Pint-sized Picanto thinks it's a big car!
City or town cars are smaller than Superminis and all about economical running. The latest Picanto from Korean car maker Kia is larger inside than the original 2004 car but still very cheap to run. It has been styled with European tastes in mind despite being a 'World Car' for Kia. In Europe alone, 300,000 Picantos have found homes so far.
Kia says Picanto will target buyers looking for smart design, economical engines and those after value for money. And, of course, there is also the industry-leading seven-year transferable warranty that all Kias offer. This peace of mind is a massive plus point for Picanto that even Kia's sister firm Hyundai can't match with its 'i10'.
Picanto's styling is chunky and the front end in particular is impressive with its 'Tiger Nose' grille. Kia says the new car will appeal to both sexes with its new tougher look. Depending on specification (being finalised for Ireland as I write) you can get LED daytime running, tail lamps and big alloys to smarten up the exterior of your Picanto. There is even an integrated hatchback spoiler! Picanto feels almost Supermini in class.
Picanto has grown slightly in length, but the most important dimension change is to the wheelbase. As a result of a longer distance between the front and rear wheels, the interior is far roomier than the previous model. The plastics and trim materials used are far from Audi-like but are impressive nonetheless.
The instruments, dials and secondary controls are well designed, too. Picanto has a big car feel that owners of the outgoing version will notice and enjoy. The boot holds a relatively large 200 litres and when the seats are folded flat there are 870 litres of cargo space available.
Powering Picantos in Ireland will be a 1-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine that is powerful for its size with 69bhp. It's a green, tax band 'A' engine that produces just 95g/CO2 (99g if larger alloys are fitted, but still just €104 to tax). The hatchback is available as a five-door although a sportier looking three-door is also being built.
Picanto feels lively and despite having just three-cylinders manages to avoid sounding like a demented sewing machine when driven hard. On a mixture of town and motorway driving on a recent test outside Barcelona, Picanto proved itself to be able to handle both high speed and urban driving without fuss. It produces 95nm of torque from the 998cc engine - enough to haul my large self and a fellow scribe without complaint.
Our test cars featured a host of driving safety aids and, of course, 'ISG' (Kia's stop/start system) to aid fuel consumption and emissions, plus a host of extras that would shame larger cars - you can get a heated steering wheel as an option!
Hyundai-Kia is now the fourth largest car maker in the world - (1) Toyota, 2) VW, 3) GM). The 'A' segment is a small category but a growing one thanks to scrappage. In Ireland last year it accounted for 2.9% of the new car market. There are 2,074 Picanto owners in Ireland since 2004. Kia says it expects to sell 300 Picantos in 2012.
As pint-sized motoring goes, the new Picanto is a very good offering.
Michael Sheridan
