Kia Picanto Review 2024

True city cars are becoming something of a rarity as manufacturers move away from small models with small profit margins. Thankfully, the Kia Picanto is still here and updated for 2024, offering a great option for drivers who want a compact car. It’s more affordable than the Toyota Aygo X or its stablemate the Hyundai i10 too.

Kia has facelifted the Picanto for 2024, and while a lot has stayed the same, the most obvious difference compared to the earlier incarnation of the car is the front end. Borrowing some of the design cues of the Kia EV9, the new Picanto has a much more distinctive look. Elsewhere, Kia's opted to streamline the choice of trims, consolidate the engine range and add more features as standard, which we'll cover in our Kia Picanto review. 

Cabin space is the area where the Kia Picanto really impresses. The front is more than capable of accommodating tall drivers and passengers, while the rear is roomy for more than just kids.

Boot capacity is limited, but the Kia Picanto still manages to be more spacious than key rivals such as the Toyota Aygo X, Hyundai i10 and Fiat 500.

As a compact city car, the Kia Picanto has a simple engine line-up focused on efficiency. Two engines are currently available - 62PS 1.0-litre, three-cylinder motor with a choice of five-speed manual or automatic gearboxes, or a slightly more powerful 78PS 1.2-litre, four-cylinder engine that only available on the high-end GT-Line S. 

Although these engines may not be quick, official combined fuel economy figures are 54.3mpg and 51.4mpg respectively.

Adding to the Kia Picanto’s overall level of enjoyment is its agile handling. The steering is light and precise, making it easy to thread through city streets. The pay-off is a firmer ride quality than other city cars, but it will be comfortable enough for most drivers.

For 2024 Kia has reduced its range of trim levels, with the range starting at mid-tier 2 specification. The basic 1 specification has been dropped from the range. Choosing GT-Line spec brings sportier styling to the Kia Picanto.

Standard equipment levels throughout the Kia Picanto range are good, with even the basic 2 model benefiting from an 8.0-inch touchscreen, daytime running lights, rear parking sensors, rear camera, steering wheel-mounted controls and Bluetooth audio streaming. 

Even if the market for city cars may be shrinking, the Kia Picanto remains a great example of why they can be so effective. Fun to drive, spacious, ideal as a new driver’s car, and still backed by a seven-year warranty, the Kia Picanto is a top choice.

Fancy a second opinion? Read heycar’s Kia Picanto review.

The Kia Picanto doesn’t weigh a great deal compared to most cars and as a result, it is easy and fun to drive whatever trim level is chosen.

Its low weight makes it genuinely agile and nimble around town, with pleasingly precise steering.

Even away from the urban environment, the Kia Picanto manages to be enjoyable, whizzing along country roads despite the limited horsepower on offer.

This engaging handling is partly enabled by a firmer ride than you’ll find on most other city cars.

You are more aware of more bumps in the road, but never to the point of being uncomfortable. Even models with larger 16-inch alloy wheels remain compliant, but the tautness is more noticeable.

The Kia Picanto range is served by a 1.0-litre naturally aspirated three-cylinder engine. Producing 62PS and 93Nm of torque, this will be sufficient for urban driving needs.

A 0-62mph time of 15.4 seconds with the standard five-speed manual gearbox is on par with the Kia Picanto’s city car rivals. A five-speed automated manual gearbox can be combined with the 1.0-litre engine on certain trim levels. It changes gear slowly, and without much refinement, making it difficult to recommend.

Opting for the automatic also sees the 0-62mph time increase to 18.2 seconds - a time quite at odds with the GT-Line styling that the engine is available with.

The GT-Line S is available with a more powerful 78PS 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine, but while it's a bit smoother at higher speeds, it's not quite a match for the 100PS 1.0-litre T-GDi turbo engine that was available before the 2024 facelift. 

The third-generation Kia Picanto was assessed by the Euro NCAP safety organisation when it was first launched in 2017.

It was awarded three stars in standard form, but upgraded to four stars with the optional safety pack. The latter included autonomous emergency braking, which is now fitted to all models as standard.

It means you can consider the updated Kia Picanto to be a four-star car, albeit one tested under an older Euro NCAP protocol.

All versions of the Kia Picanto come with multiple airbags, forward collision avoidance assist and electronic stability control.

Due to the diminutive size of the Kia Picanto, the car has not been rated for towing trailers of any size. One of Kia’s larger hatchback or SUV offerings will be more suitable if towing is on your agenda.

Although the Kia Picanto measures just 3595mm in length, it manages to squeeze in a surprising amount of space.

In the front, the Kia Picanto is more than accommodating for two adults. There is enough leg and headroom to get comfortable, even if it can’t quite compare with small hatchbacks from the next class up. Kia has not forgotten about storage either, with various cupholders and cubbies to keep hold of important items.

In the rear of the Kia Picanto, space is more limited, but not to the point that adults won’t fit. Legroom will feel tight if there are taller passengers up front, but headroom is never an issue.

Due to the limited size of the Kia Picanto, and its generous passenger space, boot capacity is modest but competitive. With the rear seats in place, the Kia Picanto can accommodate 255 litres of luggage. This is similar to the Volkswagen Up and Hyundai i10, and more than the Toyota Aygo X.

Folding the rear seats down, with a standard 60:40 split, boosts luggage space to 1,010 litres.

The Kia Picanto may be built to a price, but that has not resulted in an interior that looks and feels completely bargain basement. In fact, there are some neat touches that make the cabin appear more expensive than it actually is.

Although there are not many soft-touch plastics, the materials used feel solid and seemingly built to last. Fancier trim levels bring extra hints of colour to brighten the interior, with the top-spec GT-Line models benefiting from faux leather upholstery.

For 2024 and Kia has standardised a lot of the infotainment kit that comes with the Picanto. This means that all cars from the entry-level Picanto 2 and up benefit from an eight-inch central touchscreen. This brings Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity to the party, along with a reversing camera display (and parking sensors). It is quick and easy to use, unlike the frustrating systems found in rival city cars.

Navigation is also now standard (something that was only available on Picanto 3 trim cars and above previously), as well as seven years of Kia Connect online services and a four speaker stereo system.

All versions of the Kia Picanto have a 4.2-inch monochrome Supervision Cluster Display, mounted between the conventional instrument gauges. This provides information on fuel economy and the car status as required.

If you're looking at a used entry-level Kia Picanto 1, you can expect a tiny 3.8-inch monochrome display instead of the larger eight-inch screen. This includes Bluetooth connectivity and a USB input, but it works with just two speakers. 

With the basic Kia Picanto 1 no longer available as a new option, the most affordable Picanto is the Picanto 2 that starts at £15,595. That's only £35 less than the Hyundai i10 in entry-level Advance trim that has a few more little luxuries. 

At the top of the scale, the Kia Picanto GT-Line S is just shy of £18,500 at the time of writing. Again, a little less than a Hyundai i10 N Line, but the later enjoys a more powerful 90PS engine compared to the Picanto GT-Line S. 

City cars are typically bought with budget motoring in mind, and the Kia Picanto should satisfy those who need to stretch each pound.

The naturally aspirated 1.0-litre petrol engine hardly majors on horsepower, but it can deliver when it comes to fuel economy.

Versions equipped with the five-speed manual gearbox can officially average up to 54.3mpg in entry-level 2 trim. Picking the five-speed automated manual transmission has no impact on fuel economy officially. 

How realistic are the official fuel consumption figures? Be sure to read our Real MPG submissions for the Kia Picanto, with feedback from owners who actually run these cars.

Insuring a Kia Picanto should also be gentle on your bank account. The range goes from groups 1 to 5, although oddly the most basic 1 version is the model that sits in the highest insurance bracket.

As with other Kia models, the Kia Picanto comes with one of the best warranties offered by any car manufacturer. The famous seven-year or 100,000-mile package is comprehensive, and gives substantial peace of mind to those buying a Kia Picanto for the longer term.

For such a small car, the Kia Picanto model range is extensive, helping buyers find a balance between price and comfort. However, Kia has simplified the range for the 2024 facelift, whittling it down to four trims.

The entry-level model in the range is now the Kia Picanto 2, and is pretty comprehensively spec'd. You get 14-inch alloy wheels, manual air-conditioning, electric front and rear windows, electrically adjustable side mirrors and premium black cloth upholstery for the seats. There's now a 8-inch touchscreen as standard, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a 4.2-inch digital drivers display. There's also a four-speaker stereo, rear parking sensors and reversing camera system, while the steering wheel and gear lever are wrapped in leather.

The Kia Picanto GT-Line is next in the price range. On the outside, GT-Line brings 16-inch alloy wheels, bespoke GT-Line bumpers, privacy glass, LED daytime running lights, LED tail lights and projection headlights. Inside and highlights include black and grey artificial leather upholstery and an extra USB charging port in the rear.

Although the Kia Picanto 3 does without the sporty styling, it benefits from much of the GT-Line’s extra equipment. It also comes with climate control air-con, chrome exterior door handles, rear parking sensors and cruise control. On top of this there is also the added luxury of heated seats, a heated steering wheel and a wireless mobile phone charger. 

Sitting at the top of the range is the Kia Picanto GT-Line S, though it's no longer powered by the 1.0 T-GDi engine. Instead its the only trim on the current range that's available with the 77PS 1.2-litre petrol engine, and while it's borrowed the same sporty bodykit as the GT-Line, it also gets a snazzy sunroof as well. 

If you're looking to buy used, the Kia Picanto 1 is the starting point for the line-up. It is basic, with 14-inch steel wheels, black cloth upholstery and a two-speaker audio system linked to a 3.8-inch monochrome radio. However, there is still Bluetooth audio streaming, automatic headlight control, remote central locking and front electric windows.

Then there's the SUV-inspired Kia Picanto X-Line S, which can be identified by its bespoke front and rear bumpers, bringing an off-road style to the compact city car. On the inside, the faux leather seats are heated, as is the steering wheel, while there is also wireless smartphone charging.