Kia Picanto review: what the car critics say

With an eye on rivalling the success of the Volkswagen Up! GTI, Kia has redesigned its smallest and cheapest car, the Picanto, and added a turbocharged GT-Line S version to the line-up, said The Daily Telegraph. “It’s a recipe as old as time, but it works. Take a small car, sling in an engine from a bigger one, add sporty bits on the outside, and serve.” In this case, the result is a great, spacious car that is undeniably a lot of fun.

The Picanto is a “good-looking, dinky thing”, said Autocar, if a bit top-heavy from some angles. There are lots of options for paint colours and it has a sporty interior trim. The kit inside is also impressively generous for a small car: Kia’s latest infotainment system – complete with an 8in screen and smartphone mirroring – comes as standard, and there are plenty of physical buttons alongside the screen.

If you need to get about in anything approaching a rush, you’ll want the turbo 99bhp “monster”, which gets you from 0-60mph in 9.9 seconds, said Top Gear Magazine. The 66bhp version only manages 14.1 seconds. The turbo option can also be paired with a five-speed manual gearbox. The steering is sharp, and city driving in the Picanto is “a bit of a blast”. For a first car, or just one needed as a “runabout”, you can’t go far wrong here. UK price from about £9,250.

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Kia Picanto: in pictures