Kia Picanto Review 2024

Kia Picanto At A Glance

4/5
Honest John Overall Rating
The Kia Picanto continues to offer a fun and affordable option in the city car sector, backed up by the firm’s excellent long warranty.

+Remains one of the freshest-looking city cars. Nimble to drive. Long warranty.

-Small stature limits practicality. Non-turbo engine feels like hard work. Automatic gearbox is poor.

New prices start from £11,950, brokers can source from £13,895
Insurance Groups are between 4–5
On average it achieves 77% of the official MPG figure

True city cars are becoming something of a rarity as manufacturers move away from small models with small profit margins. Thankfully, the Kia Picanto is still here and updated for 2024, offering a great option for drivers who want a compact car. It’s more affordable than the Toyota Aygo X or its stablemate the Hyundai i10 too.

Kia has facelifted the Picanto for 2024, and while a lot has stayed the same, the most obvious difference compared to the earlier incarnation of the car is the front end. Borrowing some of the design cues of the Kia EV9, the new Picanto has a much more distinctive look. Elsewhere, Kia's opted to streamline the choice of trims, consolidate the engine range and add more features as standard, which we'll cover in our Kia Picanto review. 

Cabin space is the area where the Kia Picanto really impresses. The front is more than capable of accommodating tall drivers and passengers, while the rear is roomy for more than just kids.

Boot capacity is limited, but the Kia Picanto still manages to be more spacious than key rivals such as the Toyota Aygo X, Hyundai i10 and Fiat 500.

As a compact city car, the Kia Picanto has a simple engine line-up focused on efficiency. Two engines are currently available - 62PS 1.0-litre, three-cylinder motor with a choice of five-speed manual or automatic gearboxes, or a slightly more powerful 78PS 1.2-litre, four-cylinder engine that only available on the high-end GT-Line S. 

Although these engines may not be quick, official combined fuel economy figures are 54.3mpg and 51.4mpg respectively.

Adding to the Kia Picanto’s overall level of enjoyment is its agile handling. The steering is light and precise, making it easy to thread through city streets. The pay-off is a firmer ride quality than other city cars, but it will be comfortable enough for most drivers.

For 2024 Kia has reduced its range of trim levels, with the range starting at mid-tier 2 specification. The basic 1 specification has been dropped from the range. Choosing GT-Line spec brings sportier styling to the Kia Picanto.

Standard equipment levels throughout the Kia Picanto range are good, with even the basic 2 model benefiting from an 8.0-inch touchscreen, daytime running lights, rear parking sensors, rear camera, steering wheel-mounted controls and Bluetooth audio streaming. 

Even if the market for city cars may be shrinking, the Kia Picanto remains a great example of why they can be so effective. Fun to drive, spacious, ideal as a new driver’s car, and still backed by a seven-year warranty, the Kia Picanto is a top choice.

Fancy a second opinion? Read heycar’s Kia Picanto review.

Ask Honest John

What's the best runabout?

"What's the best value runabout for low mileage?"
If you are looking for a low-cost urban car, we would suggest looking at city cars like the Kia Picanto, Toyota Aygo and Volkswagen Up. You can read our guide to the best city cars here: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/guides/best-city-car/
Answered by David Ross

What's the best first car for a new driver?

"My daughter will be finishing university in June and wants help to buy her first car. She will be 22 and we just require a car thats reliable and cheap to insure. How do we start please?"
It depends on budget, but we'd probably be looking for a sensible little used car such as a Kia Picanto or Toyota Aygo. This might be useful: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/guides/best-first-car/
Answered by Andrew Brady

What's the best small automatic car to buy with the lowest insurance rating?

"What's the best small automatic car to buy with the lowest insurance rating. My insurer no longer insure my Toyota Auris Hybrid Automatic (my present car) because they say that particular model is an insurance risk. So I'm thinking of changing my car because the insurance quotes I'm getting from other insurance companies are exorbitant."
Most drivers have seen their insurance prices hiked this year, with companies blaming an increase in claims following the pandemic, as well as rising parts prices and parts supply issues. Toyota Auris Hybrids such as yours are particularly prone to catalytic converter theft, which might explain why your current insurer refuses to insure your car. We'd recommend replacing your Auris with a small automatic city car such as a Kia Picanto or Hyundai i10. Also consider small electric cars such as the Peugeot e-208 or Fiat 500 Electric - but do shop around for quotes first.
Answered by Andrew Brady

Why does my Kia Picanto Mark 2 automatic have a slow creep speed?

"I have recently bought a 2017 Kia Picanto SE automatic (Mark 2 not mark 3). I learnt to drive in a Polo and the Picanto feels very different when first starting off. The initial forward creep speed barely registers on the speedometer - maybe 1or 2mph. I have to gently press the accelerator to get any useful motion. I raised this with my Kia dealer when I was having some other work down and they said it was a safety feature of this year and model of car. Is that correct? If so how is it supposed to work? Its frustrating to have to keep slowly depressing the accelerator in slow moving traffic and it really doesn't feel like much of a safety feature. Does applying the service brake fully switch normal creep speeds off so that I should use less pressure or is there some other variable I'm not aware of? "
The amount of 'creep' provided by a car with automatic transmission varies from car to car, but generally speaking on more modern vehicles the amount of creep has been reduced. While this could be considered a safety feature it is more likely to be a fuel-saving feature which reduces the amount of unnecessary fuel used when the car is held on the parking brake whilst in gear.
Answered by David Ross
More Questions

What does a Kia Picanto cost?

Buy new from £13,895(list price from £15,595)