Kia isn’t just useful as an urban runabout – you’d be surprised with the car’s refinement at higher speeds, even with the small 1.0-litre engine. The ride quality is also quite impressive for the class standard.

That being said, there are some areas where the Picanto is a bit disappointing. On rougher surfaces, the ride can get a bit fidgety, especially on the 15-inch alloy wheel option. The new Hyundai i10 is a much better drive and the VW Up, Skoda Citigo and SEAT Mii are better options for long distances.