The Kia Picanto has always been viewed as a fun, quirky car, well suited to those in search of practical, zippy transport that fits into the lifestyle of a 20-something. This made me a good candidate to attend the launch of the new Picanto and see if it’s the kind of car I could see myself buying. The launch drive was undertaken with the top-spec EX manual variants.

I’ve always found the Picanto’s styling quite cute. The new look, with a revised front end with bigger, height adjustable headlights, revised brake light clusters and a new-look bonnet and front fenders, looks every bit as cute as its predecessor. Kia claims that the bumper is impact resistant – a slight dent obtained would just pop back out. Hmmm…not sure if I would want to put that to the test.

The exterior dimensions of the Picanto can be deceiving. Once inside, you see that there is more legroom than expected in both the front and the back. The controls are easy to reach and operate, and the engine provides a quiet drive.

The route was a drive through Cape Town, through a bit of the city, as well as along the coastline. Driving in Cape Town city centre is something I always try to avoid. Pedestrians are everywhere, taxi’s bolt in and out of traffic, and frustrated drivers are all over the place! The Picanto, however, made the journey through town a little easier to handle.

The size and weight of the Picanto made it easy to dart through the city with ease, while the iPod playing through the Auxiliary connection (an optional extra) provided a good distraction from other frustrated drivers on the road. Gear changes are not as smooth as I’d prefer, but it’s still fairly easy to go though the five gears.

With figures like zero to 100 km/h in 15 seconds and a top speed of 152 km/h, the Picanto isn’t the kind of car you’d use if you wanted to get from place to place very quickly, but that’s not what this car is all about. It can, however, keep pace with other cars on the road while driving at moderate speeds through Cape Town. The car’s overall driving feel is impressive, and while I’m more of a sports car (think Audi “S”-branded vehicles) fan myself, the Picanto is definitely something I’d consider buying if I were looking for a day-to-day car that could get me from A to B and throw in some fun in between.

The Picanto range is made up of a base LX model and a higher-specced EX. Both LX and EX models are fitted with air-con and electric windows, while entertainment comes in the form of an optional MP3 compatible sound system with an AUX socket as an option.

Safety and security features include remote central locking, an immobilizer with an encoded transponder key, a driver airbag in the LX model, dual airbags in the EX model, pre-tensioning seatbelts, ABS and EBD.

Original article from Car