Reliable little Kia Picanto proves to be unassuming everyday hero

After six months and 4 086km, we finally had to hand back the keys of our long-term Kia Picanto EX manual. And it was not easy letting go of our venerable hatchback.

We are privileged, or some might argue spoiled, to sample anything from large SUVs, bundu bashers, performance crossovers, double cab bakkies, luxury sedans, vans and sports cars. But sometimes it is the unobtrusive little cars like the Kia Picanto that prove themselves as the everyday heroes.

Some of the extravagant rides we sample probably needs only one cylinder to produce more than the 62kW of power and 122Nm the Picanto’s naturally aspirated four-pot 1.2-litre petrol engine produces. But the humbler the harras of horses, the more wallet-friendly the feeding. And excellent fuel economy is one of the Kia Picanto’s biggest virtues.

Kia Picanto as frugal as they come

Before Chinese SUVs flooded our market and buyers started turning a blind eye to their unhealthy thirst in lieu of the attractive price and spec lists, fuel economy was a bigger yardstick than it is now. But there is no fooling the discerning buyer who does the maths to see how much the damage at the pumps will be. In the case of the Kia Picanto, it is one of the most frugal choices out there.

The Korean carmaker claims that the hatch will sip 5.1 litres per 100km. To average 5.7L/100km over more than 4 000km with very little open road driving is therefore very commendable. The number was even better during The Citizen Motoring‘s little frugality test over the first 1 000km when we got the number as low as 5.2L/100km.

Working on a real-world number of 5.7L/100km, it will cost R773 Inland to fill the Kia Picanto’s 35-litre tank when completely empty. This will give you a very healthy range of 614km.

Enough power

Considering that the hatch only weighs 962kg, the mill, which sends the power to the front wheel via five-speed manual transmission, never felt underpowered. The revs do run a bit high – 3 500 to 4 000rpm – in reaching the national limit on the highway. But this is not the car you really want to push beyond that point. Heaven forbids how stressed the engine would be should get anywhere close to the claimed top speed of 170km/h!

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It is commuting in everyday city traffic where the Picanto earns its birthright. Even though manual gearboxes are disappearing at the rate of knots, it is so easy to operate this hatch that it should make a great car to learn to drive in.

The clutch is light and short, swapping cogs is as easy as pie and the steering direct and light. Manoeuvring a car measuring less than 3.6 metres in length with a 9.4 metre turning circle is just a treat in tight parking spaces.

Practical Kia Picanto

The other major thing the Kia Picanto has going for it is its practicality. The 233-litre boot and decent leg and headroom in the rear is adequate for moving adults in daily traffic. And should the need arises the 60/40 rear seat split can extend the cargo space to all of 1 010 litres. That is the cubic space on offer in a one-tonner bakkie’s loadbin.

Kia says that the age groups the hatchback mostly appeal to is buyers in their late twenties who are likely upgrading for the first time and people in their fifties who are most likely buying down. In either case, the Picanto is the most popular among buyers who have been around the block should be able to recognise quality when they see it.

While the third generation Kia Picanto has been around since 2017, the designers have done well to freshen it up during last year’s facelift. These tweaks include a new headlight design, a flattened Tiger Nose grille and front bumper and a horizontal lightbar on the tailgate. EX models come standard with 14-ich allow wheels.

ALSO READ: Kia Picanto a logical choice for buyers migrating up and down

Elegant interior

Inside, hard plastics have been kept to a minimum in creating a simple yet elegant look and feel. Striking features include a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear lever with contrast stitching, brushed aluminium inserts and black and grey upholstery seats.

The Kia Picanto EX comes standard with an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a 4.2-inch digital instrument cluster. comes standard on the EX.
Also standard is two USB ports, keyless entry, electric heated side mirrors, rake adjustable steering column and height adjustable driver’s seat.

Standard safety features include ABS, two airbags, electronic stability control, hill-start assist control, Isofix child seat anchors and reverse camera with parking lines.

Great little package

While the world has gone SUV-crazy, there is still plenty of room for a hatchback like the Picanto to flourish. It offers an excellent combination of practicality, elegance, unobtrusiveness, ease of operation and fuel economy that is hard to match.

The Kia Picanto costs R284 995 and comes standard with a comprehensive five-year/unlimited mileage warranty and two-year/30 000km service plan.