Kia Picanto Review
Published: 25th April 2005
Kia Picanto
How It Looks - Interior
Kia has paid great attention to the interior design of the Picanto. The styling and quality of materials are all in keeping with the car. We liked the added touch of the leather steering wheel and gear stick knob on the 1.1 SE we were driving. The edges of the glove compartment were a little rough to the touch, although that might have been a problem with our test car. The seat trim was of a high quality, a twin tone orange/charcoal nylon fabric which should prove durable. The colour scheme was carried across to the door panels, which we particularly liked and would not have been out of place in a more expensive car.
Overall, the interior is packaged well considering the price and is up to European car standards. Therefore, we are going to award the interior four and half stars.
In Car Entertainment and Satellite Navigation
In this day and age, we would prefer to see an integrated stereo that is less prone to theft. Kia has sadly has opted for an aftermarket JVC unit in our car although does it play back MP3's. Therefore, if you can write out CD's on your own computer you have a CD duke box, which can store 100 or so tracks on one disc. Sound quality was fine for a car of this class and the front panel can be removed to help to prevent theft. We should also point out that we were impressed by the six speakers system.
Rivals
- Chevrolet Matiz, Citroen C1, Daihatsu Sirion, FIAT Panda, Hyundai Getz, Mazda2, Peugeot 107, Suzuki Alto, Toyota Ago and Vauxhall Agila
What We Liked
- The Price
- ABS brakes with EBD as standard across the range
- Air Conditioning
- Remote Central Locking
What We Disliked
- The front grille
What We'd Like To See
We would like to see Kia introduce a 5-year warranty like Hyundai. In fact if the Picanto had a 5 year warranty other small car manufacturers would simply give up - the Picanto really is that good. The standard comprehensive warranty offers 3 years unlimited mileage cover, which is not to be sniffed at. They have also included 3 years roadside assistance; in the unlikely event that you should need it.
Of course, we would like to see ESP (electronic stability programme) and side airbags as standard or even as options to keep the purchase price down. Although we are firm believes that safety should be standard.
