- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
1.25i, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
62kW, 122Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 5.8L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
7 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
4/5 star (2017)
2020 Kia Picanto S automatic review
The Kia Picanto holds a position as one of the cheapest cars currently on sale in Australia, but is it any good?
- High levels of equipment
- Sizable in areas
- Fantastic on the road
- Four-star safety
- Second row not for adults
- Four-speed auto resembles a relic
How does this compare on price?
The Kia Picanto S auto we tested is priced from $15,990 before on-road fees. Choosing any colour other than white, such as the Honey Bee yellow as pictured, will add $520 to the price.
Choices in the micro-car segment are slim, but there are options. The Mitsubishi Mirage ES automatic starts from $15,490 before on-roads. Another contender is the Fiat 500. This stylish European alternative is more expensive, however, and costs $22,490 before on-roads.
However, it is worth mentioning that this segment often features special drive-away pricing that applies nationwide. Taking that into account, the Kia Picanto S auto kicks off from $17,190 drive-away, and the Mitsubishi Mirage ES auto from $17,990 drive-away. The Fiat is not on any form of national special offer, so its price varies by state.
Despite the Kia Picanto S auto featuring a higher list price than the Mitsubishi Mirage ES auto, it turns out to be cheaper on the road once you factor in the manufacturer’s bonus. That makes the Kia Picanto S the most affordable automatic car in the segment
What is it like inside?
Initial thoughts would assume that a cheap car is equally cheap inside. That is most certainly not the case with the Kia Picanto S.
The materials used are of good quality, and there is enough sound insulation to make the cabin pleasant and free from loud road noise.
Despite its small footprint, it is surprisingly roomy in the first row. There’s clever storage available, with twin cupholders that fold away to create space for a phone or purse.
On top of good design, you’ll find a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It has app connectivity in the form of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, meaning you can legally use your mobile phone’s navigation apps, such as Google Maps or Waze, while behind the wheel.
The second row is a little cramped, especially if taller people reside in the front row. Consider it suitable for children and younger adults.
At the rear, its boot is diminutive at 255L, but satisfactory to store a week’s worth of groceries with some clever stacking. It will also accept a small, compact stroller with a small day bag as well.
Is it a safe car in this segment?
The Kia Picanto received a four-star ANCAP safety rating as of 2017. However, careful considerations must be made when comparing it to the Mitsubishi Mirage’s five-star rating.
The Mitsubishi Mirage was tested and marked with five stars in 2013, four years before the Kia. Since then, the testing regime has become stricter, meaning cars nowadays are assessed with more scrutiny compared to previous years.
Despite that, on paper, the Mitsubishi has a higher official safety rating.
Kia’s Picanto includes autonomous emergency braking. This system will, if permissions permit, apply the brakes when approaching an object if the driver fails to react at speeds up to 60km/h.
It also features a reverse camera, rear parking sensors, alongside the usual suite of anti-lock brakes and vehicle stability control.
Overall, despite the four-star ANCAP rating, it has some active systems to help promote safety.
How much does it cost to maintain?
The Kia Picanto features seven years of capped-price servicing, in line with its seven-year warranty. Over the course of seven years, its total maintenance bill will cost $2726, or $389.40 when averaged out per year.
The first three services cost $269, $450 and $324, and are expected to be carried out at one year or 15,000km, whichever comes first.
Its servicing costs are not overly cheap, but satisfactory given the intervals and total duration of Kia’s capped-price program.
As mentioned before, the vehicle is offered with a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty as well as seven years of roadside assist. However, there is a catch with the roadside assistance offering.
If you service a Picanto within Kia’s network, you’ll receive an additional year of roadside assistance that is activated upon each annual visit, up to a maximum of seven years. So, you must take the car back to an authorised Kia service centre to redeem this offer.
What does it have under the bonnet?
As expected, Kia’s smallest car is powered by one of its smallest engines – a 1.25-litre, four-cylinder petrol. It is a basic engine, with no direct injection, fancy turbocharger or supercharger in sight.
It links up to a rudimentary four-speed automatic that sends power to the front wheels. It produces 62kW at 6000rpm and 120Nm at 4000rpm.
Despite the low power figures, the Picanto is adequately powered for inner-city driving. If you hit the highway, you may need to drive around the fact it’s a touch underpowered by preemptively accelerating or thinking ahead.
What is its economy like?
Naturally, being lightweight with a small engine, it does not use much fuel when compared to a larger hatchback from the class above.
Kia claims that on a combined cycle, the Picanto will use just 5.8 litres per 100km. On test it returned usage of 6.1 litres per 100km, which makes the official figure in line with reality.
If you take $1.50 as the base price per litre of fuel, travelling 200km will cost just $18.30 using the consumption figure we achieved on test. If you use 15,000km as an annual average mileage, the yearly fuel bill would come in around $1372.
Comparing that to a larger hatch, which uses 8.5 litres per 100km, results in the Kia Picanto being roughly $540 cheaper per year just to fuel. This makes it quite fuel-efficient against cars from the size class above.
What else should I consider in this segment?
The Mirage is not as good of a car as the Kia Picanto, and the sales figures reflect this.
If you can make the stretch, the Fiat 500 offers style and character, but costs a significant amount more.
Alternatively, the MG3, albeit a little larger, may also be worth a look if you’re after a small and cheap-to-run car.
Any problems I should look out for?
The Kia Picanto features a basic engine and transmission that have been around for quite some time, making it thoroughly tried and tested. The simple nature of the driveline means it does not feature many complex parts that have a tendency to fail.
Combining that with Kia’s seven-year warranty means it’ll more than likely provide fuss-free motoring over the duration of ownership.
Should I buy it?
If you believe you can make the Kia Picanto fit into your lifestyle, we recommend that you take one for a test drive to find out. It offers great, simple motoring at a low cost.
As an affordable brand-new car, it makes a great alternative to a used car that may give you issues sooner rather than later.
It also makes for a good first car, too, for the same reasons above.
Last year, the Kia Picanto finished the year with a segment market share of 80.5 per cent, and it’s easy to see why. It’s arguably one of the best small cars on offer today.