The tiny, talented Picanto is a complex budget item

Kia’s Picanto has been the shining star of the micro car segment since its 2016 launch. To be fair, it hasn’t had much competition. City cars sell in low numbers and barely turn a profit — as the likes of Nissan’s Micra, Suzuki’s Celerio and Holden’s Spark have been axed, the Picanto’s been busy kicking goals.

As a first car or town runabout it’s tough to beat. Cheap, funky-looking, decent to drive and surprisingly roomy in the front, it plays a trump card with its unrivalled seven-year warranty. The engine may be weedy but uses little fuel. With its five-star crash rating (four stars from April 2017 due to tougher testing), there’s reasonable peace of mind.

A no-brainer to recommend as a used car then? Not exactly. It’s tough to find a pre-loved example for less than $10,000, which is still a fair price for a late model car with at least three years’ warranty intact.

You can buy a new Picanto from $15,790 drive-away, with the latest equipment updates, full seven-year warranty and that new car smell. Cheaper still, you can scour the classifieds for ex-demo Picantos for less than $15,000 drive-away.

If you can get a good deal on a used one it’s decent buying. The warranty coverage, if the vehicle’s been serviced correctly, means Kia should have rectified any problems.

It also means few owners have grumbled about reliability but there have been mutterings of automatic gearbox trouble, annoying rattles and infotainment gremlins.

Some say Picantos drink way more fuel than advertised, cabin plastics are cheap and the engine is gutless, especially on hills. But the vast majority of owners seem delighted with the baby Kia, especially from a value perspective.

Key to Picanto shopping is knowing which generation you’re looking at. The one launched in April 2016 – the TA – was with us for just a year before being replaced by a more refined and better-equipped JA model in May 2017, at $17,490. Budget permitting, make the latter your priority.

These are five-door hatches with the same 1.2-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine good for just 63kW and 120Nm.

The four-speed automatic feels as if it needs at least one more ratio (not helping the drive experience) but the JA series also has a fivespeed manual option. Picanto buyers — youngsters and oldsters — don’t really dig clutches these days but manual versions are far more rewarding to pilot.

The Picanto Si, the sole TA grade, came with six airbags, aircon, power heated mirrors, Bluetooth and USB port but had very basic audio and no rear camera. There were rear sensors, the leather steering wheel had audio controls but was shaped like a madman’s grin and the standard wheels were 14-inch steel jobs (alloys were an option).

Improvements in the JA included stronger body structure and reduced cabin noise. Kia Australia’s team tuned the ride and handling for our roads and preferences and did a superb job

— the Picanto feels safe, well-balanced and great fun to throw around.

In what’s now known as the Picanto S, the big deal was the seven-inch touchscreen with smartphone connectivity, backed up by a rear camera and cruise control. Hard plastics abound, steel wheels remain and autonomous emergency braking is absent.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Picantos are bought by the budget-conscious, so make sure owners haven’t scrimped on services. They are annual or every 15,000km — adherence is essential to preserve the sevenyear warranty.

Walk away from anything less than a full service record, ideally via Kia dealers. Kia has capped price servicing but it costs more than, say, Toyota’s.

Favour examples that have been privately owned from new and check all body panels and wheels for damage.

Cabin space is good for front occupants but the rear is a barren, cramped place with just one cup holder and no air vents.

The boot’s a tiddler, initially 200L then 255L in the later series — that’s expected in a micro car but best check whether it suits your likely needs.

Test drive on the highway and up a reasonable hill to ensure the engine has enough guts for you. Look out for clunks, whines or hesitation from the auto, forward and reverse.

Check for vibrations and rattles when driving; avoid the former and assess whether you can live with the latter.

Make sure your phone connects via Bluetooth. In examples with the seven-inch screen, check that the camera, menus and smartphone connectivity function smoothly.

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IAIN SAYS

The Picanto’s a talented little thing but used values haven’t dropped by much considering their original cheapie drive-away prices. A new or ex-demo car will have full warranty. If preloved is your only way, post-May 2017 examples are safer, better to drive and have the allimportant smartphone mirroring.

OWNER SAYS JEWEL MASON:

OR

I’ve owned my Picanto for two years. It’s the ideal first car, easy to drive, affordable and good on fuel. I use it to get to work every day and road trips, it’s small but feels more spacious inside than you’d think. It’s useful to have for parking in small spots. Only problem I’ve had is the key fob stopping responding but I don’t believe it’s a common problem and was fixed under warranty.