Kia Picanto (2011 – 2017) Review

January 2011

Premier of new Picanto

Offered for the first time with a choice of five-door and three-door bodystyles (the three-door will not arrive in the UK until the autumn) it is set to completely redefine its position as one of the most competitive vehicles in the 'city car' A-segment.

Three versions of the Kappa are offered - two in the UK. A four-cylinder, 1,248 cc engine that generates 85ps and 121Nm of torque tops the line-up. Two three-cylinder, 998 cc units present customers with a choice of petrol or Bi-fuel technologies (LPG + petrol) - Bi-fuel is available in selected countries but not the UK. The petrol engine produces 69ps and 95Nm of torque. The Bi-fuel unit delivers 82ps and 94Nm of torque.

May 2011

Picanto 1 Air launched

Same as Picanto 1 but with standard airconditioning, priced at £8,595 OTR - a £600 premium over the base model and £1000 below the more highly-specified Picanto 2 version. Full Picanto range goes on sale on 17 June. Deliveries of Picanto 1 Air from September.

June 2011

New Kia Picanto goes on sale

First Kia vehicle to be available with the company's new all inclusive national servicing package.

The Care 3 package is just £259 including VAT, which covers the first three services - either 36 months or 30,000 miles. Or the Care-3 Plus package is just £499 including VAT which covers the first five services - either 60 months or 50,000 miles. Care-3 can be extended to Care-3 Plus for £275.

• Picanto 1 1.0 £7,995
• Picanto 2 1.0 £9,595
• Picanto 2 1.25 ISG £10,195
• Picanto 2 1.25 Automatic £10,795
• Picanto 3 1.25 £11,195

August 2011

The Picanto was included in Euro NCAP's latest test results and received criticism for not having Electronic Stability Control as standard. While a 'four star' rating for Picanto was anticipated, and is in line with many vehicles in the A-segment, Kia Motors says that all versions of UK specification Picanto are fitted with Electronic Stability Control as standard. Electronic Stability Control is standard on Picantos in most European markets but is not standard across all versions in all European markets. Euro NCAP rates the lowest specification version on offer within Europe and, as such, tested a version without Electronic Stability Control.

September 2011

Kia launched three-door Picanto

The dimensions of the three and five-door Picanto are identical in order to ensure they enjoy the same levels of interior space and crash safety. The changes are most obvious in profile, where new doors, rear panels and glass aft of the A-pillar give the three-door Picanto a fresh appearance, accentuated by the rising belt line that slices through the door handle on each side, and the aerodynamically shaped side sill mouldings. Unique alloy wheels on the upper two trim versions are other distinguishing features of the three-door Picanto.

At the front the main grille opening is larger than that on the five-door and is available with silver or red trim surrounds. The front bumper has been re-profiled to make the car appear wider and lower. It contains a slim, full-width lower grille, housing large black-bezelled foglamps with the two upper trim grades.

The rear bumper has a rectangular black central section in place of body colour, a relatively simple measure that makes the three-door Picanto instantly appear sportier. The finishing touch is created by exposed twin chromed exhaust outlets in place of the hidden single tailpipe of the five-door car.

The three-door Picanto is a practical small car with five seats and a big boot within an overall length of less than 3.6 metres, just like the five-door. And while its primary role might not be as a family runabout, Kia has done everything to make access to the back easy for those occasions when owners might want to give a lift to friends or relatives. Sliding and tilting front seats provide a wide ‘walk-in’ to the split rear bench.

The three-door Picanto has its own colour schemes and trim structure that reflect its role as the sportier model in the range. The entry-level model – badged Picanto 1 or, with air conditioning, Picanto 1 Air – comes with all-black upholstery. Above that, the models are called Halo and Equinox rather than 2 and 3. Halo has premium black and grey interior trim, while Equinox is finished in premium ‘Chilli’ red.

Depending on engine and trim combination, there is a choice of four exterior colours, and alloy wheels are standard on all but ‘1’ and ‘1 Air’ grade cars.

The three-door Picanto offers brand-new 1.0- and 1.25-litre Kappa-family petrol engines, which deliver fuel economy of up to 67.3mpg with CO2 emissions as low as 99g/km. The larger engine is available with Kia’s EcoDynamics fuel-saving technology – an Intelligent Stop & Go engine stop/start system – or with automatic transmission.

The three-cylinder 1.0-litre unit develops 69PS and 95Nm of torque. The 1.25-litre four-cylinder engine is offered in three guises, all developing 85PS and 121Nm of torque. In standard form it averages 60.1mpg. With a four-speed automatic transmission fuel consumption is an impressive 53.3mpg. Finally, there is the EcoDynamics version with fuel consumption at 65.7mpg.

Standard features on all versions include a trip computer, height-adjustable seat, a tilt-adjustable steering column and Motor Driven Power Steering. In-car entertainment is provided by a RDS radio and CD player with MP3 compatibility. Picanto 1, 1 Air, and Halo have four speakers and Picanto Equinox has six. Picanto Halo and Picanto Equinox also have USB and AUX ports, an iPod cable and steering wheel-mounted audio controls. On the outside body-coloured mirrors and bumpers and twin chromed exhaust outlets are all standard.

January 2013

Kia 'Pincanto' launched

The Picanto is now available in ‘Fuchsia Blush' on the 5-door model, grades ‘2' and ‘3' at just £445. A new Picanto White is also now available as a 3-door model. This high-tech addition to the Picanto three-door range, replaces top-spec ‘Halo' and ‘Equinox' models.

The new top of the range White is fitted with five-spoke 15" alloy wheels, Engine Start/Stop with Smart Entry System as well as Bluetooth and automatic air conditioning. Standard features also include the convenience of reversing sensors.

Outside, the black tiger-nose grille sports a quirky red surround. On the inside, enjoy the leather trim steering wheel and steering wheel mounted controls, as well as a ‘Hollywood style' vanity mirror with a three-stage illumination feature sequence and ambient LED lighting.

Picanto White prices start from just £11,745 for the 1.25 85PS 5-speed manual ISG model and £12,345 for the 1.25 84PS 4-speed automatic, with both models carrying a Thatcham insurance rating of 11.

April 2014

Picanto 4 added to range

Powered by the 1.25-litre 85PS petrol engine driving through a five-speed manual gearbox linked to Kia's fuel-saving ISG engine stop/start system. The car maintains the extensive equipment offered on the Picanto ‘3' - including automatic air conditioning, 15-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights and LED rear combination lights, a premium Supervision instrument cluster and heated front seats - and supplements it with a number of luxury features.

April 2014

Picanto Quantum launched

Priced at £11,895 for the manual and £12,495 for the auto. The Quantum comes with Titanium Silver metallic paint and black cloth interior. It's powered by the 1.25 engine and gets 15-inch alloys, automatic aircon, smart key entry system with engine start/stop button, electric sliding and tilting sunroof, electrically folding, adjustable and heated door mirrors with LED indicator lights, front foglights, a six-speaker audio system, body-coloured side sill mouldings and automatic headlight control with ‘see-you-home' and ‘welcome' lighting.

April 2015

Kia Picanto 2015 range goes on sale

Prices from £8,345 for the 3-door Picanto 1 and £8,545 for the 5-door Picanto 1.

All versions have a revised front end, featuring new headlights, a new bumper design with vertical foglamp housing and a restyled rear bumper. From Autumn production the 1.0-litre and 1.25-litre Kappa engines will meet EU6 emissions regulations and develop more torque at lower rpm.

There are new, eight-spoke, petal-shaped 14-inch alloy wheels exclusive to the five-door grade 2 model, which also benefits from the option of Atlantic Blue metallic paint. This is also offered on the five-door grade 3. SR7 versions in both body styles are exclusively offered with Honey Bee Yellow metallic paint.

The interior of every model now has chrome rings on the three-cylinder instrument cluster and chrome accents on the air vent knobs, plus a high-gloss black finish to the gear selector, adding to the already high-quality look and feel of the car. Compared with the previous VR7, SR7 models now benefit from privacy glass and automatic lights, while the five-door grade 4 version which sits at the top of the Picanto range gains cruise control with a speed limiter. Every model has an upgraded audio system with fewer buttons and faster responses.

July 2015

Kia Picanto Chilli launched

The Chilli variants are part of the Picanto Originals series, a rolling programme of high-specification, value-priced models changed at frequent intervals to offer buyers something out of the ordinary.

Both of the new Chilli models are three-door cars powered by a 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine developing 84bhp and 120Nm of torque. They offer buyers the option of a five-speed manual gearbox or a four-speed automatic which will be particularly attractive to those who do most of their driving in congested towns and cities.

In line with all Picanto Originals, the Chilli models offer a high specification for a mid-range price, sitting above the SR7 grade in the . The manual costs £11,495 on the road, while the automatic is £12,095, both are on sale from 1 July 2015. They sit above the SR7 models in the Picanto line-up.

This is complemented by the equally sporty interior. The seats are in black faux leather with striking red and grey cloth cushions and backrests to match the inserts on the doors. There are aluminium pedals with non-slip rubber pads, while the centre fascia, steering wheel bezel and gearshifter top are finished in classy Gloss Black.

The Chilli versions are the first Picanto to be fitted with satellite navigation including European mapping, similar to the system found in Kia’s Rio and Venga ranges. This is linked to a seven-inch touchscreen and includes a reversing camera. A six-speaker audio system is also standard.

July 2016

Picanto upgraded

With the new Picanto ‘1 Air’ offered at the same £8,545 price as the old ‘1’ model, it means that this new entry-level version gains air conditioning as a free upgrade. This model also now benefits from Bluetooth, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and front seat belt height adjustment as no-cost additions.

The new mid-range ‘SE’ grade has all the equipment that was standard on the previous ‘SR7’, plus automatic air conditioning and Kia's Intelligent Stop & Go (ISG) engine stop/start system with the manual gearbox. This grade is offered with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine and a manual gearbox from £10,395, or a 1.25-litre four-cylinder unit with automatic transmission from £11,395.

The new Picanto ‘Sport’ sharp looks are enhanced by stylish new front and rear bumpers and a twin-tipped exhaust tailpipe. There are also additional side sill mouldings painted to match the body colour. The ‘Sport’ models are finished in exclusive red, black or white paintwork. Sporty-looking five-barrel 15-inch alloy wheels shod with 175/50 tyres are the final finishing touch.

Standard equipment includes satellite navigation, automatic air conditioning, cruise control and a speed limiter. ‘Sport’ models are powered by the 1.25-litre engine and are available with a manual gearbox and ISG from £11,995 or with automatic transmission from £12,595.