Kia Picanto GT-Line: an ideal shopping cart

The Kia Picanto, an adorable but affordable small car

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Car Reviewed: Kia Picanto GT-Line

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First, it’s tiny—as you would probably expect. While it would surely fit through Tesco aisles with ease, this is frowned upon, and we wouldn’t recommend trying it.

However, if your supermarket car park is crammed with shoppers, you’ll still find a space in no time with this car. It’s probably worth noting that the boot is minuscule, at just 255 litres, with the rear seats up. Fold them flat, and that expands to a more usable 1,010.

By hopping onto the Kia website, you’ll see that prices start at £15,030, and even after ticking a load of options boxes, the price will be south of £20,000. The GT-Line model, tested, comes with some well-priced additions to the lowest spec model.

The car still comes with a 66bhp 1.0-litre engine that’s paired with a five-speed gearbox. However, it’s packed with technology such as automatic lights, 16-inch alloys, heated door mirrors, air conditioning, a reversing camera, remote locking, various safety systems, and a touchscreen display. Not bad for just £15,600!

My test car was the GT-Line in Honey Bee yellow. It’s a trim that adds swanky bodywork, but there’s little GT about its performance. If you yearned for something pokey, however, you wouldn’t be considering a Picanto now, would you?

On national speed limit roads, it feels vulnerable, Ford Focus’s are suddenly terrifying, and cyclists will be nudging to get past you on any kind of incline. Around town, it feels right at home, and that’s exactly what this car’s about. You can ballet dance around tight streets and infuriate other road users by easily stealing their parking spaces. Over ruts and bumps, however, it can feel quite unsettled with shuddering being sent through the cabin.

The Picanto is a perfect reminder that you don’t need heaps of power to have fun; with its low weight (974kg) and small proportions, it can be oddly rewarding in the twisties.

On a small 21.2-mile town run, it returned an average of 60.4mpg. At one point, it even showed 67.5mpg. The lack of a sixth gear meant that longer motorway runs were closer to 50mpg, which is still admirable.

If you are considering a small car, the Kia Picanto is worth checking out. Buy one, and you’ll get a seven-year warranty, too. The standard Honey Bee yellow paintwork isn’t too bright, making the Picanto even more lovable. Check it out at the Kia UK Website