Kia Picanto review

Driving position 

Most people have made the switch to a bigger car for one of two reasons. They’ve been busy and now have kids or they want to sit higher up on the road. We’re generalising, but those are the two main reasons to change. 

But, in the case of the Kia Picanto, you do still sit quite high up in the driver’s seat. Like some of its rivals, such as the VW up!, you still feel like a big player on the open road. 

The seats are manually adjustable, which feels Flintstones-esque in 2025 but is actually quite refreshing and is often quicker to do than a fiddly button system down by the side of the seat. 

To be honest, the seats aren’t the most comfortable, and on longer motorway drives, you are going to need to have a break, but that’s the case for all cars of this size. 

But because it’s so dinky, you can reach all the controls from the driver’s seat, so adjusting the air-con is a breeze – quite literally. 

Tech and features 

What we love about the Kia Picanto is that it’s a back-to-basics, no-frills car. It doesn’t have a million touchscreens, and it can’t do your ironing for you, but it reminds us of a simpler time, which in this hectic world of ours, is always welcomed. 

So, what do you get? Well, in the Picanto ‘3’ trim we tested, you get as standard a heated steering wheel, automatic air-con, front heated seats and a wireless phone charger. 

As well as this, you get a central eight-inch touchscreen that runs the admittedly basic Kia Connect software, but we just plugged our phone in to make use of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (both wired-only, though). 

While wired CarPlay seems like a step backwards, the Kia does also get physical heater/air-con controls, which save you from fiddling about with various confusing menus in the infotainment system like so many other modern cars.  

Maybe we just need to get with the times, but it can be a nuisance, not to mention dangerous while driving. 

The upper-spec GT-Line S trim get more features such as a panoramic sunroof and sportier styling, but if a sunroof isn’t a dealbreaker for you, save some cash and stick with the well-equipped ‘3’. 

Engines and power 

Kia offers two different engines with the Picanto – a 1.0-litre or a 1.2-litre petrol. Both are non-turbocharged (this wasn’t always the case with previous Picantos), which means they can be quite sluggish on the motorway.  

Why did Kia remove the turbo? We believe it’s because Hyundai nicked it for use in the i10, so Kia couldn’t use it either. Or maybe they thought 100hp was too much, so went for 61hp and 76hp instead. 

Our test car came with the smaller 1.0-litre 61hp engine mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, and it was absolutely sublime. Sure, it’s slow to get up to 70mph on a faster road, but around town and through the countryside, it’s a joyous thing to drive. 

The gearshifts are spot on, clutch is a little high but easy to get your head around, and it’s a very revvy three-cylinder engine – a characteristic we’ll always love about them. 

Kia also offers an automatic gearbox, which is slower and not as refined as many other automatics available today, so we’d always advise opting for the manual.  

Handling and ride comfort 

Handling is really where this supermini comes into its own. It gets slightly firm suspension, meaning it corners really nicely, displaying a sort of agility you’d expect from a house cat running after a mouse around the living room. 

There’s minimal body roll and it feels really well planted around tighter corners, plus when you enter town, the steering lightens up at slower speeds, so it’s incredibly easy to slot into a parking space. 

It isn’t the softest ride, and especially when full of people and luggage, you’re going to feel a bit bogged down, but it doesn’t feel unsafe at any point – even at motorway speeds. 

Its tiny 14-inch wheels help it give this nippy feel, and there’s enough tyre there to cushion (to a degree) smaller bumps in the road. 

Boot space 

Superminis are not big cars, everyone knows this, so you shouldn’t expect lots of space in the back of the Picanto. 

It gets a height-adjustable boot floor, which has 255 litres of space in total. We found this was enough space for two large soft overnight bags and a case of wine when the boot was in its largest setting. 

In comparison to its rivals, it stacks up well. The Toyota Aygo X gets 231 litres and the Fiat 500 gets a tiny 185 litres. 

Rear seats 

If you’re an adult and want to sit in the back on a road trip from London to Scotland, then forget it, unless you’re happy to never walk again afterwards. 

The rear seats are best kept for children, or adults if on shorter journeys. 

When the driver’s seat is in the seating position of someone over six foot, there’s next to no rear legroom unless you saw them off beforehand. 

Storage solutions 

The cabin is tiny yet there are still a number of places to store things. For starters, there’s a central armrest just big enough for a pair of sunglasses, wallet and keys. 

In front of this is a small storage area for other bits before a couple of cupholders next to the wireless phone charger. 

The door bins are very snug, so larger bottles of water are going to be tricky to fit and the glovebox is barely big enough for a small book. 

Safety 

Being a budget car, the Picanto doesn’t come with a lot of the fancy safety features you find in the premium SUVs taking over this segment.  

But you do still get six airbags as standard, as well as autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and blind-spot monitoring reserved for GT-Line S models. 

At the time of writing, the new car hasn’t yet been independently tested by Euro NCAP, but the 2017 model scored a disappointing three out of five stars, and a separate four stars for the car with the optional Safety Pack. 

Fuel economy 

For some, a supermini is too small, but you can’t deny they’re usually rather good on fuel. 

We drove the Picanto 425 miles on a range of motorways, country roads and around town and averaged 51.1mpg, just shy of its claimed 52.3mpg. 

But considering its small 35-litre tank, it sipped fuel throughout our time with it, and a full tank of petrol should cost less than £40 (depending on fuel prices) – ideal really. 

Reliability 

Being a Kia, there’s almost no need to even fret about reliability. Not only are they solidly built, but they also get a seven-year/100,000-mile warranty as standard – one of the best in the business.