Kia Picanto 1.0 TGDi: Fun with Brio – Road Test

Kia Picanto 1.0 TGDi: Fun with Brio – Road Test

We tried the Kia Picanto 1.0 TGDi in the GT Line tuning: the more aggressive version of the third generation of the Korean city car is sharp, fun in corners, does not require gas and is well equipped. Increased comfort and high prices

Appeal	The Kia brand has made great strides in recent years.
Technological content	There are many things as standard, and for those who want the best (navigator and ADAS combined with a spare wheel), just add 1.150 euros.
Driving pleasure	The Picanto 1.0 TGDi is a lively and agile city car in curves: it is not sporty but fun.
style	Very gritty look (even if in our opinion the restyling has weighed down the front).

Le CityCar are gradually disappearing from our lists: many manufacturers in search of more profitable models have already decided to abandon the "A segment" or to produce exclusively electric townships to increase profitability. Fortunately, there are houses like Kia that not only continue to produce cars like the Picanto - arrived at third generation – but they also offer "spicy" options, designed for those with a budget of less than 20.000 euros, but who at the same time are not satisfied with the simple means of getting from point A to point B.

In our road test we tested a rougher version Kia Picanto: 1.0 TGDI in the sports set-up GTLineLet's find out together strengths e defects of the interesting Korean "baby".

Kia Picanto 1.0 TGDi GT Line: expensive but rich

La Kia Picanto 1.0 TGDi GT Line our main character road test It has price a little high - 17.650 euro there are many for one CityCar - but in combination with one standard equipment very rich:

Comfort

• Automatic climate control
• Rear parking sensors
• Sliding front armrest with storage compartment
• Height-adjustable driver's seat
• Light sensor
• Electric power steering + height-adjustable steering wheel
• Height-adjustable front and rear headrests
• Central locking with folding key + immobilizer
• Stop & Go

Outdoor

• 16 ″ alloy wheels with “Blade” design.
• Front fan bifurcated
• LED direction indicators
• LED position lights
• LED front daytime running lights
• Sporty LED fog lights
• LED tail lights
• Rear tinted glass
• Dedicated two-tone Tiger Nose grille
• Front and rear bumpers GT Line with chrome inserts
• Chromed glass side profile
• Double chromed exhaust
• Chrome plated external handles
• Exterior mirrors with integrated LED turn signals
• Heated, electrically adjustable and folding exterior mirrors

Interior

• Aluminum pedal
• Sports steering wheel covered in leather
• Front and rear electric windows - auto up / down & safety function on the driver's side
• Internal chrome finishes
• Internal chrome handles
• Leather shift knob
• The cargo platform is adjustable on two levels
• Approval in 5 places
• Passenger side rear storage pocket
• Foldable and divisible rear seats with 60:40 module
• Sun visors with courtesy mirrors
• Rigid luggage cover awning
• Luggage compartment lighting

Banners

• Cruise control with speed limiter
• Smart key + start button
• DAB radio with 8 '' touchscreen and Apple CarPlay / Android Auto
• Bluetooth with voice recognition
• Rearview camera with dynamic guides
• High frequency
• Observation cluster da 4,2 ″
• Steering Wheel Audio Control
• Bluetooth with speakerphone
• Front USB connector

safety

• Front and rear disc brakes
• Emergency Brake Assist (FCA) with vehicle recognition
• 7 years warranty / 150.000 km (according to the provisions of the House)
• ABS / ESC / THIS
• Driver and passenger side, front side and front and rear curtain airbags
• Isofix connections
• Front disc brakes
• Tire repair kit
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

We recommend adding to all this good Techno and safety package (1.150 euros in mandatory combination with spare wheel). An excellent multimedia package UVO Connect с navigator, 7 years of data traffic and map updates, the wireless charger for smartphones and some ADAS that are usually found on larger and more expensive cars. A few examples? The FCA emergency braking assistance system with recognition of cars, pedestrians and cyclists, the LKA lane departure warning and correction system, the LFA level II autonomous driving system, the DAW driver fatigue detection system and the adjustment system HBA high beam headlights.

To whom is it addressed

For those looking for substance Kia (reliability and a Warranty 7 years or 150.000 km) but also want to have some fun.

Driving: first hit

When you board Kia Picanto You are always pleasantly surprised by the perceived quality (hard plastic, like all CityCar but well assembled): the interior looks like a “B segment” and in order to find inaccuracies in finish (what is missing, mind you), you need to go to the most hidden areas.

Despite the sporty shapes, the Korean baby offers a lot of space for the rear passengers' heads: instead, the centimeters available for the shoulders and legs can be improved (it is difficult to expect more from a car that is only 3,60 meters long). The trunk it is very large and adorned with a comfortable double bottom, but when the rear seats are folded it must be said that there are more versatile competitors.

Il engine The 1.0 bhp 100 turbo three-cylinder TGDi petrol engine is a bit noisy (especially in cold conditions) but gives a good boost at low revs and lively performance ("0-100" in 10,3 seconds), all combined with a behavior in the agile and reassuring curves.

Driving: final grade

To get acquainted with Kia Picanto: thanks to ergonomic controls and compact external dimensions, which – in combination with parktronic back and rear cameras as standard - make any maneuvering in tight spaces a joke. It is a pity the lack of body protection: if you want to protect yourself from any touch, it is better to focus on the option. Line X - sold there price of GTLine our main character road test – which winks at the off-road world.

Il engine gives consumption content (even with fun driving, it is impossible to drive less than 15 km / l) thanks to the opening of the stepless valves, which allows you to maximize efficiency in all driving situations, while the pleasure is guaranteed by one steering directed, by a Speed five-speed mechanics, featuring a very comfortable lever and a good braking system. With about twenty more horses - and with suspensions a slightly less rigid rear end would be the perfect sporty minion.

What does it say about you

You are nostalgic for tough babies, but you think that small modern sports cars are too exaggerated (in size, price, power and running costs). Hundreds of horses and a car is enough to have fun.

Specification

engine	turbo petrol, 3-cylinder row
bias	998 см
Potenza	100 CV
CO2 emissions	114 g / km
consumption	20,0 km / l
maximum speed	180 km / h
Acc. 0-100	10,3 with
Length Width Height	3,60 / 1,60 / 1,49 meters
Luggage capacity	255 / 1.010 liters

Fiat Panda 4 × 4 Wild	For those looking to have some fun on the tarmac: four-wheel drive and 85 hp twin-turbo engine. under the hood.
Hyundai i10 NLine	Picanto's only real rival: identical engine, slightly lower price (but less complete), more versatility, but less fun in corners.
Toyota Aygo red	Harsh, but only aesthetic: the engine actually has 72 horsepower ...
Volkswagen up! GTI 5p.	Sportiest five-door city car: 116 hp and 8,8 seconds at "0-100". The prices, however, are much higher than those of the Picanto.