Little Kia not quite the small wonder (From The Northern Echo)

Kia Picanto 1.25 Petrol ‘3’ (Price, as tested, £11,195)

10:00pm Monday 19th September 2011 in Reviews By Matt Westcott

THE designer of the new Kia Picanto, Peter Schreyer, described his creation as being ‘terrier like’ - whatever it is, one thing is for sure, it will have to work hard to improve on the old car, which was definitely no dog.

In fact, the outgoing model, though more conservative in its looks, came out top in a leading motoring magazine’s reliability index.

Cheap and cheerful, it was substance without too much flair.

The new Picanto is decidedly more striking, but can it cut the mustard on the road?

I’m not sure I’d have gone with the Lemon Grass paint job our test car came with - on more than a couple of occasions I received looks which suggested I was perhaps a little too in touch with my feminine side - but, that aside, first impressions were very favourable.

Adopting a purposeful stance, the Picanto - built in Korea, but with Europe very much in mind - looks like a little pup that’s waiting for you to throw it a ball. The raking windows, angled lights, the slants on the grille and air intake, all serve to take the eye downwards, making the car appear to be readying itself to set off running. Add in the flared arches and wide alloys and you’d swear it was capable of biting you on the ankles if provoked.

Using creases and folds to hold your attention along its sides, the little city car also has a cute behind, the highlight of which are boomerang style lights that are illuminated in way reminiscent of those 1970s neon signs.

Pop inside and what you find is a well thought out layout, that is fresh, but mature. This car might want you to think it’s fun, but it also wants you to understand it can play at grown ups as well. There’s no gimmicks, nothing you don’t require and what you do is straightforward to understand.

I’m not the tallest driver out there, but I’m no short-arse either and there was plenty of real estate in which to stretch out my legs. That I could was down to the fact that while the Picanto is only marginally bigger than the previous model, an increase in the wheelbase and some jiggery pokery with what goes where has resulted in considerably more space in the cabin.

Front legroom has been increased and there’s more space in the boot too, all achieved without increasing the car’s height or width. All things are relative, obviously, but I still managed to get the kids in the back, a bike and two scooters, helmets and the rest of their clutter behind them and still close the boot with ease.

Power comes in the form of two petrol engines, the 1.25 litre that we tested and the entry 1.0 litre, both of which offer better fuel economy and lower emissions when compared with the units they replaced.

I can only assume the smaller of the two is a bit on the weedy side, and you probably have to work up a sweat to get the best out of it, so I’d go for its bigger brother, given the choice. Put your foot down and you can effect a spritely get away and while it’s happier at home, take it out of its comfort zone and it still performs admirably.

There are criticisms, though, and they are not necessarily of a minor nature, proving that while Kia has taken great strides in recent times, there is still room for improvement in some key areas.

The ride, for example, can be a bit jiggly and the clutch can cause problems. In fact, I stalled the car on at least three occasions when I was first handed the keys. Thankfully, no one was around to see and I’ve now managed to figure out the biting point to avoid any further embarrassment.

The steering also lacks any real feedback and doesn’t inspire much confidence on the open road - in fact I gripped it tight at anything over 50mph for fear of ending up in the weeds. It’s something that seems commonplace in Kias and I am sure won’t come as a surprise to the powers that be.

These bugbears will be music to the ears of some of the Picanto’s rivals, for while it is a serious threat in terms of its looks, the equipment it offers, the quality of its build, seven-year warranty and its overall price, it fails to measure up where it really matters.

SPEC ENGINE: 1.25 litre petrol MAX POWER: 84bhp MAX TORQUE: 89lb/ft MAX SPEED: 106mph 0-60MPH: 11 secs AVERAGE FUEL CONSUMPTION: 60.1mpg combined EQUIPMENT (includes): 15ins alloys; front and rear fog lights; tinted glass; speed variable front wipers; 60:40 split-folding rear seats; full automatic air conditioning; all round electric windows; electric and heated door miirrors; radio with CD audio and MP3 compatibility; Six Speakers; USB and Aux ports; six airbags; ABS with EBD; daytime running lights; leather trimmed steering wheel and gearshift; steering wheel audio controls; Bluetooth with voice activation and recognition; alarm and immobiliser.