R 262 995.00 (Recommended retail)
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A Kia Picanto runs on gasoline or diesel.
At the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the Picanto’s second generation had its public appearance.
[29] The new model, which was created by Kia’s European design team based in Frankfurt, Germany, under the guidance of Peter Schreyer, has a wheelbase that is longer and an overall length that is longer than the outgoing model. Two gasoline engines are available for the Picanto: a 1.25 liter four-cylinder and a 1.0 liter three-cylinder[25]. The ecoDynamics start-stop system is a feature of the 1.25 liter engine built for Europe. [30] A petrol/LPG variant of the 1.0 liter engine is additionally offered. [28] The 1.0-liter engine of the Brazil edition is a flex fuel model that runs on both gasoline and ethanol. [26]
With the exception of North America, Venezuela, China, and Singapore, the Picanto was available in every country as a 5-door hatchback, with the European market receiving an exclusive 3-door model.
[31] The 3-door model has redesigned windows and doors, revised bumpers, and a front grille with silver or red trim. It is the same length as the 5-door model. [32] The front and rear bumpers of the 3-door Morning are available in South Korea as part of a Sport Pack that also includes a digital speedometer. [33]
For marketing purposes, the Picanto moniker is sometimes followed by a modifier in some nations. Examples include the Picanto K1 for Thailand, the Picanto Ion for Colombia, the Picanto R for Ecuador, the Picanto Flex for Brazil, and the Picanto 1250 for New Zealand. [38] To distinguish it from the 1.2 liter Picanto on the Indonesian market, the 1.0 liter model, which was only released in 2015, was given the name Morning 1.0. [39]
At the 2019 Pakistan Auto Parts Show (PAPS), the second-generation Picanto for the Pakistani market was unveiled. It has a 1.0-liter engine and is locally produced at the Kia Lucky Motors plant in Karachi. Actual sales are anticipated to begin in October 2019 after production started in August 2019. [40] [41] [42]
The Kia Picanto is automatic, right?
The Kia Picanto appears to be the ideal compact car because it is affordable to buy and operate, offers excellent fuel efficiency, and has small, maneuverable dimensions.
However, it’s getting on in age and, when compared to more contemporaryand perhaps more fashionablealternatives, is beginning to feel like a blu-ray player in a world of digital downloads.
When you enter the Kia Picanto, the minimalist design philosophy is still there. The front is perfectly roomy, and the smartif slightly gloomydashboard is laid up in a way that makes everything simple to use.
A larger and more colorful 8-inch infotainment screen than that seen in the VW Up is available starting with 3-spec vehicles and upwards. You get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so you can use the apps on your smartphone on the huge screen in the Kia, and the system is quick and easy to operate.
Access to the back seats is good because all versions come standard with five doors, unlike some even more compact options, albeit anyone over six feet tall may feel crowded. The Kia Picanto’s boot is similar in that it can fit a few bags of groceries but not much else.
The Kia Picanto is an odd-looking vehicle that works well in urban areas. Just a shame it doesn’t give you more assurance on the freeway.
But you should go somewhere else if you want a huge interior. The Picanto was designed to navigate city streets quickly, and it does it admirably, slipping through gaps in traffic that larger vehicles can’t and gliding past width restrictions like they don’t exist. Because the car’s four corners are straightforward to estimate while you’re slipping into small places, parking couldn’t be any easier.
Two petrol engines are available: a 1.0-liter non-turbo engine with 67 horsepower, or a 100-horsepower turbo engine. The turbo version is still the superior option because it is powerful and still economical, even if the first is somewhat more affordable to acquire and operate than the turbo 1.0.
The Kia never feels like it belongs on quicker roads, regardless of the engine that is installed. Wind gusts transform the car’s slab-sided body into a large sail that pushes and pulls the vehicle along the road. Jiggly suspension, as well as the noticeable quantity of wind and road noise that enters the interior, do not aid in relaxation for you or your passengers.
There are, therefore, superior city cars for using the freeway and transporting passengers in the back, but if you don’t do either of those things frequently, you can still benefit from the abundance of standard equipment and the assurance that a long warranty provides.
Continue reading to learn more about the interior, utility, and driving aspects of the Kia Picanto, or visit our Kia Picanto deals page to find out how much money you can save on your next new vehicle.
The range of insurance groups is 1 to 50, with 1 being the least expensive. The Kia Picanto is small and inexpensive, therefore insurance costs are low, albeit some models are less expensive than others. The non-turbo 1.0-liter 1 model is the least expensive and is in group 4, while the turbo 1.0-liter engine in the GT-Line, GT-Line S, X-Line, and X-Line S trims is the most expensive and is in group 10.
The Kia Picanto is a five-door compact city car. There are three distinct tiny petrol engines included, and there are several trim levels.
Yes, an automatic manual transmission is offered for the Kia Picanto. However, because it takes a while to change cogs, driving it isn’t really enjoyable.
The Kia Picantoa has two engine options: a 1.0-liter gasoline engine with 67 horsepower and a turbocharged version with 100 horsepower.
How reliable is the Kia Picanto?
The industry’s envy-worthy warranty offered by Kia has contributed to the brand’s reputation for dependability. Although Kia has worked hard to make this the safest Picanto ever, purchasers should be aware that the car has varied safety ratings depending on whether the optional safety pack is installed.
Kia Picanto reliability
In our 2022 Driver Power satisfaction poll, the most recent Picanto ranked an amazing 15th out of 75 automobiles, five positions higher than in 2021. In crucial categories including dependability and construction quality, operating costs, and value for money, it received good marks across the board. Owners were also quite pleased with the connectivity and infotainment system, which is an area where compact city cars have historically performed very poorly.
Additionally, Kia gave a very strong performance, placing second only to Porsche in our 2021 manufacturer rankings. It impressed with the quality of its cars for the price and was in the top 10 in every category. Owners are thrilled with the functionality and controls of their Kias and adore the way they drive. While we’d prefer this number to be lower, we expect most of these were minor annoyances rather than something that would require you to pull over to the side of the road. Just under 20% of owners reported a malfunction within the first year.
Does the Kia Picanto use little gas?
We loaded the Kia Picanto up for a weekend road trip even though it is a quintessential tiny city car and we are already familiar with its urban capabilities. In and around cities, where average speeds are frequently lower due to traffic congestion and, tragically, poor road conditions, the vast majority of city cars provide adequate performance and efficiency, but many of them often struggle on wide roads. Although the 1.2 X-Line felt aggressive when passing slower traffic, some cheap compact vehicles actually struggle to maintain three-digit national highway speeds.
The 1.25-liter 4-cylinder petrol engine that powers the Picanto flagship produces 61 kW and 122 Nm. The derivative has a 5-speed manual transmission, but an automatic is also an option for a little bit additional money. The gearbox has a comfortable movement, and shifting only requires a small amount of effort. It’s also a good thing because you’ll probably utilize the ‘box aggressively to get the most power out of that obedient engine.
We believe the Picanto’s low kerb weight is the key to its nipiness (962 kg). Because the 1.2-liter engine has little mass to move, it performs eagerly. Another advantage is that the engine doesn’t have to work hard, which increases fuel efficiency. Fuel efficiency does, of course, depend on your driving habits, but if you practice economical driving, you can achieve low fuel consumption rates.
We were pleased to see a return of 5.1 L/100 km on the open road, which was a significant increase over the stated number of 6.4 L/100 km we saw during the vehicle’s introduction in the middle of February 2021. This was where Kia’s remarkable fuel economy began to shine. Officially, Kia claims 5.0 L/100 km, so we were extremely pleased with our consumption rate.
Despite its budget-car foundations, the Kia Picanto exhibits good driving characteristics and feels securely planted on the pavement. During our road trip, we experienced some strong crosswinds, but we were pleasantly pleased by how sure-footed the 1.2 X-Line felt. In such circumstances, several of the Korean offering’s competitors feel rather insecure, but the tenacious Picanto soldiered bravely.
The Kia Picanto’s steering is light, rather direct, and provides comforting feel. Even if you are a lousy parker, rear PDC and a reverse-view camera make things nearly straightforward. Inner city and low-speed manners are good, which makes parallel parking and alley docking a cinch. The 185/55 tires on the 15-inch wheels absorb the majority of the road’s irregularities.
Although it is a somewhat inexpensive car, driving it doesn’t seem cheap. The Picanto feels a little more upscale than some of its competitors, and the refinement is apparent in the engine or road noise, which is effectively muted.
We thought it would be appropriate to evaluate the test vehicle’s gravel-travel abilities given the 1.2 X-off-road-inspired Line’s aesthetics, but it performed similarly to other compact city vehicles. The crossover add-ons are probably simply for show, but that could also be said of the majority of compact hatchbacks that are dressed to please.
You can purchase a city car at this price bracket with all the bells and whistles you could want.
The interiors of Kia’s most recent models are of a high caliber (and not just in the top-end models), and the Picanto feels surprisingly upscale when compared to some of its main rivals. The 1.2 X-quality Line’s of fit and finish is good, and premium materials have been used, which are pleasant to the touch. The car’s interior is nicely decorated with two-tone faux leather seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. In contrast, the fascia arrangement is straightforward and minimalistic.
Given its range-topping status, the 1.2 X-Line is crammed with features. An 8-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple Carplay and Android Auto connectivity is new for this variant and is accessed via a single central USB port. We saw that there was no voice control button on the steering wheel for the Android Auto configuration. The system depends on this missing button, which enables queries like “Hey Google/Siri, navigate,” among others. We discovered a solution, but it required touching an icon on the touchscreen; we much prefer to always keep both hands on the steering wheel.
To clarify, there are electric windows on all sides, manual air conditioning, USB/Aux/Bluetooth connectivity, rear parking sensors, a rear camera, fog lights, LED daytime running lights, and 15-inch alloy wheels, among other important features. Our test vehicle included an optional sunroof.
The boot of the Kia Picanto can only accommodate two hand-luggage sized, tiny suitcases.
The Kia Picanto has one of the smallest load bays in the market at 255 liters. The load compartment, as seen in the image above, barely has room for three tiny handbags. Although the back seats can be folded down to create more capacity, we instead used the rear seats and rear legroom regions for storage. This is your best option if you don’t need to transport more people than two.
In South Africa, how much does a Kia Picanto GT Line cost?
The redesigned Picanto X-Line with crossover styling was unveiled by Kia South Africa three years after the Picanto’s debut.
The new model has a revised interior, a new front, and additional exterior components that give it a crossover appearance.
Minor updates will also be made to the remaining Picanto models for 2021, and the X-Line will take the place of the SMART derivative in the lineup.
Updated features
Two-tone faux leather seats and a new infotainment system with an 8-inch touchscreen are included with the new X-Line.
This one features a reverse camera with guiding lines that appears on the screen when the reverse gear is selected, and it also has controls for services like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Minor interior upgrades are also made to the remaining Picanto models, but there are no outward changes.
Power steering, manual air conditioning, and an AM/FM radio with Bluetooth, USB, and auxiliary inputs are now standard on the Picanto START.
Additionally, the STYLE gets new alloy wheels, while the STREET variant gets the same 8-inch infotainment system as the X-Line.
Safety systems
According to the manufacturer, Kia’s Picanto is the safest A-segment vehicle it has ever produced.
This is accomplished by building the car’s body out of “Advanced High Strength Steel.”
Additionally, it comes standard with dual front airbags, ISOFIX child seat anchors, and ABS.
Price and performance
Only a 1.2-liter engine will be available in the new X-Line; other models across the range will use a 1.0-litre engine.
49kW and 96Nm of torque are produced by the 1.0-liter engine, while 61kW and 122Nm of torque are produced by the 1.2-liter engine.
Both a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed automatic transmission are offered for every model.
The following are the costs for the Picanto line:
- Picanto 1.0 User Guide STARTR187,995
- Automatic Picanto 1.0 STARTR201,995
- STREETR201,995 Picanto 1.0 Manual
- Automatic Picanto 1.0 StreetR215 995
- 1.0 Manual STYLER211,995 Picanto
- Automatic Picanto 1.0 STYLER225,995
- 1.2 Manual Picanto STYLER220,995
- Automatic STYLER234,995 Picanto 1.2
- 1.2 Manual Picanto X-LineR237,995
- Automatic 1.2 Picanto X-LineR251,995
- 207,995 for the Picanto 1.0 Manual Runner
All models come with a prepaid 2-year/30,000-mile service plan and Kia’s 5-year/unlimited-mile guarantee.