Kia Picanto - TopCarNews

Kia Picanto (2017 – present) | Expert Rating [hide]

Summary

The Kia Picanto is a city car five-door hatchback, closely related to the Hyundai i10. The current model was launched in the middle of 2017 and is the third generation model to wear the Picanto name.

The latest Picanto is considered a significant improvement over its predecessor, reflecting Kia’s progression from a budget brand that competed purely on price to a mainstream brand that rivals established European manufacturers.

The Kia Picanto has received an unusually broad variation of review scores from the UK motoring media, ranging from full marks and a “City Car of the Year” award from What Car? to a very poor score and “Don’t Buy” recommendation from rival Which?. The GT-Line models have also tended to receive better scores than the more basic models, which don’t get the same level of safety equipment.

The Picanto has received praise for its praticality, interior quality and driving dynamics. However, it has been criticised for its poor three-star safety rating (four stars with the extra safety pack), which falls well short of the five-star rating from several of its rivals.

In its 2021 owners’ survey, What Car? rated the Picanto third in its list of the least reliable small cars.

Key specifications

Body style: Small five-door hatchEngines: petrol, diesel
Price: From £9,895 on-road

Launched: Spring 2017Last updated: Summer 2018
Replacement due: TBA

Image gallery

Media reviews

Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

The Car Expert

Score: 8.2 / 10“The new Kia Picanto is improved in all areas and remains a top contender in the city car market.”
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Auto Express

Model reviewed: Mk3Score: 8 / 10“The Kia Picanto Mk3 builds on the stylish design of the Picanto Mk2, but with a higher quality and better equipped interior, more space, a grown-up driving experience and extra personalisation.”
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Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“The Kia Picanto city car has plenty of kit and offers a grown-up drive to go with its sporty looks.”
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Auto Trader

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“While its compact dimensions, light controls and tight turning circle ensure it’s a doddle to drive around town and park in the tightest of spaces, the Kia Picanto is also an impressively stable car on the motorway, making it feel considerably more grown up than many of its rivals.”
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Autocar

Model reviewed: 1.0 DPi AMT 2021Score: 7 / 10“The Kia Picanto is a pleasingly well-rounded and charming value offering.”
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Model reviewed: Range reviewScore: 8 / 10“The GT Line’s sports styling may be a bit over-the-top for more mature buyers but will more likely be approved of by the twenty-something clientele that Kia is directly courting.”
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Model reviewed: 1.0-litre T-GDI manual GT-LineScore: 8 / 10“Whether or not the racy aesthetics of this flagship model are enough for the Picanto to shake off its rather anodyne image remains to be seen. But its spacious and well-made interior, punchy engine and sorted driving dynamics mean that, cost aside, this is a very capable city car.”
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Car

Model reviewed: 1.0-litre petrol manual 2Score: 6 / 10“The Kia Picanto has all the makings of an excellent city car. It’s small, nimble, cheap to run and punches well above its weight for refinement and standard equipment on higher-trim cars.”
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Model reviewed: 1.2-litre petrol manual GT-LineScore: 8 / 10“City-dwellers are spoiled for choice in the current small car market. Working in the Kia Picanto’s favour are an enjoyable driving experience, a practical, well-made interior and a strong ownership proposition.”
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Carbuyer

Model reviewed: Range reviewScore: 8.4 / 10“The Kia Picanto is more polished and practical than ever before.”
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Carwow

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 7 / 10“The Kia Picanto looks great, costs peanuts to run and has a generous boot, but other city cars are better at carrying rear passengers and less strained on motorways.”
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Heycar

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 9 / 10“The Kia Picanto is a compact city car with a spicy attitude and styling, but a sensible approach to practicality and interior design. It’s available as a five-door hatch with space for five, and a line-up of little petrol engines. It’s a brilliant all-rounder and one of the best in its class.”
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Honest John

Model reviewed: Range reviewScore: 10 / 10“If you want a small, fun, affordable car the Kia Picanto is probably the next best thing after a Volkswagen Up. The Picanto is fun to drive, affordably priced, cheap to run and does everything you’d hope a small car should do.”
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“The 2017 Kia Picanto is a bit special. So what have they done to make the car so good? Partly a new electric motor-assisted steering that replaces the rather dead and wooden system in the previous Picanto. And partly some clever rear suspension work.”
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Parkers

Model reviewed: Range reviewScore: 8.2 / 10“Kia’s smallest car has big style and kit”
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The Telegraph

Model reviewed: Range reviewScore: 8 / 10“With the latest Picanto, Kia has seriously closed the gap on the Hyundai i10 and Volkswagen Up.”
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Top Gear

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 7 / 10“Another string to Kia’s ever more impressive bow, the Picanto is a fun and interesting city car.”
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What Car?

Model reviewed: Range reviewScore: 10 / 10“The Kia Picanto is one of the very best city cars, with a smart interior, tidy handling and decent practicality.”
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Which?

Model reviewed: Range review“Certain versions of the Kia Picanto only have a three-star Euro NCAP rating, so we can’t recommend them. Otherwise, the Picanto is a surprisingly good-to-drive little runabout with plenty of equipment and some sophisticated technology.” Rated a DON’T BUY.
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Safety rating

Independent crash testing and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

Overall rating: 3 stars
Date tested: September 2017

79%

ADULT OCCUPANT

64%

CHILD OCCUPANT

54%

VULNERABLE ROAD USERS

25%

SAFETY ASSIST

Read full Euro NCAP review

Note on safety rating

The Kia Picanto received a three-star safety rating from Euro NCAP in standard specification, which is how the car is sold in the UK as the ‘1’ and ‘2’ spec models.

Standard on ‘3’ spec and upwards, and optional on ‘2’ spec models, is extra safety kit that upgrades the Picanto’s safety rating to four stars.

Eco rating

Independent emissions and efficiency ratings from Green NCAP

No eco rating

The Kia Picanto has not been lab tested by Green NCAP. This is a new initiative, launched in 2018 as a sister organisation to Euro NCAP, and only a few cars have do far been assessed.

Awards

Trophies, prizes and awards that the Kia Picanto has received

2021

Company Car Awards – Best City Car

2020

What Car? Awards – Best Value Car
Auto Express Driver Power – Best City Car

2019

What Car? Awards – City Car of the Year
News UK Motor Awards – Value Car of the Year
Auto Express Driver Power – Best City Car

2018

What Car? Awards – Best City Car
Fleet World Honours – Best City Car
Red Dot Awards – Car Design award
iF Design Awards – Product Design awards

2017

Carbuyer Awards – Best Car for less than £150 a month
Car Tech Awards – Most User-Friendly Car

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