Reviewing the most affordable Kia in South Africa – This one is hard to beat

Kia recently updated the Picanto with a stylish new design and a slightly improved specification sheet, turning what was already an easily recommendable city car for buyers on a budget into a must-recommend.

A week in the entry-level Picanto LX, selling for R260,995, proved you don’t need to shell out your life’s savings and then some to get a dependable commuter with decent amenities.

Igniting a love for small cars

The new design of the Picanto is a home run in my opinion, it appeals to a wider audience than the rounded proportions of its predecessor and lends the hatchback a rather premium persona.

Compared to the old Picanto, the new one sports a revised “tiger nose” grille, larger and more angular headlights, an aggressive-looking front bumper, and squared-off taillamps connected by an edge-to-edge light strip.

This LX model rolls around on 14-inch steel wheels with styled plastic covers, the benefit of which is that they will be rather affordable to replace if they pick up damage on the country’s tattered roads.

The Picanto is small, very small.

It measures just 3,595mm long, 1,595mm wide, and 1,495mm tall. Drivers in bigger cars therefore don’t give you the same respect they do other SUVs and 4x4s, but where it plays into your advantage is with manoeuvrability in parking lots and tight streets.

Apart from this, the cabin of the Picanto offers more than enough room for up to four passengers, and I didn’t even have to put the seat right at the back of the rail like I’ve had to in the past in other small hatchbacks.

Another benefit is that it comes standard with height adjustment for the driver’s throne, which does wonders for headroom.

At first inspection, boot space seems just shy of naught, however, I found it to be more generous than meets the eye.

A decently sized travel bag and hand luggage for an overseas trip fit comfortably after removing the parcel cover, with space left for a few other knick-knacks. Want more? The backseat can be folded down to open up 1,010 litres of packing space.

Buyers of the LX are spoiled with a selection of nice-to-haves comprising remote central locking, all-electric windows, manual aircon, four speakers, a multi-information driver’s display, and a “floating” 8.0-inch infotainment screen providing wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, Bluetooth, a reverse camera, voice commands, and two USB ports.

Interior finishes are impressive for a car in this price bracket, with the Picanto sporting two-tone cloth upholstery with a fashionable diamond pattern, a multifunction steering wheel and gear lever wrapped in leather, illuminated USB ports, oval aircon vents, and a silver inset in the dash.

The buttons and controls are firm and the doors close with a reassuring thud, sealing you off from the outside world pretty well.

Having gotten used to cars with automatic lighting by now, I also appreciated that the Picanto’s lights turn themselves off when the engine is shut down even if they’re still switched on at the stalk so as to not drain the battery while you’re away, meaning I didn’t have to ask passersby for a jumpstart when I came back to it later. Not speaking out of experience, promise…

Occupant safety is then covered by two front airbags, ABS, and Isofix child-seat anchors.

The LX is the only Picanto equipped with a 1.0-litre petrol mill as the pricier variants get a 1.2-litre unit.

In this entry-level option, it is paired with a five-speed manual transmission and generates 49kW and 95Nm.

The engine is no powerhouse as I found myself being at full throttle far more than usual just to keep up with traffic; it gets up to freeway speeds easily enough but not much happens after 120km/h, which I suppose is a good thing.

The liberal use of the accelerator didn’t particularly impact fuel usage, either. My week ended at an average of 5.1l/100km after 458km on the roads, a fraction above Kia’s claimed 5.0l/100km, with 60km of range left in the 35-litre tank.

To be frank, the compact Kia is a hoot to drive despite its dense dimensions. It has character aplenty and perhaps the only thing you must sacrifice is cargo room.

In its defense, it’s pitched as a commuter rather than a grand tourer, so this can be forgiven.

As a budget-friendly set of wheels, the new Picanto with its up-to-date aesthetics and solid build quality is hard to beat in the current market landscape. 

Kia Picanto LX