What they said when the Kia Picanto was new… (May 17 2004)
YOU could call it a glaring omission.
The car has been driven on a demanding test route, you've checked out its spec and performance, surveyed the press info, then discovered that nowhere has the manufacturer actually mentioned price.
That's the sting in the tail, and one that hit home like a blow from a sledgehammer when the big wheels at Kia finally revealed the tab for its latest offering, the Picanto.
When it hits the showrooms on May 25, the base level 1.0 GS model will cost £5,495 - for a car that includes a raft of equipment that puts the Picanto streets ahead of its principal rivals.
In fact the only cheaper car on the market is the Perodua Kelisa 1.0EX. That runs in at £371 less, yet can't hold a candle to the Kia in any area.These are exciting times for the Korean manufacturer. Despite being in many people's eyes little more than a peripheral operation, the reality is that this fast-expanding company has given itself six years to achieve Top 5 global automaker status as part of the Hyundai Group.
If that's to be the case then the Picanto has a major part to play.
A formidable product was delivered in the shape of the stylish Sorento 4x4 - which last year outsold the Land Rover Discovery in Europe - now the Picanto is taking up the mantle.
While targeting what Kia calls the Sex and the City generation may seem ambitious for a sub-five and half grand car, there's also little doubt that this is the most attractive design the Koreans have brought to the market place.
Asian manufacturers have been rightly criticised in the past for their cars' bland interiors, something that can't be levelled at Picanto.
The looks are anything but boxy, the cabin is modern and attractive with slush moulded fascia, gentle angles, comfortable if excessively soft seats and sufficient space for heads and legs.
It's small - almost urban/city car meets supermini - yet definitely refined and surprisingly spacious. Sure, taller passengers will struggle for comfort in the rear, but at least the front seat backs have been scooped out to help address that problem. The boot is tiny though.
Initially, there will be three Picanto models available; the 60bhp 1.0GS five-seater at £5,495, 64bhp 1.1LX at £6,245 and top spec four-seater 1.1SE costing £6,995.
A 1.1-litre diesel will follow next year, with auto transmission available on all bar the 1.0GS.
As a driver's car the Kia ticks the right boxes. It's nippy, performing well in city and suburban traffic and provided you're not too fussed about acceleration it does an excellent job on the motorway too. Steering is light but positive.
Official figures for the 1.1 are 0-62 in 15.1 seconds - 17.9 auto - with top speed of 96mph, while a combined fuel consumption of 57.6mpg, and a 35-litre tank, means the car is capable of managing 440 miles between fill-ups.
But where the Picanto really nails the opposition - principally Ford Ka, Daewoo Matiz, Fiat Panda, Suzuki Alto and Daihatsu Charade - is in value for money.
Every model comes with dual airbags, ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution, a CD sound system with MP3 player, immobiliser, central locking, front electric windows, ISOFIX child seat anchor points, tilt adjustable steering wheel and body-coloured bumpers, handles and mirrors.
Move up to LX and the likes of air-con, alarm and leather steering wheel join the list, while the SE adds 14-inch alloys, 6-speaker sounds, front fog lights and two-tone door trim and seats.
Insurance costs should be low due to Group 2 - for the 1.0 - and Group 3 ratings, and there's also a three-year unlimited mileage manufacturer's warranty with three years' European roadside assistance.
No doubt then, Kia is onto a winner. Just a shame that while managing director Paul Williams says that Picanto is a "modern European-focussed design" the company persists with having the indicator stalk on the wrong side.
Words: Mike Torpey
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