I have an ambivalent impression of the size.
It's the Kia Picanto I'm talking about. When I got behind the wheel for the first time, I had a headache not the feeling of sitting in one of the smallest cars on the market. I am 1,88. I like to sit low, but not with straight arms. The seat provides OK support for the body. I have a good overview and good space around me.
Outside the car, however, - after parking next to a Golf - I got a completely different impression. When I saw the Picanto next to the Golf, I thought: "Oh, how small it is!". When I was driving around in a Fiat 500 earlier this year, I never thought about this. The Fiat 500 looks like a minicar both when standing alone and together with other cars. The Kia Picanto, on the other hand, gives the impression of being a grown-up car when it stands alone. It has a more bulging look than the Fiat 500. More square, sort of. It is only when I compare with other cars that I see the real size ratio.
Kia has managed to get a lot of space out of a three and a half meter car, but it can never be more than it is on paper. This means, for example, that two long-legged people cannot sit behind each other without having to give up legroom. It also means that you have to fold down one of the back seats when you have to carry luggage. It had to jeg when I had bought mineral water and beer for the Christmas weekend.
40 large Coke bottles in the luggage
When I had bought beer and mineral water for Christmas, I had space for 10 4-packs of 1,5-litre Pepsi Max. To make room for all the other bottles of Farris, Fanta, Coca-Cola and beer of various kinds, I had to fold down one of the back seats. As in other small cars, you have to lower the headrest or push the passenger seat forward for the seatback to drop completely down. I didn't get a completely flat floor, but still room for large things, such as a suitcase.
Behind the wheel, I noticed how easy the steering was when I maneuvered at parking speed. The steering servo is obviously speed-sensitive. It suited me well on a shopping trip. The brakes came with a light press on the pedal. The Picanto is easy to drive, and it took me efficiently through the hectic pre-Christmas traffic. The sound image is like that of the competitors. When you accelerate slightly from a standstill, you hear the harsh uncultivated engine sound that is so typical of 3-cylinder engines. At speed, the soundscape is mostly characterized by road hiss.
The Kia Picanto has recently come in a new edition. The most important upgrades are a completely new dashboard with a better infotainment department, a larger luggage compartment as well as exterior changes in line with Kia's new design line. However, it has the same powertrain and the same external dimensions as "my" Picanto, the outgoing model with the internal designation SR7. In 2015, it received a facelift. Only small changes in the lower part of the front part and the back part, and a couple of small things on the dashboard.
Security
Both Kia Picanto and VW Up! was tested by NCAP in 2011. Both got roughly equally good results. In the report Kia gets credit for the fact that the rear side door on the crash test opened in the lightest of the side crash tests, but remained closed in the other tests. It also appears that rear seat passengers have only marginal protection against whiplash damage, especially in the back seat.
Safety in minicars is also about showing extra care behind the wheel and allowing for greater margins. Small cars, for example, can easily hide in the blind spot of modern SUVs and crossovers. The rule is that the smaller the vehicle you have, the greater the risk of being hit by other road users.
Conclusion
Mini cars of around three and a half meters are an exciting car class. New or almost new Kia Picanto is a sensible choice, especially in terms of economy. This is a car that will undoubtedly take you from A to B for many years. It is both light and quite fun to drive. The only objection I have is that the car can look bigger than it really is er. If you are considering buying a Picanto, take it out for a test drive and park it next to a car you already know well, such as a Volkswagen Golf. Next, take a walk around both cars and study the size ratio.
It is not as big as you think...
Facts about the Kia Picanto
The KIA PICANTO SR7 was produced from the facelift in 2015 and replaced by a new model for the 2018 model year. The model shares a platform and technology with the Hyundai i10.
Outer dimensions:
Length: 3,595 m
Width: 1,595 m
Height: 1,490 m
Wheelbase: 2,385 m
Luggage compartment with seats folded up: 200 litres.
Engine 1,0 liter produces 68 HP and has a torque of 95 Nm at 3500 revolutions.
Average prices (source: Finn.no)
Year: 2017
Number: 15
Km: 7000
Price: 154000
Year: 2016
Number: 20
Km: 30000
Price: 130000
Year: 2015
Number: 6
Km: 32000
Price: 119000
See also:
