2017 Kia Picanto new car review
Buying your first car is equal parts excitement and anxiety.
Excitement that you finally get freedom to hit the road. Anxiety because if you pick the wrong used car you could end up spending a lot more money than you originally planned.
Thankfully for people looking for something affordable and reliable there is a new wave of city cars priced under $16,000 drive-away.
The Kia Picanto is one of those leading the charge. The South Korean brand introduced the previous generation of the diminutive car to its range in early 2016 to test the interest in the market and build awareness for the nameplate.
It proved popular enough for the brand to continue with the new model launched earlier in 2017. So what do you get in terms of value and driving experience at the cheapest end of the market?
What do you get?
Like the original, Kia is only offering a single Picanto model at the moment, but this time has added the option of a manual transmission.
Befitting its price and position in the market there isn't a huge list of standard equipment, but it does includes 14-inch steel wheels with plastic hubcaps, air-conditioning, cruise control, cloth trim and a four-speaker stereo.
One major new addition is a 7.0-inch infotainment touchscreen that has allowed Kia to rectify a few glaring omissions on the previous Picanto. Namely, a reversing camera is now standard as is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which effectively gives you sat nav.
Safety is also covered by the the basics with six airbags, anti-lock brakes, stability control and a new system called Torque Vectoring by Braking. In simple terms it works as an extension of the stability control system for more stable cornering.
How much you pay for all this is not as straightforward as it could be. The automatic model is $15,690 drive-away, which is simple to understand. But the manual is officially priced from $14,190 plus on-road costs, which, in theory, is more expensive than the auto.
However, Kia makes no secret that if your local dealer charges you more than $13,990 drive-away then you have paid too much.
The confusing price strategy is a desire for the brand to get away from its 'cheap and cheerful' image without having a car with a $13,990 drive-away sticker on its price list.
It may be the cheapest model in the range but the Picanto is covered by Kia's usual (and industry leading) seven-year warranty, capped price servicing and roadside assistance program.
Over the first three years, thanks to its 15,000km scheduled intervals, it will cost $969 to maintain the Picanto.
What's inside?
The cabin is simple, as you'd expect at this price, but it presents well for what it is. The addition of the infotainment touchscreen lifts the presentation, replacing the old model's out-dated mono-colour readout.
The layout is intuitive and the overall presentation is good. Kia redesigned the dashboard to create more space for the front occupants. Even the materials used present well for such a cheap car.
The seats are firm and lack lateral support but are comfortable and the extra room in the front is noticeable.
Rear seat room is still tight, but that's not surprising in such a compact car.
The boot is 255-litres, which is small but respectable for a city runabout.
Under the bonnet
The engine is carried over from the old model. It's a 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that produces a modest 62kW of power and 122Nm of torque.
As mentioned above there is now a choice of gearboxes, the carry-over four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual.
It may be a tiny engine but the Picanto's diminutive size means it has adequate performance to pull this little machine around town. This is an urban car and in that habitat it feels well suited. You won't win any traffic light drag races but the engine is spritely enough to keep up with traffic.
However, if you venture outside the city, or encounter a steep hill around town, the engine will labour. But as long as you are aware of the car's limitations it will do its primary job well and commute around the city happily.
The four-speed automatic feels a little out-dated, struggling to get the best out of the engine on the open road. If you want to extract maximum potential from the engine the five-speed manual is the go, as it allows you to keep the engine on the boil.
The manual is also the most fuel efficient of the two, using a claimed 5.0-litres per 100km on the combined cycle. The auto, by contrast, uses 5.8L/100km, which represents a 0.5L increase over the old model which is a disappointing backwards step.
On the road
When Kia introduced the previous generation Picanto it opted to skip its typical local ride and handling optimisation program. But that isn't the case this time around - and it shows.
The suspension and steering has been tweaked and tuned for Australian conditions and as a result the little car feels at home on our roads.
Around town, the Picanto feels agile and responsive, whether you're in traffic or negotiating a car park.
More surprisingly though, if you take the Picanto out of town and throw it into some twisty corners it holds its own. The steering is direct and the chassis feels well balanced. The biggest limiting factor are the Nexen tyres, which run out of grip quickly when you push them.
It's hardly a hot hatch but it is a good handling city car that feels confident and sure-footed in a variety of conditions.
Verdict
The new Picanto is an excellent example of a cheap car that is also good. Those looking for an affordable, well equipped and nice to drive first car - or for any other reason, such as a secondary car as a city runabout - should take a long, hard look at the Picanto.
When you factor in Kia's seven-year warranty, servicing costs and roadside assistance program the Picanto makes a compelling case against similarly priced used cars.
2017 Kia Picanto pricing and specifications
Price: From $14,190 plus on-road costs (man), $15,690 drive-away (auto)
Engine: 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol
Power: 62kW at 6000rpm
Torque: 122Nm at 4000rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual or four-speed automatic, front-wheel drive
Fuel use: 5.0L/100km (man), 5.8L/100km (auto)
The Competitors
Holden Spark LS
Price: From $13,990 plus on-road costs
Engine: 1.4-litre four cylinder petrol
Power: 73kW at 6200rpm
Torque: 124Nm at 4400rpm
Transmission: CVT automatic, FWD
Fuel use: 5.2L/100km
Our score: 6/10
Mitsubishi Mirage LS
Price: From $15,250 plus on-road costs
Engine: 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol
Power: 57kW at 6000rpm
Torque: 100Nm at 4000rpm
Transmission: CVT automatic, FWD
Fuel use: 4.9L/100km
Our score: 5/10
Suzuki Ignis GL
Price: From $16,990 drive-away
Engine: 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol
Power: 66kW at 6000rpm
Torque: 120Nm at 4400rpm
Transmission: CVT automatic, front-wheel drive
Fuel use: 4.9L/100km
Our score: 5/10