Highlights
- Nimble handling
- Above average boot
- Good-looking
- Lots of standard equipment
Introduction
All good things come in small packages, the saying goes, and it’s an adage that could have been written specifically for the Kia Picanto GT-Line.
The Picanto underwent a makeover in 2020 to refresh the Korean car maker’s smallest model.
Design
On the outside the GT-Line has a much sportier face as well as a red grille, side sills, heavily tinted rear side windows, rear diffuser, twin exhausts and attractive 16-inch alloys.
Inside you get leather-look sports seats in red and black as well as red stitching on the doors and leather steering wheel. The latter, however, is only adjustable for height but not reach.
Technology and Safety
There’s no satellite navigation, but the car is equipped for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, so no worries about finding any unknown destinations.
Safety features now include seven airbags, Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, rear cross traffic alert to warn you of traffic movement as you back out of a parking space, blind spot alert, and lane keeping.
The size of the Picanto makes parking and manoeuvring simple, especially as it's equipped with rear parking sensors and a reversing camera.
An 8-inch touchscreen gives a clear view of what’s behind as you reverse, as well as access to the car’s audio system and on-board features.
Driving Experience
The range starts with the 60bhp entry level model but steps up to the trendy, 5-door, GT-Line driven here that adds flair both inside and out and a more powerful 99bhp, turbocharged 3-cylinder engine.
It’s certainly a car that punches above its weight and is surprisingly quick off the mark, making it an ideal town and city vehicle.
Edward Stephens
And while a lot of small city cars can feel a little skittish at high speed, this one is well planted and stable.
It looks sporty, is sharp around town, stable at speed and over a week’s motoring I managed to average almost 60mpg.
Practicality
Like all small cars, there’s not too much luggage room, but the Picanto is the best in its class with 255 litres of boot space, which easily swallows up the shopping but can be an issue for holiday packing. You may have to fold the rear seat back down, which boosts capacity dramatically to 1,010 litres.
While the Picanto might have diminutive dimensions, it never really feels small from the driver’s seat, although size does limit its capacity to four rather than five seats.
Add all that to Kia’s 7-year warranty, and it’s obvious why this little car remains a bestseller.
Summary
It's not hard to see why Kia's adorable little city car is so popular amongst many drivers - it's small yet spacious, good-looking, and packs a punch out on the road. Sporty GT-Line trim adds bold design features both inside and out and a host of luxury equipment to top off the excellent all-round package.
