Kia Picanto S 2021 Review

You’re not going to readily pick this, but Kia Australia upgraded the budget-priced Kia Picanto micro car towards the end of last year.

The upgrades are worthwhile if you’re specifying the upper-grade models, but less so if you are buying at the bottom end.

The entry-level 2021 Kia Picanto S we are reviewing here is not quite so gifted as the GT-Line and GT, with no styling changes and only improved halogen headlights and a new 8.0-inch touch-screen to differentiate it from the preceding model.

The higher-spec variants are a bit more noticeable. There’s a new ‘tiger nose’ grille with a restyled lower air intake, projector halogen lights, a restyled rear bumper with dual exhaust outlets and new-design 16-inch alloy wheels.

And, most importantly, for the GT model only, there’s a new-generation 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo engine producing the same 74kW/172Nm as before and – also as before – driving through a manual five-speed gearbox.

The S and GT-Line stick with the familiar normally-aspirated 1.2-litre four-cylinder (62kW/122Nm) and can be had in either five-speed manual or four-speed auto form.

The Kia Picanto is now in its third generation and is a giant in the sparsely-populated micro-car segment.

It outsells both of its two genuine rivals – the Mitsubishi Mirage and Fiat 500 – by a ratio exceeding six cars to one. Racking up almost 600 sales per month, the Picanto would appear to hold a secure place in Kia’s model line-up.

Our auto-equipped 2021 Kia Picanto S on test here is priced from $17,290 plus on-road costs. It’s also available with a manual transmission, priced from $15,690 plus ORCs.

It’s more expensive than the CVT-equipped Mitsubishi Mirage ES (from $16,490), while the minuscule Fiat 500 starts beyond $21,000 for the ‘Dualogic’ single-clutch five-speed auto version.

For the Picanto S, the outlay brings autonomous emergency braking (AEB), rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera.

The interior has been smartened up no end with the new touch-screen dash and its accompanying 4.2-inch ‘supervision cluster’ sitting between the two major dials – which enables scrolling through of various bits of information including fuel economy, service intervals and language settings via buttons on the right-side steering wheel spoke.

Your money gets you an anything-but-plain interior, even in S grade, the funky design compensating for the cloth trim and manually-controlled everything except the powered front and rear windows (with single-touch auto up/down for the driver).

Air-conditioning, cruise control with speed limiter, voice recognition, Bluetooth (two phones can be simultaneously connected) and a six-speaker audio system are standard.

There’s also wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, which means you can use your smartphone to access sat-nav on the new centre touch-screen without necessarily needing a cable – pretty cool in a micro-class hatchback.

There are also USB and 12-volt charging points in the front console and bottle holders in the centre console and front doors.

The Picanto, in S form, isn’t so flash outside. The wheels are tiddly steel 14-inchers wearing 175/65R14 tyres and contrast with the GT-Line and GT’s 16-inch alloys.

Both ‘premium’ model grades also get a sporty body kit, splashes of chrome on the door handles and around the waistline and power-folding mirrors with LED indicator lights. The Picanto S is not quite so piquant.

But the brakes, not quite what you might have expected in a micro car, are all-disc, ventilated at the front and solid at the rear. The Mitsubishi Mirage and Fiat 500 use rear drum brakes.

Compelling reasons for choosing the 2021 Kia Picanto S over its paucity of direct rivals would include the phenomenal seven years and unlimited kilometres of warranty.

Of course, this is notwithstanding the fact that Mitsubishi is also now offering a 10-year warranty (over its standard five-year cover) if you stick with a franchised dealer for the duration.

If the Kia is a car for first-time buyers, there’s a good chance that initial ownership could end well before the warranty runs out.

Another reason is that the Picanto’s on-road dynamics, with the help of Australian input into development of its MacPherson strut/torsion beam suspension settings, are about as good as you could expect in this segment. The minuscule Kia is not a bad drive at all, even in base S form.

The engine likewise is at the bare minimum of what’s required but it does the job nevertheless and is more powerful than either of its two competitors – with the caveat that, at 1011kg tare, the Picanto S is heavier than either the Mitsubishi Mirage or the Fiat 500 and as a result tends to consume more fuel and emit more CO2.

But not that much more. Our car recorded an average of 6.3L/100km and came close to the official claim of 5.8L/100km.

The Kia’s auto gearbox, with just four speeds, might not sound much but, given the unlikelihood of the Picanto being used regularly for up-country trips, it’s adequate and the shifts are acceptably smooth and brisk.

Naturally, there’s some ‘hunting’ back and forth between gears when you are pointing the Picanto at a long uphill gradient, but the general responses are quite pleasing.

Until you start loading up the little Kia, which we’ll mention a bit later.

Perhaps of most importance to many buyers in the micro segment is cabin accommodation and boot space, and in both these areas the 2021 Kia Picanto does pretty well.

Although it’s dimensionally smaller than the Mitsubishi Mirage it actually provides good passenger space. Up back, a tall passenger can ride behind an equally-tall driver provided there’s some understanding of the need to share legroom between front and rear.

You’d not be wanting to undertake a long interstate trip at any time in the Picanto and you’d certainly not attempt it willingly with three or more adult passengers on board.

The 255-litre boot, complete with a space-saver spare residing under the floor, is pretty good for a micro car but it fills up pretty quickly.

The Picanto is doing what it’s best at with just the driver and a front passenger, when the back seat is available to expand luggage capacity to 1010L.

Possibly more than any other market segment, the target audience here with the 2021 Kia Picanto S is pretty obvious.

This is the sort of vehicle many first-car buyers gravitate towards – initially for the low price and operating costs, but also because a new, rather than second-hand, car is bound to be more reliable and will be covered by a full warranty.

With seven years of factory cover to play with, the latter is a no-brainer here.

Connectivity is a drawcard. With its full complement of Bluetooth and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto opening the way towards sat-nav availability, plus innumerable social media applications, the Picanto knows its audience well.

Although it only gets a four-star safety rating (out of five) from testing authority ANCAP, which marked it down for its performance in pedestrian and child occupant protection, the Picanto’s standard autonomous emergency braking (AEB) is a string to its bow, as are safety features such as six airbags, the four-wheel disc brakes, rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera with a clear image displayed on the 8.0-inch touch-screen.

The demographic is less likely to include empty-nesters who have more of an eye on comfort, space and long-range touring capabilities – and maybe towing abilities.

The Kia Picanto is a useful contributor to the Korean brand’s overall sales, among the top five models its Aussie line-up at last count, and is the dominant player in its micro class.

In fact, throw in another eight or more active participants in the next-size-up light hatch category, where the Kia Rio is a contender, and the Kia Picanto is one of the top-selling models.

Remembering that this is a car designed pretty much for specific needs, it does a decent job as an all-rounder.

Within its limitations the Kia Picanto is fun to drive, well equipped, looks good, and is well packaged into the bargain.

The seven-year warranty undoubtedly attracts many buyers to the Kia brand and can’t be underestimated in its appeal to more than just young first-time buyers.

Kia is obviously doing something right.

How much does the 2021 Kia Picanto S auto cost?
Price: $17,290 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 62kW/122Nm
Transmission: Four-speed automatic
Fuel: 5.8L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 134g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Four-star (ANCAP 2017)