Kia Picanto review (2017 - 2025)
Kia Picanto cars for sale
4.0
Expert review
Pros
Decent-sized boot for a city car
Long warranty from new
Low running costs
Cons
Ride could be smoother
No electric version
Entry-level 1 trim lacks key equipment
The CarGurus verdict
Kia has put together a cracking small car in this latest Picanto, and it ticks plenty of boxes for customers. We’d avoid the entry-level models, but go for a 3 trim or higher and you’ll have a well-equipped and comfortable supermini that drives well and looks good, too. On top of that, you’ll have the peace of mind from Kia’s brilliant seven-year warranty, and running costs should be very affordable as well.
There are cars that do some things better, such as the Hyundai i10 and Volkswagen Up, but you can legitimately argue that they’re not the complete package that Kia can offer.
What is the Kia Picanto?
The city car market can be a tricky one to get right, because buyers are looking for amazing value without sacrificing basic creature comforts and safety – and they also like cars that are fun to drive. The Picanto is Kia’s effort, and it takes on accomplished rivals such as the Hyundai i10 and the Volkswagen Up, as well as affordable alternatives including the Suzuki Celerio, the Citroen C1, and the Toyota Aygo.
This is the third generation Picanto, which went on sale in the UK in early 2017. It’s a funky looking thing, and there’s a wide choice of trim levels and several decent engines.
This generation of Picanto has received two facelifts within its lifecycle, the first in 2020 and the second in 2024. These are designed to give the car a new lease of life via updated styling and upgraded trims.
How practical is it?
By city car standards, the Picanto's interior is spacious and comfortable, while the build quality is solid, which isn’t always the case for cars at this price point.
We wish the steering column adjusted for reach as well as height, but otherwise there’s a good range of movement in the driving position. Space for adults is decent, with good headroom in the back, but some rivals have more legroom.
The 255-litre boot is one of the largest in the class and, if you fold down the rear seats, it increases to 1,010 litres. Higher-spec models such as the GT-Line S and X-Line models have an adjustable boot floor that makes for an almost flat loading surface, but you can’t get it on the other models.
What's it like to drive?
The Picanto's ride quality could be a bit smoother, especially when compared to the latest Hyundai i10, but it's comfortable enough and stays composed through the bends. The steering gives you confidence in the corners, but it’s light enough for easy manoeuvring in town. That said the Picanto isn’t quite as much fun as Volkswagen’s Up, or the virtually-identical Seat Mii and Skoda Citigo.
Early cars were available with a choice of two engines. A 66bhp 1.0-litre unit, which does the job around town but is rather underpowered for motorway journeys. The 1.25-litre engine with 83bhp is much better, and a far superior all-rounder. A third option – a 99bhp turbocharged 1.0-litre T-GDi petrol engine – was introduced at the end of 2017. It’s a much better performer, but it’s also more expensive and was not carried over as part of the 2024 facelift
Most Picantos have with a five-speed manual gearbox, which can make the engine a bit noisy at motorway speeds. There is also a four-speed automatic version on pre-2024 facelift models, or an automated manual after the facelift.
There’s no electric version of the Picanto, so in this respect, it lags behind the Volkswagen e-Up, the Seat Mii Electric, and the Skoda Citigo-e iV – and even the similarly-sized but much more expensive Honda E.
Technology, equipment & infotainment
There were five trim levels available when the Picanto was launched in 2017. The entry-level model was the 1, which has 14-inch steel wheels, tinted windows, and automatic headlights, as well as Bluetooth and a USB socket, but it lacked some of the more up-to-date infotainment features. The 2 added 14-inch alloy wheels and electric door mirrors, as well as manual air conditioning.
Upgrade to the 3 and you’ll get 15-inch alloys, automatic air-con, and cruise control, as well as a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with a DAB radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for smartphone connectivity, as well as satnav.
GT-Line models are decorated by red, silver, and black bits on the outside, as well as 16-inch wheels and revised bumpers, and you get black and red faux leather seats inside. GT-Line S adds a wireless phone charger and an electric sunroof, as well as keyless start and heated front seats. In 2018, an X-Line model was added, with chunky, SUV-inspired bodywork and 16-inch alloy wheels.
As of the 2024 facelift, the model lineup was simplified to 2, 3, GT Line and GT Line S specifications. All come with an 8-inch infotainment system as standard, and 3 trim and above also includes automatic climate control instead of more basic air-conditioning.
Kia Picanto running costs
On paper, the 1.0-litre MPi engine has a slightly better fuel economy than the 1.25-litre, with official fuel consumption figures of 64.2mpg and 61.4mpg respectively. But as you need to work the smaller engine much harder to make progress outside of town, we suspect there won’t be much -if any - real-world difference. The 1.0-litre T-GDi engine has an official MPG figure of 55.4.
Insurance premiums should be very affordable, as the Picanto sits between insurance groups 1 and 11 of 50. For more information, check out our guide to the cheapest cars to insure.
The Picanto requires servicing every year or 10,000 miles. Kia offers servicing packages which are transferable between owners.
Kia Picanto reliability
Kia has developed a great reputation for reliability in recent years. The Picanto is helped by its excellent seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty, which is the best in the class by some margin; most rivals offer three- or five-year warranties.
The Picanto finished 8th out of the 18 models featured in the small car class of the 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey, and Kia as a brand also placed 8th of the 32 car-makers included in the same survey.
That said, a trawl of online forums does reveal several owners having issues with juddering clutches, particularly during cold weather, so that’s something to watch for when you test drive a used car.
- Keep an eye out for special edition Picantos if you want something a bit different. The Picanto Wave was unveiled in 2019, with a turbocharged 1.0-litre T-GDi engine, snazzy Celestial Blue paint, and denim-like upholstery on the seats. You also get 15-inch alloy wheels and aircon, as well as a reversing camera and the seven-inch touchscreen system with a wireless phone charger. In the same year, the Picanto Titanium Edition was launched, aimed at younger buyers. It featured silver metallic paint, 15-inch alloys, and black faux-leather upholstery. In 2020, the entry-level Picanto Zest was released, with the 66bhp 1.0-litre engine, Lime paint, and 15-inch alloys.
- The Picanto was updated in 2020, with some exterior design tweaks, including a new front end for the GT-Line and X-Line models. The infotainment screen was enlarged to eight inches and several new safety systems were added. Cars with the 1.0-litre engines were sold with four seats rather than five, although that didn’t apply to the X-Line model.
- The lower prices of 1 models are tempting, but we recommend you start your search for a Picanto with the 2 trim level. Apart from the earliest models, it’s the first car in the range that gets a proper infotainment system, and you also get a reversing camera and rear parking sensors. You also get an automatic emergency braking system, which lower spec cars lack.
- If you’re on a budget: The entry-level 1 trim level is the cheapest to buy, but it’s pretty spartan in terms of equipment with no air-conditioning or a proper infotainment system. We suspect that the 2 model will be a more sensible option in the long term, when you factor in desirability at resale time.
- If you want all the toys: The GT-Line S model is as fully loaded with equipment as a Picanto will get. It was quite pricey when new – too pricey to really recommend in fact – but if you can find a used one at a reasonable cost, it’ll keep you suitably pampered. Features include an electric sunroof and heated front seats, which is pretty fancy for a small city car.
- If you want the best fuel economy: The best official fuel consumption comes from the 1.0-litre MPi engine, and if your journeys are mostly confined to around town then this is the one to go for. However, if you do regular motorway or A-road journeys, you’ll find you need to work the engine hard to make good progress, which could mean that the almost-as-frugal 1.25-litre engine will be a better bet.
- If you fancy yourself as an off-roader: To be absolutely clear, none of the Kia Picanto range is designed to go off-road. But if you like the vibe of SUVs, then the Picanto X-Line might appeal, with its rugged and chunky styling evoking dreams of clambering over rough terrain and exploring the wild. But it’s just for style, so seriously, don’t take it away from the Tarmac.
