Engines
You’ll find either the three-cylinder 1.0-litre or the four-cylinder 1.25-litre petrol engine under the bonnet of the Picanto, the latter of which was available with a four-speed auto in addition to the standard five-speed manual. To eke out a few extra mpg the 1.25 came with Idle Stop & Go (ISG) Stop-start technology, which put it into
the zero tax band at the time – but lots of owners report that they turn it off as soon as they start driving.
Both engines have a timing chain, so there’s no belt to worry about – although the official 12-month/10,000-mile service interval needs to be kept up to avoid unnecessary chain wear. However, because most Picantos do lots of short, stop-start journeys, we would do it a bit sooner. A 5W-30 brew is recommended.