2019 Kia Picanto

Specifications:

Model: 2019 Kia Picanto 1.0 Street

Pre-Owned Price: R 139 900

Mileage: 17 000km

Warranty: Remainder of 5-year/unlimited mileage

Fuel Consumption (combined): 5.0-litres/100km

0-100km/h: 14.5 seconds

Contact: Bethuel Mathiane from Centurion Nissan

 

At this price point it offers a polished interior, decent practicality as well as good all-round driving dynamics with great fuel consumption.

 

Background and condition of vehicle:

• Our little Kia Picanto was in an excellent condition.
• The bodywork as well as the interior were flawless and I especially thought the overall quality was good for a budget vehicle of this nature.
• As expected, there is a lot of hard plastic trim inside the cabin, although it doesn’t look cheap and seems durable too.
• With only 17 000km on the clock mechanically it still performs like a vehicle fresh from the showroom floor.
• Our Kia Picanto also came equipped with four new 175/65R14 tyres.

 

Performance and Economy:

• Under the bonnet you will find a small 1-litre 3-cylinder 12-valve engine that produces 49 Kilowatts of maximum power and 95Nm of torque.
• Naturally the Picanto is no pocket rocket, but performance compares well with similar offerings on the market.
• In town especially the little Picanto is reasonably nippy with enough punch to comfortably commute in city traffic.
• A big plus is it’s great fuel economy, with the little Kia capable of returning an average fuel consumption figure of just 5.0-litres per 100km.

 

How does it drive?

• For such a small vehicle the Kia Picanto proved surprisingly comfortable. In fact the solid all-round feel of the chassis could easily be compared to some larger hatchbacks on the market.
• Ride quality was good on most road surfaces and most bumps did not pose any problems.
• Some of its rivals with their higher ride height did seem to offer better bump absorption on rough roads. This said the Picanto surefooted handling does trump many of these competitors.
• The 5-speed manual gearbox was pure joy to use with light, yet positive shifts between the gears.
• When pushing on the engine can become a bit noisy but considering the lovely engine note, it was something we did not mind at all.

 

Inside the vehicle:

• Like most budget buys the Kia Picanto is fairly basic, although prospective buyers would like the basic infotainment system and Bluetooth phone connectivity.
• Safety features also included an ABS braking system with electronic brake distribution and airbags for the front occupants.
• The list of standard features included the following:

 

• Air-conditioning                              
• Dual airbags
• Remote Central Locking
• ABS braking with EBD                             
• Front electric windows                                             
• Aux and USB port                    
• Power steering
• Full size spare wheel
• Multi-function steering wheel
• 12V connector
• Trip computer
• Various cupholders
• Basic Infotainment system
• Bluetooth phone connectivity                   

 

Space and Practicality:

• From behind the wheel I was impressed on how spacious the car actually feels, but passenger space in the rear proved somewhat limited.
• The boot offers decent amounts of loading space at 255-litres which can be increased to a 1 010-litres with the seats folded down.

 

The Verdict

• The Kia Picanto Street is most certainly a great little all-rounder in the budget buy sector of the market.
• A small car with the manners and handling of a bigger one, while also offering decent standard equipment, great fuel economy and decent practicality at the price.
• The fantastic 5-year/unlimited milage warranty should also create proper piece of mind amongst prospective buyers.

 

• Economical
• Good all-round quality
• Decent list of standard features at the price

X  Limited rear passenger room