Cost of living pressures mean buyers looking for a fun-to-drive car usually need deep pockets, but this tiny hatchback changes that.
VALUE
The cheapest new car in Australia is a manual Kia Picanto priced from $18,890 drive-away. Folks with an extra $4000 to spend can get hold of what is arguably the cheapest performance car in Australia, the turbocharged Kia Picanto GT.
That $23,890 drive-away sticker doesn’t look too bad until you remember Kia launched the Picanto GT for $17,990 in 2019.
The Kia Picanto GT comes with a manual transmission and turbo petrol engine.
It combines a grunty little three-cylinder engine with 16-inch alloy wheels, a cute body kit and sports suspension. You get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on an 8-inch touchscreen that includes a reversing camera and rear parking sensors.
Like all new Kias, it has a seven-year warranty with roadside assistance and capped price servicing – though the latter isn’t cheap at an average of $450 per year.
COMFORT
The list of creature comforts on the Picanto is as short as its compact body.
Manual air conditioning is standard, as is a steering column adjustable for rake, but not reach. A compact steering wheel with red stitching has audio controls for the four-speaker stereo, and there are padded armrests on doors finished with hard plastic.
The Kia Picanto GT is priced at $23,890 drive-away.
The Picanto’s vinyl seats have red highlights, but no more bolstering than regular models. There is more road and wind noise at highway speed than you will find in more expensive machines.
It’s not a particularly plush or spacious cabin but, once again, it’s no less than customers should expect from a car at this price.
It’s not the most luxe cabin, but it is about right for the price.
SAFETY
The Picanto scored a four-star safety rating in 2017, which is so long ago that it will expire at the end of the year. Passengers are protected by stability control and six airbags, along with auto emergency braking and forward collision warning systems.
But sophisticated features such as adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alerts are not available.
DRIVING
This is a car for those who subscribe to the theory that it’s more fun to floor the accelerator of a slow car than tiptoe around in powerful machines.
The Picanto offers near-endless opportunities for wide-open-throttle joy, as it only sends 74kW and 172Nm to the front tyres.
It’s not so slow that you’ll need to nail the perfect launch to beat a bicycle at the traffic lights, but you will need to bring your A-game to see off a garbage truck.
You can drive the Picanto hard nearly all of the time.
Extracting the most from the Picanto is an engaging process that requires both arms and legs, as you can only have the car with a five-speed manual transmission.
Minimal mass makes it fun to toss the Picanto into a bend, and a lack of purchase from budget tyres makes it feel faster than reality.
We’d like a bit more punch from the throbbing three-cylinder engine – and extra growl from the exhaust – but beggars can’t be choosers.
VERDICT 3/5
Like a fizzy lemonade on a hot day, the turbo and manual Picanto represents a refreshing change from the parade of utes and SUVs on Australian roads. But it’s not something we’d want to live with every day.
ALTERNATIVES
Volkswagen Polo, about $30,000 drive-away
VW’s compact hatch is fun to fling around, especially in manual form.
Hyundai i20N, about $39,000 drive-away
More expensive, but this is what you must pay for an entry-level hot hatch.
Kawasaki Ninja 400, about $9000 ride-away
You can’t beat the bang for bucks offered by the world of motorcycles.
KIA PICANTO GT
PRICE About $22,890 drive-away
ENGINE 1.0-litre 3-cyl turbo, 74kW and 172Nm
WARRANTY/SERVICE 7-yr/u’ltd km, $3158 for 7 yrs
SAFETY 6 airbags, auto emergency braking, forward collision warning
THIRST 5.2L/100km
CARGO 255 litres
SPARE Temporary