The diminutive Kia Picanto is a charming little city car. It's easy to use, great to look at and even better to drive. Buyers looking to spend between R200 000 and R250 000 will find that the little Korean runabout falls squarely within their budgets with the top of the range manual version going for a mere R225 995.
We compared the Kia Picanto 1.2 Smart against similarly priced rivals to see why the Picanto is a stand-out choice. We compared it against the likes of the Ford Figo, Volkswagen Polo Vivo and even the Fiat 500, and came up with a list of 10 things that would sway our decision.
Related: 2017 Kia Picanto 1.2 Smart - car review
1. Fuel Economy
The Kia Picanto has a cracking combined cycle fuel consumption figure of 5.0 l/100km. It really is light on the juice and in town, you'll see figures of 6.5 l/100km while the highway will see it drop to 4.1 l/100km.
2. Variable Valve Timing
You may have seen the acronym VVT bandied about, it stands for Variable Valve Timing, a feature of the engine that allows for great performance in the higher rev range while also giving you improved fuel consumption in the lower rev range.
3. Leather Steering Wheel
Here's something that the Ford Figo doesn't have; a leather-bound steering wheel. While it may seem trivial, it's the one part of the car that you make the most contact with so why no go for one that feels great in your hands?
4. Touchscreen Infotainment System
The cheapest car in South Africa has a touchscreen infotainment system as standard so why shouldn't a R200 000 one? The Picanto is fitted with a rather good touchscreen infotainment system with all the connections you could possibly want. That's more than can be said for the Polo Vivo where a touchscreen infotainment system is an optional extra.
5. Electric Windows
It definitely not a new technology and you'll find electric windows in just about all the rivals in this price range. The Kia Picanto goes one better and offers electric windows for both the front and rear windows, so whoever rides in the back with you knows that you haven't cheated them out of the luxuries.
6. Heated Mirrors
We don't see snow all that often but whet we do see are freezing winter mornings where the dew and condensation will quickly ice up all the glass on your car, especially if your car sleeps outside in winter. Heated mirrors will help keep you safe by defrosting the ice and making it easier to see. It's one of those things you miss when it's not there.
7. Sunroof
South Africa has a great climate for convertibles but with security and safety a constant concern, we'll settle for a sunroof instead. The Kia Picanto Smart has the option for a sunroof! It's not even an option in the Figo or Vivo but the 500 does have a panoramic glass roof.
8. LEDs
The Kia Picanto strikes a modern pose with all the right styling cues. LEDs for a big part of that look and the Kia Picanto Smart has both LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL) and LED taillights. These are things that neither the Ford Figo nor VW Polo Vivo can offer and the Fiat 500 only has LED DRL.
9. Auto lights
Sure it's a feature for the lazy, but auto lights also ensure that you never forget to switch on your headlights when the natural light starts to fade. It happens, you see people driving without their lights on but you can be assured that it won't happen to you in the Kia Picanto. This is a feature that the Figo and 500 have as well, but it's amiss from the Polo Vivo.
10. Outstanding warranty
The Kia Picanto blows the others out of the water here with a comprehensive 5 year / unlimited Kilometer warranty that will ensure unrivalled peace-of-mind. It's also backed by a 2 year / 30 000 km service plan that can also be extended. No other competitor comes close to offering this sort of warranty.
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