The Kia Picanto is one of the most popular and best-selling cars in its segment in the UAE. It aims to please the masses with its combination of affordability, decent styling, good build quality, and ease of use. The brand-new third-generation Kia Picanto that’s currently on sale in the country costs from between 43,000 and 49,900 dirhams for the base and top variants, respectively. Ever since its introduction in the region, competitors of the Picanto such as the Hyundai Grand i10, Suzuki Swift, Chevrolet Spark, and Mitsubishi’s Mirage haven’t had it easy.
The compact dimensions of the Kia Picanto make it a great choice for those who primarily only drive within city limits. Of course, you can still take this hatchback out on the open roads of the emirates, but being a small city car, it’s far from perfect on the dynamics front. Over the years, however, Kia engineers have worked hard to try and keep road and wind noise at bay. That being said, once you cross the 80 km/h mark, both of those soon find their way back inside the cabin. But given the Picanto’s starting price, that’s something you’ll have to live with each day, every day. The Korean automaker has also made vast improvements when it comes to quality. There was a time when going cheap meant you were only worthy of nasty, low-rent plasticky bits of trim n the interior. However, that’s not really the case with the new Picanto. Now, I’m not saying there aren’t any cheap bits, because there are. But, what I’m saying is that most of them are not too obvious, and with Kia’s great fit & finish, you wouldn’t pay much heed to them.
Where the new Picanto struggles to beat its rivals is in terms of its cabin space. When it comes to raw numbers, the Picanto comes out to be shorter in length and narrower in width compared to its closest competitors. It has decent-sized boot for its class at 255 liters, though its cabin is relatively tight. You can still carry three more adults apart from yourself, but that’s about it. Try squeezing a third passenger in the back and they might all start to dislike you very soon. Thankfully, the new Picanto’s diminutive size along with its light steering and great all-around visibility makes it one of the easiest cars to drive around town. All the gauges, displays and switchgear are easy to read and operate, while ergonomics and in-cabin practicality are good as well.
The design of the new Kia Picanto’s steering wheel, side air vents, and HVAC controls all give off a funky vibe. On the features front, the top trim of the Picanto will offer you 15-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime-running lights, front & rear foglights, remote keyless-entry, leather seats, automatic climate control, multifunction steering wheel, power-operated door mirrors, and a 7-inch touchscreen multimedia system with support for Bluetooth, MP3, and AUX and USB inputs. Kia has also used up to 44% Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS) in the construction of the new Picanto, which makes it far safer than the model it replaces. On top of that, you get the usual list of safety equipment such as airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, tire-pressure monitoring display, hill-assist control, and also electronic stability control.
In the UAE, the new Kia Picanto is powered by a 1.2-liter, naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine. This unit develops 84 hp and 122 Nm of torque which is funneled via a 4-speed auto ‘box and sent to the front wheels. The setup enables the Picanto to touch 100 km/h in less than 14 seconds, a top speed of 161 km/h, and achieve a fuel burn of 6.0 L/100 km.
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