Kia Picanto – What you need to know

The Kia Picanto is the top-selling micro car in Australia by a long shot, and was helped along by an update introduced for the MY21 model year that ushered in a host of detail changes.

Three grades – S, GT-Line and GT – make up the Picanto range, with two engines and transmissions available.

So break open the piggy bank and let’s go shopping to find the Picanto for you.

Starting at $15,990 plus on-road costs, the entry-model Kia Picanto S with a five-speed manual transmission has the following standard equipment:

• Eight-inch LCD touch-screen infotainment display
• Wireless smartphone connectivity
• Multi-Bluetooth connection capability
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality
• Cruise control
• Reversing camera
• Air-conditioning

Extras for the Kia Picanto are the palette of eight colours with seven being metallic or pearlescent, adding $520.

Standard safety features in the Kia Picanto S include six airbags, cruise control, electronic stability control, autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with forward collision warning, hill start assist, anti-lock brakes, four-wheel disc brakes and automatic headlights.

A rear-view camera with guidelines and rear parking sensors make reversing safer and easier.

Stepping up to the GT-Line gets you halogen projector headlights and fog lights, along with LED-style daytime running lights and rear fog light.

Despite quite a high level of safety equipment, the Kia Picanto has only a four-star safety rating (out of five) from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), which marked it down for its performance in pedestrian and child occupant protection when tested in 2017.

All Kia Picanto models have an 8.0-inch LCD touch-screen with wireless smartphone connectivity, multi-Bluetooth connection capability, voice recognition, audio controls on the steering wheel and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The audio is played through four speakers and two tweeters.

Also standard across the board is a 4.2-inch colour instrument cluster.

Storage in all models comprises two bottle and cup holders, with the Picanto S having a console tray and the GT-Line and GT upping that to a console storage box with a lid.

If you select the Kia Picanto GT-Line you avail yourself of premium cloth seats with red accents and height-adjustable front seat belts.

Staying inside the Picanto GT-Line, if the classy look of a high-gloss centre dash and vent surrounds, a premium steering wheel and gear shift knob grab you, make a beeline for this model as a minimum, and as you’ll discover it comes with alloy sports pedals too.

Both the S and GT-Line come with manual air-conditioning, so if that’s a must and you’re not fussed about the previously mentioned GT-Line features, save some cash and buy the S.

Outside is where the big differences lie between the S, GT-Line and GT.

While the S makes do with 14-inch steel wheels and a rear spoiler, the GT-Line and GT have new-design 16-inch alloy wheels, LED rear positioning lights, chrome door handles, a chrome waistline strip, and power-operated heated and folding exterior mirrors with built-in LED turn indicators.

And for greater differentiation from the S, both the GT-Line and GT models have their own body kits, badging and dual exhaust tips.

This includes a revised lower front air intake and a new and sharper ‘tiger nose’ grille design. On the S it’s finished in satin silver but on the GT-Line and GT there is a gloss black insert.

Australian engineers recalibrate the suspension to suit Australia’s unique conditions, with the GT getting bespoke sports suspension tuning. All models are front-wheel drive.

The Kia Picanto S and GT-Line are powered by a 62kW/122Nm 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, while the GT uses a 74kW/172Nm 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol.

If you enjoy driving a manual, a five-speed version is available in all three models, but if you prefer letting the transmission do the shifting for you, only the S and GT-Line are offered with a four-speed auto.

If my wallet was the dictating factor in the purchase decision, I’d opt for the Kia Picanto S, with an auto transmission for ease of driving and future resale value.

But if the piggy bank was overflowing, I’d head straight to the GT model with its snazzy looks, sporty interior and pocket rocket performance.

Talk about fun on a budget…

How much does the Kia Picanto cost?
S 1.2 manual – $15,990
S 1.2 automatic – $17,590
GT-Line 1.2 manual – $17,440
GT-Line 1.2 automatic – $19,040
GT Turbo 1.0T manual – $20,490
*Prices exclude on-road costs