PIC OF THE BUNCH?
Despite the massive strides Kia have made in recent years, there are still a fair quotient of potential customers who view the marque in rather outdated terms. The Picanto citycar may be just the vehicle to change a few perceptions, offering as it does a resolutely modern take on metropolitan motoring. Cheeky, cheap and distinctive, the Picanto nails at least two of Kia???s ???young, sporty and friendly??? brand aspirations.
In many respects, the Picanto indicates Kia???s maturity as a vehicle manufacturer. Take a look at many of the South East Asian car makers??? wares and you???ll notice a recurrent theme. The engines tend to be horribly inefficient in terms of emissions, old fashioned technology meaning that the average Korean or Malaysian family hatch tends to pump out the same level of emissions as a German executive car. The Picanto changes all that, a combination of light weight and improved engineering meaning that it???s a responsible citizen. Two engines are available, a 65bhp 1.1-litre unit and a 61bhp 1.0-litre powerplant that emits a creditable 118g/km of carbon dioxide. This makes it one of the cleanest petrol engined citycars its possible to buy.
The styling is pleasantly contemporary too, although the Picanto???s ???face??? appears to wear a permanently shocked expression. Designer Kang Lee aimed to give the car a distinctive look and although there are elements of the design that shout Toyota, that in itself is no bad thing. The front end features those big headlamps with multi-focus reflectors as well as a trapezoid front grille. The rear is dominated by a large curved glass screen and some very large light clusters. The chunky utility styling gives the Picanto a substantial look that???s a welcome relief to some of the rather insubstantial looking rivals in its class. It certainly feels a good deal better screwed together than, say, a Daihatsu Charade although those customers looking for a big car feel will doubtless shell out the extra for a Fiat Panda.
As befits a car with a high roofline, front headroom is an impressive 1,003mm up front and 996mm in the rear which means that there???s ample space for taller drivers. Front legroom is also very good thanks to the compact engines with 1,041mm up front and up to 872mm in the rear. Shoulder room is very good front and rear although this is a car that you may not want to travel in five up. With 19 storage areas dotted about the cabin, Kia have done their homework when it comes to sheer utility, learning lessons from their huge selling Sedona and Carens MPV range.
It would be unreasonable to expect a huge amount of luggage space given the car???s urban remit, and the 157 litres of available room won???t make the Picanto your first choice for a trip to IKEA. Fold the seats flat and there???s a reasonable 882 litres of space but you???ll struggle for length. The 60/40 split rear seat back offers a little extra carrying space if you???re travelling with three on board. Three different two-tone trims are available for the cabin, black/silver, black/orange and black/blue. A fairly rudimentary manual temperature control system is fitted as standard although there is an optional air conditioning system (but quite what running this on full blast does to the car???s acceleration remains to be seen). Prices start from around the ??6,000 mark and most Picantos are fitted with electric windows and mirrors with remote central locking for all four doors and the tailgate.
Although 65bhp may not sound a whole hill of beans, it???s a fair amount for such a small car and is enough to give the 1.1-litre Picanto a modest turn of speed. It???ll get to 60mph in 15.2 seconds and run on to a top speed of 95mph. While this may make the cut and thrust of the British motorway system something of a white knuckle ride, it???s perfectly adequate for city motoring and with its 35 litre fuel tank will manage up to 435 miles between refuels. Given the typically short journeys that many citycars undertake, the staff in your local petrol station are unlikely to be on first name terms with you. A five speed manual transmission is supplied as standard but if you???re really serious about city driving you may well be tempted by the four-speed automatic option. The 1.0-litre engine is only slightly slower but isn???t offered with a choice of an automatic box. The modest trim level line-up stretches from GS to LS.
Kia have developed a miniature fully independent suspension system that aims to deliver both zippy handling and a reasonable compliant ride and has been tuned to cope with typical poorly surfaced European roads. Based on a shortened Hyundai Getz chassis, the steering is fairly quick witted and the wheels are diddy 14-inch numbers fitted with tall 165/65 series rubber. Kia haven???t cut any corners when it comes to safety, the Picanto featuring not only anti lock brakes but load sensitive electronic brake force distribution as well that directs braking power to whichever tyre can best deploy it. ABS and EBD can only do so much if the brakes themselves aren???t up to the task, but rather unusually for this class of car, the Picanto features disc brakes all round. It???s also equipped with steel side impact protection beams in the doors, reinforced rear bumpers, child locks on the rear pair of doors and five three-point seat belts. Twin airbags come as standard and side airbags can also be specified at extra cost. Security hasn???t been ignored either, the Picanto being fitted with an engine immobiliser and remote releases for the tailgate and fuel filler cap. There???s also an optional keyless entry and anti theft alarm.
Maybe it???s about time Kia cracked the European market properly. The company will, after all, celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2004 and is among the world???s fastest growing automotive companies. The Picanto can only strengthen this industrial giant???s aim to be a Top 5 global car manufacturer by 2010. If you equate South East Asian cars with cheap yestertech, it may well be you who needs their drivers updated.
Models within this range: CARENS, CEED, MAGENTIS, PICANTO, PRO CEED, RIO, SEDONA, SORENTO, SOUL, SPORTAGE.