Kia Picanto 2011 - 2017 guide

Buyer's guide to the Kia Picanto Mk2: 2011 - 2017

It's at the cheaper end of the used car market, but the Kia Picanto is a great choice for newly passed learners or anybody that wants a small, reliable car that costs cents to run. The Picanto Mk2 that arrived in 2011 was light years ahead of the car that it replaced, and brought some big-car tech to the city car class, too.

The Picanto is closely related to the Hyundai i10, and both come with the same engines and similar tech on board. Other rivals in the sector include the SEAT Mii/Skoda Citigo/Volkswagen up! trio, and another joint venture product in the form of the Citroen C1/Peugeot 108/Toyota Aygo. The Ford Ka+, Fiat Panda and even basic versions of the Fiat 500 offer a bit more space for similar cash, too. However, the Picanto measures up well against all of these models. It's not the most exciting car to drive, but it shouldn't let you down.

What's it like?

The Kia Picanto is a typical small city car with a one-box shape and a five-door layout, although a three-door version was also sold for a while - these are scarce. While most rivals only offered one engine option, the Picanto had two petrol units available: a 1.0-litre three-cylinder, or a 1.25-litre four. The 1.0-litre is far more common than the larger engine, though, and is more than powerful enough in such a small car.

All cars are front-wheel drive, while a five-speed manual gearbox was also fitted. If you want an automatic, then there was one available with the 1.25-litre engine, although it's not a great performer and we'd avoid it unless you must have an auto.

Trim levels offered in Ireland included EX, LX and TX, while other markets had numbered grades, ranging through 1, 2 and 3, as well as various special editions.

Which model to go for?

We'd stick with the 1.0-litre engine, because the 1.25 doesn't offer much more performance, especially around town, and neither car feels particularly at home travelling at motorway speeds.

We'd also avoid basic trim levels, or at least check that the cars you're looking at come with air conditioning - the cheapest versions of the Picanto didn't feature it. You also need to move up the model range if you're after things such as Bluetooth phone connectivity and alloy wheels. Top-spec cars were well equipped, with luxuries such as heated seats, climate control and rear parking sensors.

What you need to look for are signs of a cared-for car. Bumper scrapes, wheel damage and other dings might be signs that a car has been driven by an inexperienced learner, while clutches could be a cause for concern, too.

Does anything go wrong?

As you might expect from a company that offers a seven-year warranty on its new cars, the Kia Picanto should be reliable and dependable. There has been just one recall on this version of the Picanto, and that was to fix possible wear to the hose between the fuel filler and the tank.

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